Angélique Kidjo wins Hollywood Walk of Fame star, dedicates award to continent

Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo has dedicated her historic Hollywood Walk of Fame star to Africa, saying the continent remained the foundation of much of the music enjoyed around the world.

The 66-year-old Beninese music icon became the first African musician to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, marking a milestone in her four-decade career.

Speaking to the BBC after Tuesday’s ceremony in Los Angeles, Kidjo said the honour belonged not only to her but to the continent where her musical journey began.

“This star is for all the continent of Africa. Because if I was not African, would I be here?” she said.

Kidjo also used the occasion to highlight Africa’s contribution to global music, particularly through the influence of African musical traditions on genres that developed in the United States.

“Without the blues brought by the slaves in America, there’s no R&B, there’s no rock and roll, there’s no soul music, there’s no jazz. All of it comes from Africa,” she said.

The singer called on Africans to recognise and invest in their own artists, arguing that the continent’s music industry could create jobs and generate economic opportunities if musicians were properly supported.

“Let’s celebrate our artists in their own right on the continent. Let’s give them visibility, strength, because music creates economy,” Kidjo said.

She said many African musicians continued to struggle financially because they were not receiving the royalties they were entitled to, urging countries to establish systems that would enable artists to earn sustainable incomes from their work.

Kidjo became emotional during the ceremony as she reflected on her parents, who she said had nurtured her curiosity and love for music but were not alive to witness the recognition.

“At that moment, I’m like, dad, mum, I wish you were here with me to see this,” she told the BBC.

Kidjo grew up in Benin before moving to Paris at the age of 23, citing political oppression under the country’s then-communist government.

She later built an international career blending African sounds with funk, jazz and pop.

Her Walk of Fame ceremony was attended by family, friends and fellow entertainers, including Hollywood actors Willem Dafoe and Djimon Hounsou, as well as Nigerian musician Adekunle Gold.

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