Afropop Worldwide Celebrates 20 Years of Excellence; Inducts Harry Belafonte and Angelique Kidjo into Hall of Fame March 4

Afropop Worldwide Celebrates 20 Years of Excellence; Inducts Harry Belafonte and Angelique Kidjo into Hall of Fame March 4

Brooklyn, NY (January 30, 2009) –Afropop Worldwide will celebrate its 20th Anniversary during its Hall of Fame Gala on March 4, 2009 at the iconic Tavern on the Green in Manhattan’s Central Park. This year’s inductees to Afropop’s Hall of Fame are the legendary Harry Belafonte and Grammy-Award winning artist Angelique Kidjo.

Of his upcoming honor, Mr. Belafonte says, "I'm very happy to share the Afropop Hall of Fame honors with Miss Angelique Kidjo, and with Afropop. The Afropop organization continually amazes me with the depth of their knowledge about contemporary African music and their skill in translating that knowledge into enjoyable and insightful programming. I wish them all the best as they move forward into the next 20 years."


Mr. Belafonte is an American icon of vast and varied accomplishments.  In choosing Mr. Belafonte as a Hall of Fame inductee, Afropop particularly honors his tireless dedication to promoting African music and culture, and his outspoken work as a critic of injustice, social activist, and human rights advocate.  As the U.N.’s official Ambassador to Africa, Mr. Belafonte has been a champion for peace on the continent.  One of the most successful recording artists in music history, and a critically and commercially successful actor, he was the first African-American to receive an Emmy, and the first artist to record a million-selling album. He has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Medal of Arts. He is currently working on a multi-part documentary entitled Sing Your Heart that is set for theatrical and television release.

Ms. Kidjo remembers, “When I grew up in Benin, West Africa, my dad used to play on his banjo and sing for me some of Harry Belafonte's music. So this will be a great honor for me to be honored along with him by the Afropop organization which has helped spread the word on the beauty of contemporary African music for the last 20 years.”

Ms. Kidjo has been a champion in building cultural bridges between Americans and Africa.  Originally from Benin, West Africa, Ms. Kidjo is a highly charismatic singer, composer, performer, and political activist who has mesmerized audiences and touched people around the world. Ms. Kidjo is also a prolific recording artist who has collaborated with some of the world’s leading musicians, including Carlos Santana, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, Branford Marsalis and many others. Ms. Kidjo founded the Batonga Foundation, which gives African girls a secondary school and higher education so they can take the lead in changing Africa (more information at www.batongafoundation.org). When asked why she chose music to deliver her message, Kidjo said, “music is a healer and a unifier.  It breaks all barriers between different ‘nations.’”

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For ticket prices, sponsorship levels, and more information on Afropop’s 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala, visit "http://www.afropop.org/gala09.html" http://www.afropop.org/gala09.html or contact Afropop’s Development Consultant, Sonya Shields, at 718.398.2733 or HYPERLINK "mailto:gala@afropop.org" gala@afropop.org