The Woman King, a Gina Prince-Bythewood-directed story, is based on real-life history and told through the experiences of two fictional characters: Nanisca (Viola Davis), a legendary commander in the king’s royal guard, and Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), an orphan girl newly recruited to the group.

As the Agojie and The Woman King opened back in September, it quickly resonated with Black cinephiles, making nearly $7 million on its opening day, according to Box Office Mojo. But, as the pun would imply, the mojo behind all of the rip-roaring action is the talents of composer Terence Blanchard and the iconic sonics of Angélique Kidjo. Embedded within the enormous battle sequences and depictions of tribal culture in what is now known as modern-day Benin, Blanchard and Kidjo’s respective work helped to deem The Woman King as “certified fresh,” with a 99% audience score on the site.

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Blanchard, who worked with Prince-Bythewood on scoring her first film, Love & Basketball in 2000, makes The Woman King his 80th cinematic composition, while Kidjo, the Beninese diva, joined the project in an unannounced cameo and contributed to the closing song, “Keep Rising,” with Jessy Wilson. Both beam with pride about the Los Angeles filmmaker when they spoke with BET.com about the project.

Much like the film, Angélique Kidjo and Terence Blanchard are stewards in guiding listeners and cinephiles into uncharted waters. In this chat with the two award-winning creatives, they speak about what drew them to The Woman King, how it can empower viewers to delve into their own history, and why this rising moment in pop culture is only the beginning.

BET.com: What respectively drew you both to join The Woman King project?

Terence Blanchard: I have known Gina [Prince-Bythewood] for a very long time [and] I have always admired her talent. Once I read The Woman King script and knew that Viola Davis was attached, it was a no-brainer for me [to join].

Angélique Kidjo: I have been a true fan of Viola Davis for many years, so when I heard that she was working on a story about my country I was, of course, intrigued. I met her and her husband Julius in Los Angeles a couple of years ago and their passion for the project convinced me that it was important to participate.

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BET.com: As internationally renowned, award-winning musicians who have been a part of some excellent cinema moments (Terence with Malcolm X, Angélique with Mother of George) — what process, if any, goes into transitioning out of the musician’s mind when it comes to being in front of the camera?

Angélique Kidjo: My first experience with acting happened in Nigeria with Kunke Afolayan’s movie The CEO. I happened to be sitting on a plane next to him on my way back from the Grammys in Los Angeles. He told me, ‘I have a role for you,” and I could not say no! It brought me an African Academy Movie Award so I guess that was encouraging! 

I have also been acting on stage for Yemandja: The Musical Theatre ensemble that my daughter Naima [Kidjo], who is also an actress, wrote for me. So, transitioning out of the musician’s mindset is happening thanks to my daughter, who is helping me with that and is very different from singing.

BET.com: A while back during the 2022 Grammys, we asked you about the connecting bridge happening between Black Americans and the African Diaspora. With The Woman King out in theaters — how has it been for you to see people connect so strongly with this story about women’s empowerment?

Angélique Kidjo: The narrative on African history has been so biased and cartoonish that it is crucial to tell those stories that challenge the pre-conception that so many people have on the continent. When Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. did his documentary, Africa’s Great Civilizations, it was a game changer for me. African history is so rich and important and it has been erased from many history books. Professor Gates is a hero to me [and] The Woman King was a great opportunity to open minds and enrich souls.

BET.com: Congratulations on The Woman King marking your 80th cinematic composition, Terence. Outside of celebrating a milestone moment in your career and the album with Preservation Hall Jazz Band, La Vie En Rose, did working on this film mark the first time you both collaborated on such an effort? If not, what has it been like for you two to reconnect after some time passed?

Terence Blanchard: I was involved in assisting my manager to produce Angelique’s 60th Birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall months before the pandemic. Seeing her attached to this project was very nice, however, our jobs did not converge. I was busy writing the music, but it was welcoming to see her in the film.

BET.com: What was that initial connection like with director Gina Prince-Bythewood when you both began to conceive the framework of the film’s score? What were some of your goals—sonically and emotively—that was actualized when the final cut was made?

Angélique Kidjo: I love the song “Keep Rising.” The first time I heard it, I thought Jessy Wilson did a great performance! It was so good that I was excited to do my part for it. It was done while I was on tour in Finland [and] I composed my part in the hotel room. We went to record it the next day, after a concert I had, at a studio in Helsinki.

Terence Blanchard: Working with Gina [Prince-Bythewood] was a great experience again for the second time. We first worked together on the classic project, Love and Basketball. And now that we both have had time to grow as artists, it was a beautiful experience reconnecting with her and collaborating with her on this epic tale.

BET.com: The majority of your career as a composer isn’t full of action music, but after Da 5 Bloods, all things seemed to point to you coming into your own in that regard. What impressed you about the textures and different sounds used in songs like “Enemy Village,” “Oyo Battle,” and “Final Test”...?

Terence Blanchard: The object to tackle in scoring any film is to take your cue from the film’s strengths. Obviously, those battle scenes in The Woman King are visually stunning, detailed, and well-choreographed. It was inspiring to follow the choreography and match that energy with rhythmic and sonic possibilities.

BET.com: What would be your initial reaction to a Best Song Oscar nomination and/or win for “Keep Rising,” and what would you want your message as a native Beninese citizen?

Angélique Kidjo: [Laughs] Let’s not jinx it by talking about it!!!

BET.com: Lastly, with the film out now, what does it mean to you both to bring Black actors to the screen in this way, arguably for the first time?

Terence Blanchard: It is always a great honor to help tell the stories of our history and bring them to a forum that can help educate and motivate people to be proud. This film has the added pleasure of showing the strength of women who never let boundaries confine them.

Angélique Kidjo: African women are rising and it is a good thing because they have carried this continent for so long and have not been acknowledged [on the world’s stage]. In the words of Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” and I am so ecstatic to see it happen.

Kevin L. Clark is a screenwriter and digital media specialist, who works at the intersection of music, film, Black pop culture, and social justice. Follow him on @IAmKevitoClark.