Queen of Sheba

Fusing the West African roots of Angélique Kidjo and the Levantine heritage of the French-Lebanese jazz composer Ibrahim Maalouf, this seven-part suite explores the myths and legends surrounding the visit of Makeda, Queen of Sheba, to King Solomon in Jerusalem some 3,000 years ago. Maalouf and Kidjo first met in New York in 2018 and discussed a project that would blend their musical cultures together.

The biblical story of Sheba’s journey out of Africa to the Middle East provided the perfect vehicle, although most historians believe the Queen came from modern-day Yemen or Ethiopia, the Yoruba hold that she came from West Africa and was a wealthy noblewoman called Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo. Each piece has lyrics by Kidjo in Yoruba, posing and answering the seven riddles the Queen set to test Solomon’s wisdom, from the explosive rhythms of ‘Ahan’, to the sombre and reflective ‘Ife’. Kidjo sings with her customary mix of grace and power but it is Maalouf’s audacious arrangements for strings, horns, drums, percussion, guitar, bass and electric piano which are the revelation. The subtle quarter-tones of his own trumpet-playing are exquisite and he also conducts the 28-piece orchestra plus choir, as the suite seamlessly weaves Western classical, jazz and rock tropes into the Afro-Middle Eastern mix.