Angélique Kidjo first black African to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star
The Angélique Kidjo music icon has become the first African black interpreter to be selected for a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Kidjo, which comes from the West African country of Benin and won five Grammy Awards, was among the 35 names announced as part of the list of the Fame of the Fame 2026.
The 64 -year -old was praised as “Diva first diva” in Africa at a press conference announcing the list on Wednesday.
Singer Miley Cyrus, actor Timothee Chalamet, actress Demi Moore and former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal are also among those who will be honored with a star of the famous Los Angeles walk.
Kidjo receives honor after doing music for more than four decades and released 16 albums.
The singer won fans around the world with her dominant voice and her ability to merge West African styles with people like Funk, Jazz and R&B.
His long list of collaborators includes forces such as Burna Boy, Philip Glass, Sting and Alicia Keys.
Kidjo joins Charlize Theron, a white South African actress, representing Africa on the Walk of Fame, which includes more than 2,700 stars.
Theron received his star in 2005.
The date on which Kidjo will see his star unveiled on the reputation of Walk of Fame has not yet been announced.
Once the beneficiaries have been selected for a star, they are two years old to plan enthronement ceremonies.
Kidjo grew up in Benin, but left for Paris in 1983, citing the oppression of the communist government of the country.
“From the moment the communist regime arrived in Benin, I realized that the freedom which we may enjoy in a second,” she told the BBC in 2023.
She said she was motivated by curiosity since childhood, adding: “My nickname was” when, why, how? “. I want to understand things, understand my place in this world.”
Kidjo worked as a support singer in France before launching himself as a solo artist in 1990, with the album Parakou.
She is an ambassador of Goodwill from Unicef and Oxfam, and has her own charity, Batonga, who devotes herself to supporting the education of young girls in Africa.
