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

Rumours of Aya Nakamura performing at the Paris Olympics has sparked a huge outrage from far-right critics.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, local media reported that the French-Malian musician met with President Emmanuel Macron last month to discuss singing a song by iconic French artist Edith Piaf. Nakamura has racked up over 1billion views on YouTube for her 2018 hit ‘Djadja’, whilst Le Monde has dubbed her �the world’s most popular French-speaking artist”.

Whilst these reports have not been confirmed by either Macron or Nakamura, the rumours caused significant fury with the far-right. The Reconquest party, who held a rally on Sunday led by ex-presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, announced Nakamura’s name which elicited boos from their crowd.

Meanwhile, another extremist group called The Natives hung a banner by the River Seine: �There’s no way Aya; this is Paris, not the Bamako market.” According to NBC, French officials have confirmed they are investigating racist attacks targeting Nakamura.

Nakamura has responded to a photo of the banner on social media, replying (as translated by The Guardian): �You can be racist but not deaf … That’s what hurts you! I’m becoming a number 1 state subject in debates … but what do I really 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 said it gives Nakamura �total support” on Monday, adding: �We have been very shocked by the racist attacks against Aya Nakamura in recent days. (We offer our) total support to the most listened-to French artist in the world.”

Other French officials have weighed in on the debate, with sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra saying to Nakamura: �It doesn’t matter, people love you. Don’t worry about anything.”

Meanwhile, Antoine Léaument of the leftwing LFI party wrote: �They claim to love their country but they want to exclude the most listened-to French-speaking singer in the world since Édith Piaf. We cannot be racist and patriotic in France.”

Nakamura, who makes Afrobeats/zouk-inspired music that uses �unorthodox spelling” and �slang-infused lyrics”, has previously responded to suggestions that she is mocking the French language: �I can understand why some people say: ‘Who does she think she is, mocking us in our French language?’”

�But it’s important to accept the culture of others, and, me, I have two cultures,” she said to AFP.