Five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo has released the official music video for “Bando,” her collaboration with Pharrell Williams and Quavo, bringing the vibrant track to the streets of Grigny, France.
Released on August 28, 2026, the new visual accompanies an orchestral reimagining of “Bando,” originally featured on Kidjo’s acclaimed album HOPE!!. Pharrell produced the new version, which expands the song with the Voices of Fire choir and a 50-member orchestra.
Taking “Bando” to the streets
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Hunter, the video was filmed in La Grande Borne in Grigny, outside Paris, with members of the local community appearing alongside Kidjo, Pharrell and Quavo.
The visual captures the energy of everyday community life, with young people, dancers and residents bringing movement and personality to the streets.
Football, dancing and street culture feature prominently throughout the video, reinforcing the song’s themes of community, resilience and togetherness.
Kidjo also delivers several standout fashion moments throughout the visual, while Pharrell and Quavo add their own presence to the colourful street setting.
A bigger version of “Bando”
The new release is more than a standard music video. Kidjo and Pharrell have transformed the original into a larger orchestral production.
The arrangement features the 50-member orchestra and Voices of Fire, giving the song a more expansive and cinematic sound while maintaining its energetic blend of African music, hip-hop and contemporary global influences.
The orchestral version was first introduced earlier this year as the finale of Louis Vuitton’s Spring-Summer 2027 Men’s Show in Paris, where Pharrell serves as the brand’s Men’s Creative Director.
Kidjo, Pharrell and Quavo’s global collaboration
“Bando” brings together three artists from very different musical backgrounds.
Kidjo’s decades-long career has made her one of Africa’s most influential global musicians, while Pharrell has become one of the world’s most celebrated producers, artists and creative directors. Quavo, meanwhile, brings his Atlanta-rooted hip-hop style to the collaboration.
The result is a cross-cultural record that connects African music, American hip-hop, orchestral arrangements and contemporary fashion culture.
The original “Bando” is included on Kidjo’s HOPE!! album, which also features collaborations with artists including Ayra Starr, Davido, Fally Ipupa, The Cavemen., Nile Rodgers, IZA and Charlie Wilson.
Another major moment for Angélique Kidjo
The video arrives at a particularly significant point in Kidjo’s career.
Earlier this month, she became the first Black African to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising more than four decades of music and her contribution to bringing African culture to audiences around the world.
Her latest visual therefore arrives as another celebration of an artist who has consistently connected African music with audiences and creative communities around the world.
A celebration of community
At the heart of the “Bando” video is a simple message: where you come from should not determine where you can go.
By taking the song into the streets and involving members of the Grigny community, Kidjo turns the visual into a celebration of people, culture and collective creativity.
With Pharrell and Quavo alongside her, the new “Bando” video further demonstrates Kidjo’s ability to bring different generations and cultures together through music.
Angélique Kidjo’s “Bando” featuring Pharrell Williams and Quavo is out now, with the official video bringing the collaboration to the streets of Grigny, France.
