“The armistice of November 11, 1918, was the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the allies and their opponent, Germany.”
On Sunday, November 11, 2018, exactly a hundred years on, more than sixty heads of state gathered at the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile in Paris, France to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the World War I.
African legend, Angelique Kidjo performed her song, “Blewu” which means, “Slowly”, to commend the African soldiers who laid down their lives to fight the First World War. With her powerful brassy voice, long blue dress and headgear, the Beninese legend set a welcoming tone for the centenary celebration.
“Today Nov 11th 2018, I sung Bella Bellow’s beautiful song “Blewu” to celebrate Peace and the memory of the fallen African soldiers of World War One in front of the leaders of this World under the Arc De Triomphe,” she explained the choice of song on Facebook while giving credit to the original owner of the song, Togolese music star, Bella Bellow.
Bellow made a name for herself internationally after recording several albums. However, she died at the age of 28 in a car accident in Togo.
The song was captivating and Kidjo made it worthwhile at the ceremony. Watch the video below.
