UNITED NATIONS GIRLS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

Angélique Kidjo, the dynamic West African singer and songwriter, was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on 25 July 2002.  Ms. Kidjo is a passionate advocate for girls’ education and has made that a focus of her UNICEF partnership.

She is the founder of the Batonga Foundation which supports both secondary school and higher education for girls in Africa. “For me, education is so crucial because everything goes with it, like healthy politics and development,” she said. “Young people are the hope of my continent. When I watch the children of Africa, all dreams seem possible.”

As Goodwill Ambassador, Ms. Kidjo travels widely to advocate for UNICEF-supported programmes. She is an energetic campaigner for children and young people, often speaking out on issues that affect them and making time to visit UNICEF programmes while on her concert tours.

Ms. Kidjo has participated in a range of activities on behalf of UNICEF, including attending high level meetings, speaking and performing at public events and granting media interviews. Her public service announcements on the need to educate all children, to eradicate polio and to increase support for children affected by HIV/AIDS have helped bring greater attention to these issues.

Activity highlights

Angélique Kidjo was born in Benin and began her career at age six by performing in her mother's theatre troupe. In 1983, due to Benin’s unstable political climate, she moved to Paris where she studied jazz.  Her music is heavily influenced by West African rhythms and incorporates a range of other musical traditions, such as funk, rumba, salsa, jazz, souk and makossa. She is multilingual, speaking and singing in English, French, Yoruba and Fon, the native language of Benin.

Ms. Kidjo has won a number of music awards including the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music for her album Djin Djin.

In August 2008, she received Benin’s Commander of National Order of Merit for loyal services to the nation.

Angélique Kidjo lives in New York.