Angelique Kidjo

Founder
Batonga Foundation

Angelique Kidjo, four-time Grammy Award winner, is one of the greatest artists in international music. Time Magazine considers her "the first African diva" and the Guardian has noted her as one of the 100 most influential women in the world. Her ability to mix Beninese traditions with current music along with her striking voice has taken her beyond African borders from Olympia to Carnegie Hall. She has received dozens of accolades and awards, both for her music and her activism. She is the founder of the Batonga Foundation, created to accelerate the path to gender equality and gender justice for the hardest-to-reach young women and girls in Africa. Her tireless pursuits to help children in need around the world have also led her to be appointed as UNICEF’s International Goodwill Ambassador and to receive Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.