The world- renowned Angelique Kidjo has a vast musical career paralleled by her extraordinary humanitarian achievements and a passion for her homeland in Africa. She has a tireless advocacy for the women of Africa, traveling extensively for charitable projects. These include visits to Darfur and Kenya.

Kidjo, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, was named one of the Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World by The Guardian, a British newspaper. Time magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva." London's Daily Telegraph named her "The undisputed Queen of African Music."

Kidjo performs at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, Musikfest Café, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem.

The Grammy Award-winner fled her home country of Benin in 1983. The Communist dictatorship there prevented Kidjo from being an independent music artist, so she lived in exile in Paris.

She has a 20-year discography and has performed thousands of concerts worldwide. Kidjo sings in four languages.

Music influences include Afropop, Caribbean zouk, Congolese rumba, jazz, gospel and Latin. She received a Grammy for World Music Album in 2007.

Her childhood idols include Miriam Makeba, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin. She has recorded George Gershwin's "Summertime," Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" and The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter."

She has collaborated with Dave Matthews, Bradford Marsalis, Philip Glass, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Carlos Santana, John Legend and Herbie Hancock.

Kidjo's autobiography, "Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music" (HarperCollins), published Jan. 7, has a preface by Desmond Tutu and a foreword by Alicia Keys.

Kidjo's latest album, "Eve" (Savoy/429 Records), was released Jan. 28.

Her United States tour includes concerts in Town Hall, New York City; Prince Theatre, Philadelphia; and in North Carolina and Georgia.

Kidjo lives with her songwriter husband, Jean Hebrailin, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. On the day before the phone interview, she had returned from having performed with the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra.

To speak with Kidjo is to be whisked away to another place. Her high-spirited personality shines with resilience and hope, and her deep laugh is infectious.

Does her book reveal anything about Kidjo that her fans may not have known before?

"That I had a childhood like anyone else," Kidjo replies. "And," she adds with a laugh, "that I am overcoming my complex of having skinny legs. They wanted to put me in a dress [for the book cover] and I said, 'You can forget about that!'" Kidjo came to adore the dress that was chosen for her and agreed to wear it anyway.

Being a performer has enhanced Kidjo's role as a philanthropist. Of the two roles she says, "They are not separate. I am in service of the song. I'm a storyteller. We must tell the story of who we are. My grandmother used to say, 'If you say something, say it loud.'"

The album, "Eve," includes women's choirs from several African villages in Benin and Kenya, singing in several languages.

"It's not different because the same person created it," Kidjo says of the album in comparison to her other albums. "It incorporates all the women who made me who I am today. This album ['Eve'] is about the beauty and resilience of African women. [Media] portrays us in misery. But women are the backbone of the country."

Band members for "Eve" include her long-time collaborator Dominic James, guitarist and fellow Benin native Lionel Loueke, drummer Steve Jordan, bassist Christian McBride and Senegalese percussionist Magatte Sow, as well as guest musicians Dr. John and the The Kronos Quartet.

Kidjo's intriguing speech weaves a tapestry of words that pull you along her astonishing journey of her African heritage. "We were middle class. My father had one paycheck for 10 children. But I was not short of love, not short of support. I was spoken to as an adult.

"My father's family, my ancestors ... he was related to a king ... [my ancestors] were cut by rebels. They fought fiercely. That is why I am here today."

When asked where her favorite place is to relax and unwind, Kidjo replies, "Anywhere where there's no Internet, no phone, where I can reconnect with my inner self. Think about what I've done wrong, and done right. A place with no distractions, with good food, good people and good talk.

"We are beings who need to connect. Technology is cutting that off.

"That's why I love touring," Kidjo adds. "I love meeting people. Heaven and earth are the same for me."