Angélique Kidjo Receives Sustainability Award In Germany

Dariusz Misztal – Angélique Kidjo
Performing at the award ceremony

The West African singer also performed at the Dec. 12 award ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany. Other honorary prizes were awarded to U.S. actor Richard Gere and Irish musician Rea Garvey.

Time Magazine has called Kidjo “Africa’s premier diva”, the BBC has included her in its list of the continent’s 50 most iconic figures, and in 2011 The Guardian listed her as one of their Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World.

Forbes Magazine has ranked Angelique as the first woman in their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa. She is the recent recipient of the prestigious 2015 Crystal Award given by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award.

This year in April, Harvard University named Kidjo 2018 Jazz Master. She’s collaborated with artists including Alicia Keys, Santana, Rolling Stones, Bono, Joss Stone, Peter Gabriel and Annie Lennox, and has worked with several international orchestras and symphonies including the Bruckner Orchestra, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Philharmonie de Paris.

Kidjo’s got three nights at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA coming up Jan. 10-13. From Feb. 19-23, she’ll be performing at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, MN, Harris Theater in Chicago, IL, and CrashFest in Boston, MA.

She’ll visit Australia and New Zealand in March, before returning to the States in April.

Ralf Rühmeier – Richard Gere
Accepting his award

The other two honorary award recipients of the night were Richard Gere, for his lifelong commitment to human rights, and Rae Garvey, for his foundation “Saving An Angel” and the “Clear Water Project”.

Both Kidjo and Garvey, along with Naturally 7, performed live, receiving standing ovations in the main hall of Düsseldorf’s Maritim Hotel. 1,200 guests attended the 11. German Sustainability award.

Stefan Lohmann, the artist relations manager of the award, said “it was the most emotional German Sustainability Award to date. The artists and laudators were visibly moved and that immediately spread to the audience.

“Richard Gere, Angélique Kidjo and Rea Garvey use their fame and raise their voices intrepidly. With their own projects, they are working for a better and fairer world. That motivates and inspires and that is exactly what this event is all about: setting an example and inspiring as many people as possible to adopt a sustainable way of life.”

The German Sustainability Award is the largest award of its kind in Europe. In cooperation with the federal government, business associations and civil society organisations, it honours outstanding achievements in sustainability in business, local authorities and research.

Past honorary winners include Nelly Furtado, Annie Lennox, Jamie Cullum, Anastacia, Scorpions, Katie Melua, José Carreras, Nicolas Cage, Colin Firth, Art Garfunkel, Robin Gibb, Marlon Roudette, and iconic German singer Westernhagen.