Aya Nakamura Shines at Olympic Opening Ceremony, Defying Extremist Criticism in Paris

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The most listened-to Francophone singer in the world, with seven billion streams, the Franco-Malian Aya Nakamura, performed this Friday at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, something that angered the far-right this spring. Dressed in gold and accompanied by the Republican Guard, she sang a medley of two of her hits, “Pookie” and “Djadja”, and a standard by Charles Aznavour, “For me Formidable”, which celebrates its centennial this year.

The rumor of her participation in the ceremony, mentioned in the French weekly L’Express, provoked a reaction from the far-right. In March, a small group posted on social media a photo of a banner extended by the Seine, proclaiming: “This is Paris, not the market of Bamako“. On her own social media, the artist accused her detractors of “racism“. “I am becoming the number 1 topic for the State” and that is “what hurts you”. Alain Veille, director of Warner Music France, came to her defense on social media: “Great artists challenge norms, disrupt and shape culture. Hatred and racism will not stop us.”

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Far-right leaders such as Marine Le Pen or Éric Zemmour were outraged that Nakamura, a black woman singing in French, although she intersperses English in some of her compositions, could perform in front of millions of television viewers, while others came to her defense.

Starting with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who publicly expressed he was “shocked by the racist reactions” against the artist born in 1995 in Bamako and who, despite growing up in France from a young age, obtained nationality late, in her twenties, due to being the child of foreigners. “Today she is one of the great French figures and has the approval of the entire world,” said Macron.

The most listened-to French singer

With her provocative afropop style, Nakamura has been the most listened-to French singer in the world for five years and currently has 7 billion streams of her music.

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Proud of having grown up in Aulnay-sous-Bois, in the impoverished department of Seine-Saint-Denis -the same one that will host iconic events of the Olympic Games inaugurated yesterday-, Nakamura says that she has no choice but to restrict the number of messages she receives for mental health reasons. “Otherwise, I would have lost my mind, I haven’t insulted many people, but I would have done it non-stop,” the 29-year-old singer said in an interview.

She explains that coming from a neighborhood in Aulnay-sous-Bois hardened her character, just like her attitude, which may seem arrogant. “I may seem like that because I am very confident, but I accept it, I am not interested in pleasing everyone.” AGENCIES

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