World-music songstress Angelique Kidjo will spend the coming months on tour with Josh Groban [ tickets ], who makes a guest appearance on Kidjo's forthcoming May 1 release.

The outing launches Feb. 17 in Verona, NY, and will take the singers all over North America through early April. Dates are listed below.

Apparently, Groban was so impressed by his collaboration with Kidjo that he asked her to be the sole support for his tour.

"I have been a fan of Angelique's for many years now," Groban said in a press release. "Her voice, her spirit, the way she connects is awe-inspiring and I'm so honored to have collaborated with her. She also has a wicked sense of humor and I am positive our time together on tour will be a blast."

Kidjo's upcoming album, "Djin Djin," will be co-released by the Razor & Tie label and Starbucks Entertainment. It will be available simultaneously at Starbucks locations in the US and Canada, as well as traditional retail outlets.

Produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, Morrissey, T. Rex), "Djin Djin" finds the African-born Kidjo partnering with Groban, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone and Ziggy Marley. Other special guests include Branford Marsalis, Amadou and Mariam.

The album's title refers to the sound of the bell that greets the beginning of a new day for Africa, according to a press release. The set is billed as a return to Kidjo's Beninese roots, capturing the most traditional rhythms from her country. Like her recent work, the album has the artist singing in her native languages as well as in English and French.

The song "Papa" from the upcoming record is streaming at Kidjo's MySpace page along with tunes from previous albums, including her latest, 2004's "Oyaya!"

Kidjo is known for fusing ancient and modern sounds, mixing traditional West African music with American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Her work has earned the singer/songwriter three Grammy nominations.

In addition to her music career, Kidjo is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.