Angélique Kidjo made history in Hollywood on Tuesday, August 18, becoming the first African musician and the first Black African performer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Beninese singer was honored with the 2,854th star in the Recording category, unveiled at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, across from the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
The five time Grammy winner was joined at the ceremony by actor Willem Dafoe, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Benin born actor Djimon Hounsou, and Nigerian star Adekunle Gold. Variety’s Angelique Jackson hosted the event, and Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president Ron Frierson proclaimed August 18 as Angélique Kidjo Day in the city.
Kidjo, 66, has built a career spanning more than four decades and 18 albums, moving between Afrobeat, Afropop, jazz and global collaborations that carried West African sound to international stages long before the current Afrobeats boom. Ana Martinez, producer of the Walk of Fame, said the honor recognized Kidjo’s artistry and her influence across generations and continents.
In her speech, Kidjo broke into song before dancing over her newly unveiled star and reflected on what African music has given the world. Mason described her as a rare artist whose work has elevated the global music community, while Dafoe, a longtime friend since 2002, pointed to her humanitarian work through the Batonga Foundation, which supports girls’ education across Africa, as proof her impact extends well beyond the stage.
Kidjo joins Charlize Theron as one of the few Africans honored on the Walk of Fame, and told AFP when the star was first announced that she expects many more African artists to follow her onto the boulevard.