Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo Unite Cultures Through Music at Millennium Park

CHICAGO, IL — Music has long been a bridge across cultures, and on Tuesday, August 26, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and vocalist Angélique Kidjo put that belief into action with the U.S. debut of “Sarabande Africaine” at Millennium Park. The free concert, presented by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, brought together classical traditions and African rhythms at a moment when Chicago faces deep political and social challenges.

A Concert Amid Tense Times

As Ma and Kidjo rehearsed in Irving Park, national headlines loomed — including comments from President Donald Trump describing Chicago as a “killing field” and suggesting federal troop deployment. Against that backdrop, the performance aimed to model how music can unify communities rather than divide them.

“One of the things that we feel music can do is actually bring community together in a way that is not necessarily in your face or controversial, but it just gives us a safe place for us to contemplate and to think and to also to bring out our best selves,” Ma said.

Kidjo echoed that sentiment: “Everybody’s invited to that place and it’s a place of beauty. … We are at Millennium Park.”

Global Friendship, Shared Trust

The collaboration between Ma and Kidjo began in 2018 in Paris during a World War I centennial event. Their mutual respect blossomed into a creative partnership that has now produced Sarabande Africaine, a program featuring seven musicians from around the globe.

Kidjo, born in Benin and exiled to France during the dictatorship of Mathieu Kérékou, has built a career blending West African traditions with pop, jazz, and global sounds. Pairing her artistry with Ma’s world-renowned cello has been, in his words, “built on mutual trust and listening to one another.”

The Program

The evening featured a range of works merging classical and African influences:

• Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero” with new lyrics by Kidjo.
• Excerpts from “Ife: Three Yoruba Songs,” written for Kidjo by Philip Glass in 2013.
• Original arrangements spotlighting African rhythms layered against Ma’s cello lines.

The result was a soundscape both familiar and new, highlighting the universality of rhythm and melody across cultures.

Free Music in the Heart of Chicago

Hosting the event in Millennium Park was central to its mission. By offering a free, outdoor performance, Ma and Kidjo created a shared civic space for all Chicagoans.

“It’s not a transaction,” Ma emphasized. “Our performance is not a transaction. It’s a shared passion.”

The concert will be followed by additional U.S. dates in Los Angeles and Berkeley later this week, continuing the duo’s message of unity nationwide.

Why It Matters

For Chicago, the performance was more than just a concert. It was a reminder of the city’s role as a cultural crossroads — a place where global voices come together to model resilience, inclusivity, and creativity.

By blending cello and African song, Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo proved that music can indeed help communities find common ground, even in turbulent times.

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