Renowned Singer Angélique Kidjo Honoured By Amnesty International

BEVERLY HILLS, May 09, (THEWILL) – World-renowned musician Angélique Kidjo alongside three inspirational African youth activist groups, Y'en a marre from Senegal, Le Balai Citoyen from Burkina Faso and LUCHA from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been honoured with the prestigious Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award.

According to Amnesty International's Secretary General Salil Shetty, “The Ambassador of Conscience Award is a celebration of those public figures who have shown exceptional courage in standing up to injustice. Angélique Kidjo and the members of Y'en a marre, le Balai Citoyen and LUCHA have all proved themselves to be bold advocates for human rights, using their talents to inspire others.”

This award joins the long list of accolades of Angélique Kidjo who is also a multi Grammy-award winner.

“I have always tried to use my voice—singing and spoken—to fight injustice and inequality. Amnesty International's work throughout the years has been so courageous and extraordinary that receiving the Ambassador of Conscience award is intimidating to me! The award will energize me to stay outspoken about the crucial human rights issues of our time,” said Kidjo.

Previous winners of the Ambassador of Conscience Award include the late South African leader Nelson Mandela, Myanmar politician Aung San Suu Kyi, the rock band U2, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and American singer-songwriter Joan Baez.

The awards ceremony will hold in Dakar, Senegal, on May 28.