Now he's been chosen to serve as a goodwill ambassador for the UN children's agency. Mtukudzi says he'll do all he can to protect the vulnerable and help promote HIV prevention. "My passion for music comes from children. I have always dealt with children during my career," said Mtukudzi, who was chosen last month for the post.

Tuku, as Mtukudzi is known to fans worldwide, is Zimbabwe's first UN ambassador. Other UN children's ambassadors include Susan Sarandon, Mia Farrow, Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Harry Belafonte, Jackie Chan and David Beckham. "The honor is not for me alone but for the country," Mtukudzi, 59, told The Associated Press at the arts center he built in the town of Norton, 40 km west of Harare.