Angélique Kidjo is a Beninese French singer-songwriter, actress, activist, and humanitarian widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential musicians.
The five-time Grammy Award winner made history by becoming the first African artist, the first African musician, and the first Black African performer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Kidjo received the 2,854th star in the Recording category on August 18, recognizing her contribution to global music.
“If you had told me when I was a little girl in Benin that one day I would have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I never would have believed you,” Angélique expressed during the Hollywood Walk of Fame event.
Kidjo has built an international career by blending traditional West African sounds with jazz, funk, R&B, reggae, gospel, Latin music, and pop.
Early Life and Family
Angélique Kidjo, whose full name is Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, was born on July 14, 1960, in Ouidah, Benin.
Her father, Franck Kidjo, was a postal official, amateur musician, and photographer of Fon heritage, who passed away on April 25, 2008, in Benin, at the age of 83, after a short illness.
Her mother, Yvonne Kidjo, was a dancer, actress, choreographer, and theatre director of Yoruba heritage who died in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following her mother’s demise, Kidjo released her 2026 album HOPE!! dedicated to her late mother.
Kidjo made her stage debut at the age of six while performing with her mother’s theatre troupe.
“I started singing when I was six years old, and I’m grateful every day that I still get to live my passion and do what I love with my life,” Kidjo stated during an interview.
As a teenager, she performed with her brothers in local bands and gained recognition after recording songs inspired by South African music icon Miriam Makeba.
In her personal life, she is married to French bassist, composer, and producer Jean Hébrail, whom she met after moving to Paris.
The couple married in 1987 and have a daughter, Naïma Hébrail Kidjo, who is an actress and writer.
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Angélique Kidjo’s Career
After leaving Benin for France in 1983, Kidjo initially planned to study law and become a human rights lawyer.
However, her passion for music led her to enroll at the CIM School of Jazz in Paris, where she studied jazz and refined her skills as a singer and performer.
Kidjo began her music career in Benin before relocating to France in 1983 because political restrictions limited artistic freedom in her home country.
After arriving in Paris, she supported herself with various jobs while pursuing music and eventually joined the Euro-African jazz-rock band Pili Pili, recording several albums with the group.
Her international breakthrough came in 1991 with the release of Logozo, an album that introduced her Afro-fusion sound to audiences worldwide.
The artist has released acclaimed projects, including Ayé 1994, Fifa 1996, Oremi 1998, Black Ivory Soul 2002, Oyaya! 2004, and Djin Djin 2007.
She has also collaborated with numerous global stars, including Alicia Keys, Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, Burna Boy, Davido, Ayra Starr, Yemi Alade, Mr Eazi, Pharrell Williams, and Nile Rodgers.
Her later works include Õÿö (2010), Eve (2014), Sings (2015), Remain in Light (2018), Celia (2019), Mother Nature (2021), Queen of Sheba (2022), and HOPE!! 2026.
Beyond music, Kidjo has acted in films, performed at major international events, and become one of Africa’s most prominent cultural ambassadors.
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Achievements
Kidjo has won five Grammy Awards, making her one of the most successful African artists in Grammy history.
Her achievements in the Best Global Music Album category earned her a Guinness World Record for the most wins in the category.
In 2023, she received the prestigious Polar Music Prize, and at the same time, the Time magazine recognized her as one of the 100 Most Influential People.
Kidjo also received the World Economic Forum Crystal Award in 2015 for promoting positive change through art and culture.
Later, she received Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award for her advocacy on human rights and social justice issues.
Beyond her career as an artist, Kidjo has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2002.
In 2006, she founded the Batonga Foundation to improve educational opportunities and empower girls and young women across Africa.
Kidjo was also named the first African artist, first African musician, and first Black African performer to receive the Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
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