Nairobi, 20 November
2009 - Grammy Award-winning West African
singer-songwriter and well known environmentalist
Angelique Kidjo
has lent her voice to the chorus of campaigners
asking for a fair, ambitious and equitable
climate deal this December in Copenhagen.
Kidjo, who is also a
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, has recorded
a new music video for the UN led Seal the
Deal! Campaign featuring her hit single
Agolo (Please), which she wrote in 1994
when she was contemplating her own consumption
and how she could make a difference as an
individual.
Her new video includes
soundbytes from children addressing more
than 100 heads of state and government at
the UN High Level Climate Summit in September
at UN Headquarters in New York.
Performing in the language
of her native Benin, Kidjo has been a face
of Africa for many years on the global stage.
In the run-up to the UN climate conference
in Copenhagen next month, Africa's climate
summit negotiators say they will insist
on a political deal that meets their demands
which focus on lowering emissions and compensating
African countries for damages caused by
climate change.
Kevin Custer, the director
of the video, said: "Once I realized
my responsibility as a steward of our planet,
I felt obligated to get involved with green
initiatives. Climate change is an issue
that simply can not wait. I hope that our
video compels people to act now and work
together towards real and positive change."
The video can be seen
at www.sealthedeal2009.org and www.unep.org
The song's lyrics are:
I just felt the spirit
of Love and Tenderness passing by my window.
Please, don't despair,
remember the love that Mother Earth is offering
to us.
If we are generous with
her, she will make our future prosperous.
Love, Life, Mother Earth
Love, Life, Motherland
Let's appreciate all
the gifts she is giving us.
Notes to Editors:
Angelique Kidjo has
been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since
2002 and is one of the Live Earth Ambassadors
for the 2010 Run for Water events.
Seal the Deal! is a
powerful climate change campaign led by
the United Nations. Through online activities
and special events, the campaign is mobilizing
communities around the world to encourage
governments to seal the deal on a fair,
balanced and effective climate agreement
when they meet in Copenhagen this December.
Find out more at www.sealthedeal2009.org
