Yvonne Chaka Chaka, fondly referred to as the ‘Princess of Africa’, arrived in Rwanda where she is due to attend the 37th Board meeting of the Global Fund that opens in Kigali today.

The two-day meeting will attract hundreds of delegates from around the world.

Born Yvonne Machaka in 1965, Chaka Chaka is an internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, teacher, and humanitarian ambassador.

The South African singer is best known for songs like Motherland, Thank you Mr. DJ, Umqomboti, I’m burning up, and the 1996 release, The Power of Africa in a career that spans over three decades. 

The singer is not only a champion for the Global Fund, but also the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ambassador for Africa. She is also a goodwill ambassador for the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. 

The Global Fund is an international financing organisation that mobilises and disburses resources to fight HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through interventions aimed at both prevention and treatment.

In 1981, Chaka Chaka made history as the first black child to appear on South African television, and she never looked back.

She has performed for political and diplomatic royalty, as well shared the musical stage with some of the greatest names in music.

Chaka Chaka has performed with Youssou N’Dour, Angelique Kidjo, Miriam Makeba, Bono, and Hugh Masekela, among others. She has also performed before former South African president Thabo Mbeki, former US president Bill Clinton, and Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Today, she runs her own charity, the Princess of Africa Foundation.

The singer last visited Rwanda in 2008 when she joined First Lady Jeanette Kagame on a visit to earthquake victims in the northern parts of the country.

 editorial@newtimes.co.rw