Row erupts from far-right over Aya Nakamura acting at Paris Olympics

Rumours of Aya Nakamura performing on the Paris Olympics has sparked an enormous outrage from far-right critics.

Based on French newspaper Le Monde, native media reported that the French-Malian musician met with President EMMAnuel Macron final month to debate singing a tune by iconic French artist Edith Piaf. Nakamura has racked up over 1billion views on YouTube for her 2018 hit ‘Djadja’, while Le Monde has dubbed her “the world’s hottest French-speaking artist”.

While these stories haven’t been confirmed by both Macron or Nakamura, the rumours induced important fury with the far-right. The Reconquest celebration, who held a rally on Sunday led by ex-presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, introduced Nakamura’s title which elicited boos from their crowd.

In the meantime, one other extremist group referred to as The Natives hung a banner by the River Seine: “There’s no approach Aya; that is Paris, not the Bamako market.” Based on NBC, French officers have confirmed they’re investigating racist assaults focusing on Nakamura.

Nakamura has responded to a photograph of the banner on social media, replying (as translated by The Guardian): “You might be racist however not deaf … That’s what hurts you! I’m changing into a no 1 state topic in debates … however what do I actually owe you? Nada.”

Vous pouvez être raciste mais pas sourd 🧏.. C’est sa qui vous fait mal ! Je deviens un sujet d’état numéro 1 en débats ect mais je vous dois quoi en vrai ? Kedal https://t.co/rgnGeAAOfD

— Aya Nakamura (@AyaNakamuraa) March 10, 2024

The Olympics organising committee has mentioned it provides Nakamura “complete assist” on Monday, including: “We have now been very shocked by the racist assaults towards Aya Nakamura in latest days. (We provide our) complete assist to probably the most listened-to French artist on the planet.”

Different French officers have weighed in on the controversy, with Sports activities minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra saying to Nakamura: “It doesn’t matter, individuals love you. Don’t fear about something.”

In the meantime, Antoine Léaument of the leftwing LFI celebration wrote: “They declare to like their nation however they wish to exclude probably the most listened-to French-speaking singer on the planet since Édith Piaf. We can’t be racist and patriotic in France.”

Nakamura, who makes Afrobeats/zouk-inspired music that makes use of “unorthodox spelling” and “slang-infused lyrics”, has beforehand responded to ideas that she is mocking the French language: “I can perceive why some individuals say: ‘Who does she assume she is, mocking us in our French language?’”

“Nevertheless it’s necessary to just accept the tradition of others, and, me, I’ve two cultures,” she mentioned to AFP.