Singer Angélique Kidjo has become the first black African performer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – telling RFI the honour represented “a door opening” at a time of global turmoil.
Issued on: 19/08/2026 - RFI
The five-time Grammy winner unveiled her star on Tuesday at a ceremony in Hollywood attended by film stars and music industry figures.
“I never imagined I'd be here – never,” the 66-year-old Beninese-born singer told RFI's Clothilde Hazard after the ceremony.
“In this moment of chaos we're living through, moments like this give me hope, a reminder that when we work together and set aside the rhetoric of hatred and division, we create beauty everywhere.”
Kidjo has built an international career spanning more than 40 years and 18 albums. She has also been named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people.
She said she felt "a huge amount of emotion, and disbelief" on receiving the star.
"If anyone had told me one day I'd have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I'd never have believed them,” she said. “That's the power of music. Music takes you to unexpected places, makes things happen.”
Africa's gift to the world
The singer used the occasion to underline the influence of African music around the world.
“We Africans don't know what we've given to the world,” she told the crowd at the ceremony. “Without us, there's no music possible on this planet.”
After thanking her team and family, Kidjo broke into song.
Harvey Mason Jr of the Recording Academy described her as a “rare artist” and said her work had helped build connections across the global music community.
“This star is a permanent symbol; it's not going anywhere, and it's a symbol of your achievements,” he said. “But your legacy, it lives in the people that you've touched, that you've inspired, the barriers that you've broken, the connections you've created all around the world.”
Actor Willem Dafoe also praised Kidjo's energy on stage and her humanitarian work through the Batonga Foundation, which supports the education of girls and young women in Africa.
A tribute to France
Kidjo joins white South African actor Charlize Theron in representing the continent on the Walk of Fame, among more than 2,700 other stars.
She said the honour belonged not only to Africa and Benin, but also to France, where she restarted her career after arriving in 1983, citing oppression from the country's then communist government.
“This star isn't just for Africa and my country – it's for France too, because I've spent so much time there, and I married a Frenchman,” she told RFI.
“French culture has also shaped my inspirations in various ways – through songwriters like [Claude] Nougaro and [Charles] Aznavour. There were so many artists I listened to as a child who've stayed with me in the work I do. So really, this star is for everyone.”
New opportunities
Kidjo said young African musicians now had opportunities that were not available when she began her career.
“With the internet, young people today can find success instantly,” she said. “And that's a good thing, because they get to be exactly who they want to be, without carrying the weight I had to carry.”
African pop and the Afrobeats movement has gained global recognition thanks to a younger generation of artists including Nigeria's Burna Boy, Ayra Starr or Wizkid – with whom Kidjo has recorded duets.
Asked whether she'd helped in changing perceptions she said: “Probably – through the work I did before them, and because they grew up listening to my music.
"I think it gave them a work ethic too.”
Beninese-French singer Angélique Kidjo makes history as first Black African to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star
“By becoming the first African artist to receive this global honour, the Beninese icon has etched her name into history and raised the rhythms, creativity and dignity of our entire nation to the highest level," said Benin’s President Romuald Wadagni.
"We Africans don't know what we've given to the world. Without us, there's no music possible on this planet."
Powerful words from five-time Grammy winner, actress and activist Angelique Kidjo, who has built an international career spanning more than 40 years and 18 albums.
She has now made history by becoming the first Black African to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The ceremony, which took place yesterday in Los Angeles, marked a milestone for African music and saw several film and music stars attend to celebrate the triumph of the 66-year-old Beninese-French singer.
Harvey Mason Jr. of the Recording Academy hailed Kidjo as a "rare artist."
"Your example has elevated our global music community, and your work continues to remind us that music is more than entertainment,” he said. “It’s connection.”
"This star is a permanent symbol; it's not going anywhere, and it's a symbol of your achievements,” added Mason Jr. “But your legacy, it lives in the people that you've touched, that you've inspired, the barriers that you've broken, the connections you've created all around the world."
Her achievement was also recognised by Benin’s President Romuald Wadagni, who wrote in a Facebook post: “By becoming the first African artist to receive this global honour, the Beninese icon has etched her name into history and raised the rhythms, creativity and dignity of our entire nation to the highest level.”
As for celebrated actor Willem Dafoe, he praised Kidjo's energy on stage.
"The first time I saw Angelique perform live, I thought her music, her dancing, her commitment were incredible," said Dafoe. "She is, without a doubt, the hardest-working woman in show business.”
Dafoe also mentioned Kidjo's humanitarian commitment and her dedication to the Batonga Foundation, which strives to empower and educate young women in Africa. Kidjo invented the word "Batonga" as a child as a response to those who told her that girls did not belong in the classroom.
"This is not a token celebrity involvement,” said Dafoe. “It is an extension of what she does with her music. She stirs us, lifts us up, and reminds us that we're all connected, and that love and understanding is the way."
Kidjo has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002 and is a regular at international summits, such as the Davos Forum, where she promotes the work of her charity.
She has sung at the United Nations General Assembly, was named as the spokesperson for the AFAWA initiative (Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa) at the G7 Summit in 2019, and performed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.
As well as being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2021, Kidjo has also been nominated as one of Africa’s 50 most iconic figures by the BBC, and one of the 100 most inspiring people in the world by The Guardian.
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