- Title: MEXICO: Pop star Julieta Venegas named Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF
- Date: 2nd October 2009
- Summary: VARIOUS OF VENEGAS PERFORMING ON STAGE / PLAYING ACCORDION
- Embargoed: 17th October 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mexico
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: International Relations,Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA21JKP4SN32HOXUPGLVA4IR03Y
- Story Text: Mexican pop singing sensation Julieta Venegas on Wednesday (September 30) was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.
Venegas, who went from a quirky underground darling to a mainstream pop queen with her breakthrough 2003 album "Si," follows in a tradition of high profile figures, including soccer player David Beckham and actors Vanessa Redgrave, the late Danny Kaye and Audrey Hepburn, dedicated to bringing attention and resources to the world's most vulnerable children.
Venegas, who began studying music from the age of eight and has won three Grammys and six MTV Video Music Awards, has already been involved in several UNICEF projects in Mexico.
In 2007, Venegas took part, together with other celebrities, in an awareness campaign to protect children's rights. In 2008 and 2009, she travelled to Mexico's border with the United States and the country's southern border with Guatemala to campaign for abandoned migrant children and see work carried out to protect them.
UNICEF representative in Mexico, Susana Sottoli, described Venegas as a passionate advocate for children.
"We want to recognise your commitment and your interest in working with children. At the moment, I would like to name you Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in Mexico," Sottoli said.
Venegas told attendees at an event hosted in middle of Mexico City she would work hard to live up to her new role.
"I would like to thank UNICEF with all my heart for having confidence in me. I will do everything I can and will work very hard to live up to that confidence and well, I'll work very hard. Thank you!"
Venegas' "Si" has sold 148,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a far cry from the 21,000 copies logged by her previous effort, 2000's "Bueninvento." Her 2006 follow-up, "Limon y Sal," topped the 120,000-unit mark, and was also successful in parts of Europe. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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