Angélique Kidjo

© UNICEF video

West African singer and songwriter Angélique Kidjo, one of the most electrifying performers in the pop world today, is also one of its most advanced thinkers, with a deep commitment to children and young people.

Former UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy appointed Kidjo as a Goodwill Ambassador on 25 July 2002. “Ms. Kidjo’s global popularity and personal commitment to children will make a big difference for UNICEF and for children everywhere,” Bellamy said.

Kidjo appeared in a UNICEF public service announcement on child trafficking in June 2002. And in September 2002 she attended the Africa Leadership Consultation – Children on the Brink, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The consultation developed priorities for helping children and young people orphaned or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. She gave a concert followed by extensive press work in Benin in October 2002 and participated in a fundraising gala concert in Finland in November.

Crossing boundaries

Born in Benin, Kidjo began her singing career at the age of six. She later moved to Paris because of the unstable political situation in Benin. While there, she studied jazz and also attended law school.

Kidjo has earned huge respect as a songwriter and performer. Her music is steeped in the tribal and pop rhythms of her West African heritage, but she has also crossed musical and national boundaries by blending a variety of styles, including funk, salsa, jazz, rumba, souk and makossa. She has made seven albums, the latest being Black Ivory Soul, which focuses on the Brazilian connection with West Africa.