The most listened-to French-speaking singer in the world since her success with “Djadja” in 2018, Aya Nakamura is now a global star. This meteoric rise has placed her under attack from the far right, particularly after the announcement of her potential participation in the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to sing Edith Piaf. 70 personalities sign a tribune against racism.
Attack from the far right
A xenophobic collective put it this way: “Y’a pas moyen, Aya, ici c’est Paris, pas le marché de Bamako”.
After her belated victory at the Victoires de la Musique awards, Aya Nakamura became a regular target of racist attacks, even lamenting on social networks that she had become “the number one subject of state”. This controversy has been fueled in part by politicians like Eric Zemmour and far-right groups like Les Natifs, all of whom oppose her presence at this major event.
Their main argument rests on the use of slang in his songs, criticized as being out of keeping with the French language. Marion Maréchal, head of the Reconquête list for the European elections in June, told BFMTV that “this woman doesn’t sing in French”, fuelling a debate on the networks about the legitimacy of her representation of French culture.
Aya Nakamura, a major international star
The identity and cultural diversity of Aya Nakamura, the 28-year-old artist of French-Malian origin, are clearly under attack. Born in Bamako, she grew up in Aulnay-sous-Bois, near Paris, giving her a dual culture that she proudly claims.
Her worldwide success with “Djadja”, which has racked up almost a billion views on YouTube, and her thunderous appearance in New York’s Times Square, have confirmed her status as a global star. Her influence extends beyond national borders, as evidenced by her collaboration and popularity among the younger generation with the video game “Fortnite”.
Aya Nakamura has become a key figure on the French music scene, embodying both the diversity and richness of contemporary culture.
Reactions and mobilization
Marion Maréchal’s criticism on BFMTV that she “doesn’t sing in French” prompted the Licra to open an investigation into racist publications targeting the singer.
Former footballer Lilian Thuram, another well-known figure in France, expressed his support for Aya Nakamura, stressing the importance of recognizing her status as a world star. He told franceinfo: “We’re talking about a world star. It’s as if we were talking about a little artist from the suburbs”.
“Xenophobia will never be an Olympic sport”.
Elisabeth Moreno, President of Femmes@numérique and former Minister for Gender Equality, reacted by gathering almost 70 signatures for the publication of a text entitled “Xenophobia will never be an Olympic sport”, published in the newspaper La Tribune. Signatories include Muriel Pénicaud (former minister), Isabelle Rome (former minister), Elisabeth Richard (Haut Conseil à l’Egalité), Sonia Rolland (artist), Anthony Babkine (Diversidays), Flora Ghebali (Coalitions.fr) and Stéphane Tiki (Chaba Consulting Group).
Faced with these racist remarks, the signatories denounce: “These people are not music lovers, they have a phobia of melanin. They don’t judge a singer, they expel a black woman. They’re not interested in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, only in the perverse pleasure of being able to exclude people who don’t look like them.
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