About MIYAVI
MIYAVI is a Japanese musician, actor and philanthropist who has gained international recognition and acclaim for his unique guitar style, using his fingers instead of a pick to create an elaborate sound both musically and rhythmically. He was appointed as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in November 2017.
In 2015 MIYAVI undertook his first visit to learn about UNHCR's frontline work, travelling to Lebanon and performing his song “The Others” with refugees he met there. The music video was released in 2016 - directed and produced by UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and MIYAVI - featuring refugees from around the globe. MIYAVI visited Lebanon again in 2016 to learn more about refugees' experiences, as well as Thailand in 2017 to meet Karen refugees from Myanmar.
In early 2018 MIYAVI visited some of the 688,000 Rohingya refugees that had recently arrived in Bangladesh - fleeing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state - and heard their stories of desperation, hope, and the desire to safely return home. He later reflected on his experiences in conversation with UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie.
MIYAVI has used his talent, voice and platform to help support various UNHCR campaigns, including #WithRefugees and the Nansen Refugee Award, at which he performed in 2017. His ongoing promotion of UNHCR’s global work on his social media channels has helped raise awareness of the refugee cause with a much wider audience. He has been particularly vocal on the need for refugee children to receive quality education.