Angelique Kidjo

Four time Grammy nominee Angelique Kidjo is not only one of the spunkiest, most electrifying performers in the pop world today, but she's also one of its most forward and creative thinkers, an artist whose mission has been to explore the relationships of diverse musical cultures. While she has steeped her music in the tribal and pop rhythms of her West African heritage, the Benin-born, Brooklyn-based Kidjo has crossed musical boundaries by blending a variety of styles, including funk, salsa, jazz, rumba, souk and makossa.

The explosive growth in the popularity of world music during the past several decades has broadened the boundaries of our world, reminding listeners of the vast cultural wealth and diversity on offer in this wired age. The music of African-born songstress Angelique Kidjo offers another perspective: that the world is also much smaller than we think, and that no matter how far flung its peoples may be, subtle lines of interconnection span the globe, uniting its people.

Angelique continues to travel the world as a UNICEF goodwill Ambassador and symbol of Africa. While on the fields in Tanzania, Benin, Ethiopia, Brazil and many other places, she has been helping to raise awareness of a new UNICEF Program, Girls Education, which has been designed to help eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education.