Carnegie Hall

Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in international music today—a creative force with 16 albums to her name. TIME magazine has called her “Africa’s premier diva” and named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2021. The BBC, Forbes, and The Guardian have all highlighted her importance to the people of the African continent. She is the recipient of the World Economic Forum’s 2015 Crystal Award, the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award, the 2018 German Sustainability Award, the 2023 Vilcek Prize in Music, and the 2023 Polar Music Prize.

As a performer, Kidjo’s striking voice, stage presence, and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. She has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk, and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America.

Kidjo advocates on behalf of children as a UNICEF and Oxfam ambassador. She also created her own charitable foundation, Batonga, dedicated to support the education of young girls in Africa.