Grammy-winning singer Angélique Kidjo has become the first Black African artist to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The recognition is a milestone that cements her legacy in global music and African artistry.
The 64-year-old Beninese icon was named among the 35 honourees for the 2026 class of the Walk of Fame, joining an elite group that includes Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet, Demi Moore, and Shaquille O’Neal.
According to BBC, organisers of the ceremony hailed her as “Africa’s leading diva,” a title earned through decades of groundbreaking work in music and advocacy.
With this honour, Kidjo becomes only the second African ever to receive a star, after South African actress Charlize Theron, who was recognised in 2005.
Kidjo's name will now be etched among the more than 2,700 stars that line Hollywood Boulevard. She has up to two years to schedule her star’s unveiling ceremony.
Kidjo’s musical journey spans over 40 years, encompassing 16 albums and five Grammy Awards.
BBC noted her genre-defying sound, an electrifying fusion of West African rhythms with funk, jazz, and R&B, and her collaborations with global stars such as Burna Boy, Philip Glass, Sting, and Alicia Keys.
Born and raised in Benin, Kidjo fled to France in 1983 amid growing political repression. Reflecting on that turbulent time, she told the BBC in 2023, “Since the arrival of the communist regime in Benin, I realised that the freedom we enjoy can be taken away in a single second.”
Known for her insatiable curiosity, Kidjo recalled her childhood nickname, “My nickname was ‘when, why, how?’ I want to understand things, to understand my place in this world.”
Before launching her solo career in 1990 with the album Parakou, she worked as a backing vocalist in France. Her impact goes beyond music, she is a UNICEF and Oxfam goodwill ambassador and the founder of the Batonga Foundation, which empowers girls across Africa through education and leadership.
Her Walk of Fame recognition is more than just a personal triumph, it’s a historic nod to Black African excellence on a global stage.
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