Angélique Kidjo Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Angélique Kidjo has won fans across the world with her commanding voice and ability to fuse West African styles with funk, jazz and R&B.

Fifth Star for a Trailblazing Artist

Kidjo made history as the first African musician to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, cementing her legacy as a trailblazer in the music industry.

"We Africans just don't know what we've given to the world, and what we continue giving to the world for the music to exist. Without us, there's no music possible on this planet," Kidjo said at the ceremony.

She was joined

A Lifetime of Music and Activism

Kidjo has spent four decades taking African sounds to global audiences, blending influences from her native Benin with funk, jazz, and pop.

Celebrating her illustrious career, Kidjo thanked others as her legacy was immortalized in Los Angeles.

"The star for me means that my vision of the world as a small village is a reality," she said as it was unveiled on Tuesday.

"It doesn't matter where we come from, what language we speak, which skin colour we have. We are human. It's one human family,"

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Kidjo added, highlighting the importance of unity and inclusivity in her music and message.

The Walk of Fame ceremony was also filled with singing and dancing in celebration of Kidjo's career, which has included collaborations with big names and numerous awards, including five Grammy wins.

A Shining Example for Future Generations

"She is without a doubt the hardest working woman in showbusiness," Dafoe said at the ceremony.

"The first time I saw Angélique perform live, I thought her music, her dancing, her commitment were incredible,"

The Spider-Man star likened her energy to that of soul singer James Brown, who he called the "hardest working man in showbusiness".

"She's not only an incredible performer - she doesn't pop on the mic like I do - songwriter and musician, but also an incredibly kind and giving person and a real deal activist,"

Kidjo is a Unicef and Oxfam goodwill ambassador, and is the co-founder of the Batonga Foundation, which helps vulnerable young girls and women in Benin.

Her latest album, HOPE!!, was released earlier this year with tracks produced