Five-time GRAMMY winner Angélique Kidjo becomes the first African artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising her four-decade global music career….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Five-time GRAMMY-winning musician Angélique Kidjo has been honoured with the 2,854th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first African artist to receive the prestigious recognition in the Recording category.
The star was unveiled on August 18 at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, across from the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, marking a major milestone in Kidjo’s four-decade career and the growing global influence of African music.
Kidjo was joined at the ceremony by internationally acclaimed actor and four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe and Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares and a multi-GRAMMY and Emmy-nominated songwriter and producer. The ceremony was hosted by Variety correspondent Angelique Jackson.
The recognition comes as African artists continue to reach wider international audiences and influence contemporary music across genres. Kidjo has played a major role in that global movement, using her music to connect West African traditions with sounds from the United States, Europe, Latin America and the wider African diaspora.
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Angélique Kidjo to the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” said Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer.
“Angélique Kidjo’s extraordinary artistry and global influence have inspired audiences across generations and continents. We are proud to honour her as the first African artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recognising her remarkable contributions to music and culture around the world.”
Born in Benin, Kidjo began singing at the age of six and has gone on to release 18 albums while earning five GRAMMY Awards and numerous international honours.
She has been named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the world and was included by the BBC among Africa’s 50 most iconic figures. The Guardian has recognised her as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the world, while Forbes has named her the most influential woman in Africa.
Her other honours include the 2015 Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum, the 2016 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award, the 2018 German Sustainability Award, the 2023 Vilcek Prize in Music and the 2023 Polar Music Prize.
Kidjo’s music has consistently crossed cultural and musical boundaries. Her work has drawn on the West African traditions of her childhood while incorporating R&B, funk, jazz, gospel and sounds from across the world.
Her latest album, HOPE!!, is her 18th studio release and features collaborations with artists including Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Ayra Starr, Davido, Nile Rodgers, Charlie Wilson, IZA and PJ Morton.
The album followed a period of grief and renewal and was dedicated to Kidjo’s late mother, who she said taught her that hope was fundamental to life.
“I started singing when I was six years old, and I’m grateful every day that I still get to live my passion and do what I love with my life,” Kidjo said.
“With this album I wanted to put some fire back in people’s hearts and show how much we need that joy and hope to keep our humanity going.”
Beyond music, Kidjo has used her international platform to advocate for children and women. She serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and founded the Batonga Foundation, which supports education, leadership and economic empowerment for girls and young women in Benin and Senegal.
She was also named a spokesperson for the AFAWA initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron at the 2019 G7 Summit. The programme seeks to help close the financing gap facing women entrepreneurs in Africa.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame, administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, has celebrated major figures from entertainment since 1960.
Kidjo’s star adds a landmark African achievement to the attraction and reflects her contribution to bringing African music and culture to audiences around the world.
