Angélique Kidjo Becomes First African Musician to Receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Y. Marie Kiven
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The five-time Grammy winner was honored in the Recording category on August 18, with Willem Dafoe, Djimon Hounsou, and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. among those on hand to celebrate her.
By Kiven Marie, Black Film Wire
Angélique Kidjo (Remain in Light, Djin Djin) has made Hollywood history. On Tuesday, August 18, the Beninese singer was honored with the 2,854th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first African musician and the first Black African performer to receive the honor, according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The ceremony took place at 11:30 a.m. PT at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard, and the city of Los Angeles marked the occasion by officially declaring August 18 "Angélique Kidjo Day."
Four decades in the making
Kidjo, 66, received her star in the Recording category, capping a career that has spanned more than 40 years. Born in Ouidah, Benin, she grew up immersed in the country's musical traditions before relocating to Paris in the 1980s, where she began building the genre-crossing sound that would define her career: West African rhythms fused with jazz, funk, gospel, salsa, and rock.
That sound made her one of the most decorated artists in African music. Kidjo has won five Grammy Awards and, per Billboard, is the most Grammy-awarded artist in the Best Global Music Album category, with four of those wins coming in the last decade alone. Her honors also include the Polar Music Prize, a performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, and the distinction of headlining the 1,000th episode of NPR's Tiny Desk concert series in 2022. She has sent 14 titles to the top 10 of Billboard's World Albums chart, and TIME named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021.
Angélique Kidjo and Bono at the EDUN's concert and art exhibit in Paris
Her catalog of collaborators reads like a map of modern music: Alicia Keys, Burna Boy, Bono, Peter Gabriel, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma all appear among her credits, alongside her own reinterpretations of landmark work, including a full reimagining of Talking Heads' Remain in Light and a tribute to salsa icon Celia Cruz.
A star arrives alongside a new album
The Walk of Fame honor lands during an active creative stretch for Kidjo. Her 18th studio album, HOPE!!, released earlier this year and dedicated to her late mother, Yvonne, brought together a new generation of collaborators, including Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Ayra Starr, Davido, Nile Rodgers, Charlie Wilson, IZA and PJ Morton. Pharrell produced three tracks on the project, among them "Bando," featuring Pharrell and Quavo, which recently closed Louis Vuitton's Spring-Summer 2027 Men's Show in Paris. A music video for the song is forthcoming.
Hollywood turns out to celebrate
The ceremony, hosted by Variety's Angélique Jackson, drew a mix of film and music figures. Actor Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse, Spider-Man), a friend of Kidjo's since 2002, and Recording Academy and MusiCares CEO Harvey Mason Jr. joined her at the star unveiling. Beninese-American actor Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Gladiator) Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold, and Bob Hearts Abishola star Folake Olowofoyeku were also among the attendees.
Dafoe called Kidjo "the hardest-working woman in show business" and pointed to her humanitarian work through the Batonga Foundation, which she founded to support education for girls and young women across Africa, as an extension of her music rather than separate from it.
Kidjo used her own remarks to turn the moment outward, framing the star as a marker for the continent rather than a personal milestone.
"We Africans don't know what we've given to the world," Kidjo said, reflecting on the reach of African musical traditions. "Without us, there's no music possible on this planet."
We're watching this one closely
For Black Film Wire, this isn't just a music story; it's a marker of how African artistry continues to reshape the institutions that have historically excluded it. Kidjo's star sits on Hollywood Boulevard alongside the industry's most recognized names, and she was clear on August 18 that she doesn't expect to be the last African artist to get there.
Kidjo headlines SummerStage in New York's Central Park this Sunday, August 23.
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