Angelique Kidjo: Educating Africa’s girls

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Angelique KidjoBeninese-born Grammy award-winning singer and activist Angelique Kidjo talks about her work with UNICEF.

Beninese-born Angelique Kidjo is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and activist. Her creativity and unique musical style has captivated audiences around the globe.

“Music, for me, is a language, of peace, the language of love and I was gifted with it, when I was born, I didn’t ask for it,” explained Kidjo. “And the voice, for me, is the mirror of the soul.”

Angelique Kidjo: Educating Africa’s girls

Grammy Award-winning singer and activist Angelique Kidjo talks about her music and work with UNICEF to educate African girls.


Universally regarded as one of the world’s most influential African artists, Angelique has used her global status as a platform for change. In 2002, she was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

“Working with UNICEF brought me back, all the time, to that simple, simple core thing of how, people that you are trying to help, if you don’t bring them into the equation of the solutions and the problem, you’re never going to succeed,” said Kidjo.

Five years later, in 2007, she founded the Batonga Foundation, which funds education for girls in Africa. She also advocates for a number of other causes, including Human Rights and Women’s Rights, and has worked in the communities of several countries across Africa.

Along the way, she’s captured about every award in existence. Recently, the World Economic Forum handed her the 2015 Crystal Award. The Guardian Newspaper lists her as one of the top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World.

Angelique Kidjo joined Mike Walter in our New York City studios to share more about her music and activism.

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