Angélique Kidjo

Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo is not only one of the most electrifying performers in the pop world today, she is 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. Ms. Kidjo also travels the world as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, where she raises awareness about girls’ education to help eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education. She is the co-founder of the Batonga Foundation, which gives scholarship to girls in Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali and Sierra Leone.