Who Is Aya Nakamura? Why Her Speculated Paris Olympics Performance Triggered Controversy?

With the Paris Olympics' Opening Ceremony just days away, here is all you need to know about Aya Nakamura and why the possibility of her performance became so contentious in French politics.

Who is Aya Nakamura?

Aya Nakumura, a pop singer, is the most listened to French artist in the world. Born in Mali, Nakamura is now a global name and has a massive fan following all over the world. Her breakout song "Djadja" that came out in 2018 has been streamed over a billion times and made her into the biggest French music star.

However, with fame, Nakamura has also attracted criticism.

Why news of her performing at Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony irked some in France?

Far-right politicians in France are not much impressed by Nakamura's singing. Critics have alleged that Nakamura's slang-infused lyrics are not actually 'French'.

Former France Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has said about Nakumara "that she does not sing French. She does not sing foreign either. She sings we do not know what. No, it is not mixed race, it is nonsense."

Le Pen has also criticised Nakamura for being "vulgar".

According to one poll quoted in the Guardian, 73% of French people think that Nakamura does not represent “French” music, while 63% oppose the idea of her headlining at the opening ceremony.

Once the unconfirmed news of her performance at the Paris Olympics reached social media, Nakamura received a lot of racist comments.

Reacting to the news, an extremist group in France known as the “Natives” hung a banner on the banks of the Seine that read: “No way, Aya. This is Paris, not the Bamako market” – a reference to Nakamura’s birth in Mali's capital.

Many including the French President Emmanuel Macron came in the popstar's defence.

Will Aya Nakamura perform at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The line-up for the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony is not yet confirmed.