TICAD
MISIA Appointment of MISIA as the Honorary Ambassador for the 7th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7)
- On 6th October, the singer MISIA was appointed as TICAD 7 Honorary Ambassador at the TICAD Ministerial Meeting reception hosted by Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarded MISA most suitable to spread the interest for Africa among Japanese citizen considering her fame in Japan, her social contribution to Africa and her experience being Honorary Ambassador for TICAD V, and therefore appointed her as the TICAD 7 Honorary Ambassador.
- Apart from her work as a singer, MISIA has been making contributions in Africa for more than 10 years for example in Mali and Malawi by supporting children's education, distributing mosquito nets and supporting in the area of water. Recently, in February 2018, MISIA visited Kenya and made exchanges through music with children in Magoso school in Kibera, one of the largest slams in the world.
Speech by MISIA on 6th October 2018 at the occasion of TICAD Ministerial Meeting reception hosted by Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Good evening,
I am TICAD Honorary Ambassador MISIA.
This is the seventh TICAD.
So, I' d like to talk about my seven encounters in Africa.
The first is the SOUL MUSIC.
African music is what has influenced me the most.
The second is the countries.
In 2007 I visited Kenya and since then I' ve been to many
countries. "Those who drink the water of Africa will
return", well, that is definitely me!
The third is the vibrant culture and fashion.
The fourth is the messages from the people.
It is said that "Wherever there is music, there is never
any fighting".
Singing together is a prayer for peace.
The fifth is the children and education.
I' ve been supporting education for eleven years.
A girl once told me, "I learned a lot. It can' t be stolen."
Learning is an asset.
The sixth is the power of the music.
I' d like to do a live show with the theme of Africa.
I' m the chair of a group called mudef,
the "MUSIC DESIGN FOUNDATION". I believe that we
can make a better society through music and art.
And the seventh is TICAD.
There is an Africa proverb, "Mountains don' t meet,
people do", I think this is the message that we are
meeting and building relations.
Life is going on and on.
I trust that our TICAD meeting will lead us
to a great future!