BBC Proms: Angélique Kidjo comes to St George's Hall in Bradford with African Symphony show and special guest Corinne Bailey Rae

Benin-born five-time Grammy Award-winner Kidjo will perform the UK premiere of her African Symphony show – conducted by Chris Cameron to arrangements by the American musical director and bandleader Derrick Hodge – paying tribute to her heritage with a collection of tracks from legends such as Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti, Hugh Masekela and Youssou N’Dour.

Kidjo has been performing for more than four decades and, following her Proms debut back in 2019, she performs in Bradford for the first time in her career on Sunday as part of not only the Proms but the city’s UK City of Culture year, and it can be heard as it happens on Radio 3.

Leeds-born singer, songwriter and musician Corinne Bailey Rae will make her Proms debut, too, joining Kidjo for two songs as her special guest.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post from her Paris home ahead of the show, Kidjo says of African Symphony: “I was reflecting on the music that I listened to growing up, and how it had impacted the way I work, what it means to be a musician, and how in this ever-changing world, and fast and furious world in which we live in, where we are ready to discard everything and everybody, how to keep the memory of the ones that have sacrificed so much for us to have access to wonderful music.

"I had to limit myself to my continent first, because I listen to music around the world, and it's huge, if you want to think about it. As an artist, I am always grateful for the people that have come before that have nourished my curiosity of music and make me question what it means. What do you want to do? Your purpose.”

During her career, Kidjo has combined the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin – from which she fled to Paris in 1983 due to the oppressive communist regime then ruling her homeland – with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America.

Kidjo, 65, says she loves the Proms, adding that it “has been there forever, but yet people in the UK stay tuned to it, looking forward to it.

"Because we need those landmarks. We need those defining moments that have come before us to remind us that there's nothing that lasts long like that that is not meaningful to us. That (in) the culture of fast food and fast culture, everything that we are going through, we need those landmarks to remind ourselves that if we do meaningful things, they will outlast us, they will outlive us.”

She is impressed, too, by the City of Culture project.

"It is important because what it means is that, as a country, you celebrate every region. This year is the year of culture between France and Brazil. That is all right, but why go to Brazil when you can't celebrate your own country's culture? You can only go global when you know where you come from, when one British citizen knows that they are part of British culture.”

She adds: “To ground (ourselves) in our own identity and be open to other identity, it is absolutely key for our survival.”

Bailey Rae, a Grammy-winner in her own right, is looking forward to the concert.

She said: “I’m thrilled to be making my BBC Proms debut in Bradford with Angélique Kidjo, whose music I have been a huge fan of for years.

"The songs I will be singing mean a lot to me, and to be able to share them with a live audience in Bradford, so close to home, will be a magical experience.

"For anyone who can’t be there in person, the Prom will be broadcast live on Radio 3 and it will be available on BBC Sounds’.

It comes after the BBC reported that more than 22 million people had watched programmes celebrating Bradford during its UK City of Culture year.

For tickets and information about BBC Proms Bradford visit bradford2025.co.uk/event/bbc-proms/ or call the Box Office on 01274 800551. Standing tickets, priced at just £8, are available to purchase now.