Bajan singer Rihanna ushered in the New Year with a two-hour performance outside Abu Dhabi’s Emirate Palace in the United Emirates, where she sang all her greatest hits, including “SOS,” “Don’t Stop the Music,” and “Hate that I Love You,” before closing the show with her mega-hit “Umbrella.”
Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian recording artist and model. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, she moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings. Rihanna has sold over 12 million records and received many accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
One of Barbados’ honorary cultural ambassadors, this Grammy award-winning singer has dedicated much time and effort for various charity causes. She founded the Believe Foundation in 2006 to help terminally ill children. In partnership with charities across the nation, Rihanna has also helped raise funds for those and her own Foundation. Rihanna explains her reasons for starting the Foundation, “When I was young and I would watch television and I would see all the children suffering, I always said: when I grow up, I want to help.” The singer has supported many charities that focus on disaster relief, AIDS, environmental issues, and more. Besides the Believe Fondation, some of the charities she has been involved with are BID 2 BEAT AIDS, Designers Against AIDS, DKMS, DoSomething.org, Kids Wish Network, Live Earth, Mission Australia, Raising Malawi, Red Cross, Stand Up To Cancer, and UNICEF, among others.
For Believe Foundation, see http://www.believerihanna.com/
For more on Rihanna, see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1239894/Rihanna-rocks-Abu-Dhabi-2010-performs-scantily-clad-outfit.html, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1628415/20091216/rihanna.jhtml, http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/593-rihanna, and http://www.rihannadaily.com/category/charity/
