Angélique Kidjo Makes History With Hollywood Walk of Fame Star

Beninese music legend Angélique Kidjo has made history by becoming the first Black African to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The five-time Grammy winner received the 2,854th star in the Recording category during a ceremony in Los Angeles, celebrating over four decades of musical contributions and 16 albums.

Kidjo, who also serves as a UNICEF and Oxfam ambassador and founded the Batonga Foundation to support girls' education in Africa, described the recognition as a significant milestone for African music and artists globally. "We Africans don’t know what we’ve given to the world, what we continue giving to the world; without us there’s no music possible [on] this planet," she stated during the ceremony. She expressed hope that her achievement would open doors for other artists from the continent.

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We Africans don’t know what we’ve given to the world, what we continue giving to the world; without us there’s no music possible [on] this planet.

The honor places Kidjo among Hollywood's most celebrated figures and signifies a major moment for African music on an international stage. Her career, which began after moving to Paris in 1983, blends West African traditions with funk, jazz, R&B, gospel, and Latin music. She has collaborated with numerous global stars and won five Grammy Awards, the first in 2008. Kidjo has also been recognized by TIME magazine as one of the world's most influential people.

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It’s not just my star, it’s our star.