The rumoured performance of musician Aya Nakamura at the Paris Olympics has caused significant outrage from far-right critics in France. According to reports, the French-Malian artist met with President Emmanuel Macron to discuss singing an Edith Piaf song. Nakamura has been dubbed “the world’s most popular French-speaking artist” and has over 1 billion views on YouTube. The rumour has not been confirmed but has sparked fury among the far-right, with an extremist group hanging a banner by the River Seine stating that “this is Paris, not the Bamako market”.
The Reconquest party, led by ex-presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, also announced Nakamura’s name at a recent rally which elicited boos from their crowd. French officials have also confirmed that they are investigating racist attacks targeting Nakamura as a result of the rumours. The Natives hung a banner by the River Seine: “There’s no way Aya; this is Paris, not the Bamako market.”
Nakamura has responded to the situation on social media and has thanked fans for their support, whilst also addressing the issues the controversy has raised. She has responded to the banner with defiance, saying that she owes her critics nothing and that “You can be racist but not deaf…That’s what hurts you!”. Despite the controversy, the Olympics organising committee has given Nakamura “total support”, condemning the racist attacks she has subsequently received.
French officials have also weighed in on the debate, with sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra offering support to the musician and advising her not to worry about anything. Meanwhile, Antoine Léaument of the leftwing LFI party criticised the far-right and said that it was impossible to be both racist and patriotic in France. Nakamura’s Afrobeats/zouk-inspired music incorporates “unorthodox spelling” and “slang-infused lyrics”, which has previously led to allegations that she was mocking French language. She has responded by stating that she accepts and values different cultures
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