Angélique Kidjo first black African to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star
Kidjo, who comes from the West African country of Benin and has won five Grammy awards, was among the 35 names announced as part of the Walk of Fame's class of 2026 list.
The 64-year-old was hailed as Africa's "premier diva" during a press conference announcing the list on Wednesday.
Singer Miley Cyrus, actor Timothée Chalamet, actress Demi Moore and former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal are also among those set to be honoured with a star on Los Angeles' famous walk.
Angélique Kidjo on being hangry and Africa's 'tsunami' of talent
Red-hot Afrobeats star Rema doesn't intend to calm down
Kidjo receives the honour after making music for more than four decades and releasing 16 albums.
The songstress has won fans across the world with her commanding voice and ability to fuse West African styles with the likes of funk, jazz and R&B.
Her 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, in representing Africa on the Walk of Fame. Theron received her star in 2005.
The date on which Kidjo will see her star unveiled on the Walk of Fame has not yet been announced.
After recipients have been selected for a star, they have two years to schedule induction ceremonies.
Kidjo grew up in Benin, but left for Paris in 1983, citing oppression from the country's then communist government.
"From the moment the communist regime arrived in Benin, I became aware that the freedom we enjoy can be snatched away in a second," she told the BBC in 2023.
She said she has been driven by curiosity since childhood, adding: "my nickname was 'when, why, how?'. I want to understand things, to understand my place in this world."
Kidjo worked as a backing singer in France before striking out as a solo artist in 1990, with the album Parakou.
She is a Unicef and Oxfam goodwill ambassador, and has her own charity, Batonga, which is dedicated to supporting the education of young girls in Africa.
Ghana's love affair with reggae and Jamaican Patois
Singer Libianca on 'horrific threats' over Cameroon war
Who should count as African at the Grammy Awards?
How old English sea shanties inspired Cape Verdean singer
Brave, inspiring, crazy - the joy of managing Fela Kuti
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Africa Daily
Focus on Africa
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Star Wars' actor Kenneth Colley dies at 87
Kenneth Colley, a British actor known for playing Admiral Piett in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, has died at age 87. Colley died at his home in England on Monday, according to a statement shared by his agent, Julian Owens. Before his death, Colley been admitted to a hospital for an arm injury he suffered in a fall, but he quickly contracted COVID-19 that eventually developed into pneumonia. Throughout his 64-year career, Colley worked continuously in film, television and on the stage, playing a wide variety of characters from Jesus in 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' to the Duke of Vienna in Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' for the BBC. In 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' he played Admiral Piett, an imperial officer in command of Darth Vader's flagship Executor. He reprised the role in 2012's animated 'Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out.' His role in the popular franchise earned him a legion of sci-fi fans across generations. Colley also appeared in films such as Clint Eastwood's 'Firefox' and British TV shows like 'Coronation Street,' 'EastEnders' and 'Return to Treasure Island.' More recently, he appeared in two episodes of 'Peaky Blinders.' Owens remembered Colley as always remaining humble despite being one of the 'finest character actors with a career spanning 60 years.' 'Ken loved attending conventions and meeting the fans,' Owens said. 'He traveled all over the world yet could never quite grasp why everyone wanted his autograph.' Colley was proceeded in death by his wife, Mary, to whom he'd been married for more than 60 years.
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Freddie Prinze Jr. says kids thought ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer' was funny
A love of movies runs in the Prinze family. In a recent interview with Freddie Prinze Jr., who shares two kids with wife Sarah Michelle Gellar, says his family goes 'to as many movies as we can go to.' Prinze and Gellar have been married since 2002. They later welcomed a daughter Charlotte in 2009 and a son Rocky in 2012. And when it comes to movies their famous parents star in, they've seen at least one of those, too. According to Prinze, Charlotte, 15, and Rocky, 12, have watched the movie that started their family, 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Prinze and Gellar met while making that movie. The cult classic horror movie, which premiered in 1997, is getting a sequel on July 18. 'They thought it was funny,' Prinze said of his kids' response to the movie, according to 'but they didn't like when mom died.' Prinze played Ray Bronson in the film, and Gellar played Helen Shivers. Prinze is set to reprise his role as Bronson in the 2025 sequel. Prinze told that he wasn't surprised by Charlotte and Rocky's reaction to the movie. 'If they watched the horror movies now, they would be more scared than watching the older stuff. And they know movies are fake. Horror movies haven't worked their brains or done evil to them.' The father of two admitted he almost didn't reprise his 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' role, but when the movie's director and writer, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, shared her thoughts with him, he 'was really overwhelmed by all this information that she brought to the table and was so impressed,' he told In addition to Prinze appearing on the big screen this month, Gellar also shared exciting news on Wednesday, July 2. In an Instagram video filmed by Prinze, Gellar learned that she earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame alongside Prinze Jr.'s father, Freddie Prinze, who was also an actor and comedian.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
BTS's Song Reaches A New All-Time High As The Band Reunites
BTS's 'Home' reenters the U.K. Singles Downloads and Sales charts, rising to new highs as fans ... More celebrate the group's return after the members' military service. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: BTS perform onstage during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by) For years, BTS reigned as the biggest name in K-pop, and perhaps the most successful pop group on the planet. The South Korean troupe had to take a break as all seven of its members needed to fulfill mandatory military enlistment, and that hiatus lasted years. Recently, all of the singers in the band finished their tours of duty, and now the musicians that make up the Grammy-nominated act are free to pursue music once again. BTS recently announced that new music is set to drop in 2026 and that the group will tour once more. But fans aren't waiting to show their love to the septet. In the United Kingdom, ARMYs — the name BTS followers go by — have sent one track back to multiple charts, turning it into a bestseller years after its release. BTS Returns with 'Home' "Home" reappears on several U.K.-based rankings this week. The track, which was chosen by BTS fans en masse thanks largely to its name, reenters the Official Singles Downloads chart at No. 46 and the Official Singles Sales list at No. 49. 'Home' Appears for Only the Second Time "Home" has only appeared on both of these rankings twice, including this frame. As it returns, the cut reaches a new high point on both tallies. The tune debuted on the Official Singles Sales and Official Singles Downloads charts in April 2019 when it was brand new. At the time, it failed to reach the upper half of either ranking, and then quickly disappeared. Now, it approaches the top 40 and demonstrates that there's pent-up demand for BTS music, even if it's not new material. BTS's Return to Music Longtime supporters of BTS didn't flock to the group's biggest singles or highest-charting tracks to celebrate the return of the band, but rather focused their buying efforts, at least for the moment, on "Home," which was never selected as a single. The tune is featured on the group's EP Map of the Soul: Persona, which dropped in April 2019. By that point, the K-pop act was emerging as a true force on the charts outside of South Korea. That release went on to become the first BTS collection to hit No. 1 in the U.K., and as the EP reached the summit, the group became the first from South Korea to score a chart-topper in the country.
