Angélique Kidjo Becomes the First African Musician to Get a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Beninese musician Angélique Kidjo has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The multigenerational artist is now the first African musician and the first Black African to receive a Hollywood star.

Kidjo was given the 2,854th Hollywood star for her extraordinary artistry and global influence across generations. 

At the event, hosted by Variety Correspondent, Angelique Jackson, Kidjo was joined by Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr.

Dafoe opened the ceremony, saying that Kidjo is "without a doubt the hardest working woman in show business… [she's also] an incredibly kind and giving person and a real activist."

Mason Jr. later added: "I spent much of my career among artists, and every once on a while, you experience someone whose impact extends beyond the stage… someone who isn't just an artist, but there's purpose behind the art. Angélique is absolutely one of those rare artists." 

For Kidjo, this moment was beyond her individual herself, and about the undeniable cultural impact of the African continent on global culture:

"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 in this planet," Kidjo said during her speech. 

That statement echoed what she told OkayAfrica in May for our Artist of the Month feature about the Hollywood Walk of Fame recognition: “It’s not just my star, it’s our star."

“If you had told me when I was a little girl in Benin that one day I would have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I never would have believed you," Kidjo said of her Hollywood star. "I am so honored to be here today and deeply grateful for this moment. I carry with me my family, my country, the generations of African artists who came before me, and all the young people who are dreaming about what is possible for their own lives. I hope this star can be a reminder to them to dream big, to stay true to who they are, and to never let anyone tell them where they can or cannot go.”

Just before unveiling the star, Ron Frierson, President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce officially declared August 18th Angélique Kidjo Day in Hollywood.

The ceremony also had Benin-born actor Djimon Hounsou and Nigerian musician Adekunle Gold in attendance, alongside friends and family of Kidjo.

For more than four decades, Kidjo has contributed to the vast catalogue of African music, bridging the sounds from her native Benin with funk, jazz, and pop, and earning five Grammy awards along the way.

"Angélique Kidjo's extraordinary artistry and global influence have inspired audiences across generations and continents," said Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez in a statement announcing the honor. "We are proud to honor her remarkable contributions to music and culture around the world."

That global influence is why she remains the blueprint for generations of African musicians. When OkayAfrica asked her about carrying the legacy for African women artists, she said: “What I love about it is that they are themselves. I don’t want anybody to copy me, I want the young women of Africa to be and love themselves and to fight for what they want.”

Kidjo joins a superstar list of Black artists who have their permanent marker on the streets of Hollywood, including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, and Mary J. Blige.