2. Angélique KidjoAyé

I always loved Angélique Kidjo growing up – she’s one of the very first black female artists I would have seen. It was the video for ‘Agolo’ that first drew me to her work, and the album was Ayé. I played it with my sisters, and it means a lot because that’s one of the first artists we all listened to growing up – she’s always been one of my idols. I’ve since gotten the opportunity to open for her at New York’s Lincoln Center, and we’ve done a few festivals together. I call her ‘the wise woman’: she’s given me good advice, and it’s been great getting to know her.