Angélique Kidjo has become the first African female singer to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, marking a new milestone in her four-decade career that has bridged continents, genres, and generations. The announcement, made this week by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, places the Franco-Beninese icon among a select group of global cultural figures to be honored in 2025.
Franco-Beninese artist Angélique Kidjo expressed her "joy" on Friday at becoming the first African female singer to receive a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The five-time Grammy Award winner, who recently concluded an international tour celebrating her 40-year career, was named Wednesday among the 35 new honorees selected to receive a star on the famous Los Angeles boulevard.
“I may be the first African female singer to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but I’m sure I won’t be the last,” said the 64-year-old artist in a statement to AFP. “Many more will follow, and that fills my heart with joy.”
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which selects new recipients, said in a statement on Wednesday that the dates for the upcoming star unveilings have not yet been set.
This distinction, which honors figures in the arts (film, theater, music…), television, or sports, was also awarded this year to French actress Marion Cotillard, Franco-American actor Timothée Chalamet, American pop star Miley Cyrus, and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal.
Discovered in the early 1980s by Chris Blackwell, the producer behind Bob Marley, Angélique Kidjo has always blended musical influences, reinterpreting Ravel’s Boléro or the pop of Talking Heads. She has recently collaborated with Nigerian afrobeat heavyweights Davido and Burna Boy.
A regular at major international events such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, she also advocates for girls’ education in Africa through her NGO, the Batonga Foundation, launched in 2006.
With AFP
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