With three studio albums, 11 Grammys, $20 million in sales and a butterflylike metamorphosis into an elegant woman, no one could expect much more from Alicia Keys.
But this prodigy-turned-superwoman is on a mission. Now, even as her latest CD, “As I Am,” churns out hit singles, Keys is working on something she believes is her responsibility as a global citizen.
“I have been blessed to travel around the world. I have spent a lot of time in Africa, and during those trips got to see firsthand the needs of people suffering with AIDS,” said Keys, 27. “I knew I needed to do something.”
So Keys joined humanitarian activist Leigh Blake in founding Keep A Child Alive. The organization provides medication, support and orphan care to families battling theHIV/AIDS pandemic.
“You see orphans and 13- and 14-year-olds who are having to raise their families because the parents have died,” said Keys, whose national tour comes to TD Banknorth Garden on June 11. “Once you see the need for access to medicine, it’s hard not to be personally moved.”
Keys’ new documentary, “Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland,” chronicles her monthlong trip to communities affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa. She is encouraging fans to donate $5 to Keep A Child Alive by texting the word “Alive” to 90999. Fans can watch the film for free at aliciainafrica.com or download it at SpiralFrog.com.
Q: “As I Am,” your latest album, has already produced three singles. What makes this album different?
A: With more living and learning and becoming more mature and more aware of myself, it has changed the way I think and make music. I was searching for peace of mind and some type of understanding, some type of clarity. In the cases I didn’t find the answers, I found the right questions to ask.
Q: You made your big-screen debut last year as a leather-clad assassin in “Smokin’ Aces.” Then you starred in “The Nanny Diaries” with Scarlett Johansson. What’s next?
A: “The Secret Life of Bees” (an adaptation of the bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd), which is scheduled to come out later this year. I read the book and thought it was incredible. This is really a story about finding where you fit in, finding where you belong.
