Look To The Stars News: Youssou N'Dour

Youssou N'Dour Temporarily Steps Down As UNICEF Ambassador

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

UNICEF said today that legendary giant of world music Youssou N’Dour had temporarily stepped down from his role as a Goodwill Ambassador for the organization because he is currently campaigning for the presidency of Senegal.

  According to UNICEF policy, politicians or those seeking public office cannot serve as Goodwill Ambassadors for the organization.

  UNICEF greatly benefited from Mr. N’Dour’s involvement, most recently when he met children in the Dadaab refugee camps in northeastern Kenya in September 2011, hearing for himself some of the many stories of suffering amongst the more than 435,000 people who have fled to the camps to escape famine, drought and insecurity in Somalia.

Stars Countdown To Global Peace In 2012

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Eliza Doolittle and Youssou N’Dour will headline this year’s Peace One Day concert at the 02 Arena in London on September 21.

Speakers will include Jude Law and Peace One Day founder and filmmaker Jeremy Gilley, with Monique Coleman also appearing.

The concert will mark the start of a 365-day countdown to a global truce that the organization hopes to inspire in 2012. For Peace Day 2012, Peace One Day is calling for and working towards a day of ceasefire and non-violence – a Global Truce –observed by all sectors of society globally, from governments to the individual. POD hopes this will be the largest reduction in global violence in recorded history, both domestically and internationally.

Youssou N'Dour Celebrates 20 Years As UNICEF Ambassador

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Grammy Award-winning musician Youssou N’Dour marked his 20th anniversary as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador this week by calling for a continued push to help save and improve the lives of the most vulnerable children around the world.

“Youssou N’Dour has a powerful voice, and he has used it not only to entertain the world but to help the world’s most vulnerable children,” said Anthony Lake, UNICEF Executive Director. “For 20 years, he has been a valued partner to UNICEF, a passionate advocate for child rights, and a true friend to children everywhere.”

In his role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, the world famous Senegalese singer has seen first-hand the struggle of millions of children around the world whose lives have been impacted by poverty, hunger, disease and conflict. A longtime advocate for children, N’Dour joined UNICEF as an Ambassador in 1991 and has continued to use his popularity to support UNICEF’s mission to respect every child’s right to health, education and protection.

Alicia Keys Announces Celebrity Charity Black Ball

Thu, 26 May 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Alicia Keys and Mark Ronson will join forces in London next month to host the annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball.

“Each year, Keep a Child Alive gathers extraordinary guests in a night promised to be filled with surprises and special moments,” said Keep a Child Alive Co-Founder, Alicia Keys. “I LOVE the Black Ball! I’m proud to raise awareness and funds for this most important cause to help families in Africa and India affected by AIDS and HIV. This issue is undeniable – how can we ignore it? It’s our responsibility as human beings to come together to save lives and care about each other.”

Joining the stars at the event will be Paloma Faith, Tinie Tempah and others yet to be announced.

Jude Law To Host 2010 Peace One Day Concert In Paris

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Peace Day 2010 will be marked globally on September 21, and a special concert will be held in Paris in the days leading up to the event.

Peace One Day will hold its annual concert at Le Zénith in Paris on September 17. Hosted by Jude Law and Sharon Stone, the concert will feature Patti Smith and Youssou N’Dour, as well as Charlie Winston, Ayo and Vanessa Paradis.

“This is the second year I’ve performed at a Peace One Day celebration,” said Charlie Winston. “It’s such a great idea which is beginning to move mountains. I hope everyone who comes to the show has a night to remember and that more and more people are inspired to raise awareness of Peace One Day.”

Jackie Chan Wants You To Be A Good Citizen For The UN

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Jackie Chan, Stevie Wonder, Angélique Kidjo, Youssou N’Dour and Leo Messi are among the stars urging people to be Good Citizen Ambassadors for the United Nations.

The 2010 United Nations Citizen Ambassador video competition has launched on the UN’s YouTube channel.

“Do you want to talk to the world leaders?” asks Jackie Chan. “Use your voice and tell us how to make the world a better and safer place? Go ahead! Be a good citizen Ambassador for the United Nations.”

More Performers Announced For Keep A Child Alive Black Ball

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Back in July, Look to the Stars brought you a story about this year’s scheduled 6th Annual Keep A Child Alive Black Ball. As the official website promised, more artists have been announced.  

One of the new honorees is Youssou N’Dour. N’Dour is a legendary Senegalese musician and he’s been consistently active in promoting the health and well-being of those in Africa. N’Dour is also scheduled to perform at The Black Ball. To add to the excitement building over this event, two more performers are on the event list: Chris Martin and John Mayer.  

In addition, Queen Latifah is the event’s emcee. Alicia Keys is event host and musical director, and Iman and Padma Lakshmi are the event’s co-hosts. The other two honorees are former President Bill Clinton and Sir Richard Branson.  

Annie Lennox Supports Bottletop Initiative

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Singer Annie Lennox is one of a group of stars who supports a charity initiative that funds projects that have a positive impact on the health and well-being of young people world-wide.

Bottletop raises funds through fashion and music, focusing on helping small, dynamic education initiatives, with a particular emphasis on sexual and reproductive health education. One of these fundraising initiatives is a beautiful ring pull bag crafted by 24 people in Salvador. Each bag is handmade by linking hundreds of recycled ring pulls together in a crochet formation.

Youssou N'Dour Launches Charity Album

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Global non-profit IntraHealth International is partnering with Grammy Award-winning artist Youssou N’Dour on a charity album titled “OPEN Remix” benefiting a new initiative created to address critical health issues in Africa by putting the latest open source software technologies directly in the hands of health workers.

Nas, Duncan Sheik and Peter Buck of R.E.M. are among the headliners donating remixes of N’Dour’s song “Wake Up” to raise funds and visibility for the IntraHealth OPEN Initiative.

Starting February 11th and rolling through spring, free downloads of the songs will be available with a suggested donation through distribution partners including Rhapsody, iLike, Amazon MP3, and through IntraHealth’s website.

Colin Powell Gets Funky For Africa

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Christina Aguilera and Seal may have headlined last night’s Africa Rising THISDAY Gala in London, but it was former US Secretary of State Colin Powell who stole the show with his funky Hip Hop dance.

The 71-year-old joined Nigerian rappers Olu Maintain on stage at the Royal Albert Hall for the show, which aimed to highlight the continent’s culture and talents.

“I stand before you as an African American,” he said before joining the group for their item. “Many people have said to me you became Secretary of State of the USA, is it still necessary to say that you are an African American or that you are black, and I say yes, so that we can remind our children. It took a lot of people struggling to bring me to this point in history. I didn’t just drop out of the sky, people came from my continent in chains.”