Angélique Kidjo

After achieving international success with 1991's Logozo, West African singer Angélique Kidjo became a fixture of world music, pairing her unique multilingual fusion of Afrobeat, pop, jazz, reggae, and African traditions with musical collaborators ranging from Philip Glass and Alicia Keys to Dr. John, and Branford Marsalis. Her adventurous spirit and collaborative nature are balanced by her Beninese and West African heritage, which has remained the through-line in her recordings, from 2007's star-studded Djin Djin to 2014's culturally rich Eve -- both earned Grammy Awards. Also known for her advocacy, Kidjo has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and created the educational Batonga Foundation. In 2018 she covered Talking Heads' Remain in Light album -- itself deeply influenced by Afrobeat -- followed by Celia in 2019, a tribute to Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Two years later, Kidjo released Mother Nature, her first album of original music in seven years.