Angelique Kidjo and "The Sound of the Drum"

Beninoise singer Angelique Kidjo has had a spectacular year. In April she released her newest album, OYO, where she revisited the music that inspired her as a young girl in West Africa and featured collaborations with Roy Hargrove, John Legend, Dianne Reeves, and Bono. In May, she performed for UNICEF in Dublin, her first concert ever in Ireland. In June, she appeared at the Official World Cup Kick-Off Concert in South Africa in front of a cheering, packed stadium and millions more watching on television all over the world. On November 11th, she'll present The Sound of the Drum at Carnegie Hall in New York City, an inspirational tribute to the African roots of music.

Kidjo was dubbed "Africa's premier diva" by Time Magazine and won a Best Contemporary World Music Grammy Award for her 2007 release Djin Djin. She has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002 and set up her own foundation, Batonga, to promote secondary school and higher education for girls in Africa. The foundation grants scholarships, works on improving teaching standards, builds schools and provides school supplies, and generally advocates for community awareness of the value of education for girls. In a recent New York Times editorial, Angelique (whose own mother was educated, a rarity) wrote, "My dream is to see every little girl in Benin have the chance I had right after independence: access to a great and sustained education." It's a cause she'll never stop working for. She explained that as an African girl, once you reach puberty, marriage is usually next. "We need highly educated women in Africa, we need women to take the lead in their own lives, we need them to stop being accessories...It's just vital for the future of Africa and the future of the world."

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