海角大神

Meet the Franco-Malian pop star sparking debate over who should sing at the Olympics

One of the most important roles at the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympic Games this summer is likely to be performing the songs of 脡dith Piaf. So when President Emmanuel Macron was asked who might be tapped for such a duty, it was perhaps natural that he would suggest the most listened-to French singer on the planet: Aya Nakamura.

But the thought of Ms. Nakamura, a pop and rap artist known for salting her lyrics with slang influenced by her native Mali and of her own invention, performing the work of the beloved Ms. Piaf did not sit well with everyone. Far-right leaders called Mr. Macron鈥檚 endorsement a 鈥減rovocation,鈥� complaining that she didn鈥檛 sing in French nor represent France.

But while Ms. Nakamura may not embody the beret-wearing, baguette-carrying France of the past, many say she is the face of the country today.

France is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Europe, and Ms. Nakamura represents several facets of the 鈥渘ew鈥� France. As a Black single mother who grew up in the social housing projects of Aulnay-sous-Bois outside Paris, and is now idolized by fans around the world, she reflects a different sort of French experience聽鈥� one that is growing more familiar to and common among the French citizenry.

鈥淎ya Nakamura鈥檚 music symbolizes femininity, youth, what it means to be Black and working class,鈥� says Gabriel Segr茅, a socio-anthropology professor at聽Paris聽Nanterre University who studies music and fan culture. 鈥淗er ability to 鈥榬ise up from the bottom鈥� reverses the traditional codes of success and legitimacy in society. The French elite are having a fit about it.鈥�

A different sort of French star

Born Aya Danioko in Bamako, Mali, Ms. Nakamura moved with her large family to France as a child, settling into La Rose des Vents, a huge public housing project built in the 1960s in Aulnay-sous-Bois. In 2014, at age 19, she quit high school to begin her singing career, adopting the stage name 鈥淣akamura鈥� from a character in the U.S. TV show 鈥淗eroes.鈥�

In 2018, she released 鈥淒jadja,鈥� which featured her now trademark invented, African-influenced slang 鈥� including the title, a word she said means 鈥渓iar.鈥� The song became an instant hit and catapulted her to nationwide success.

Since then, Ms. Nakamura has accumulated five No. 1 songs and a double-platinum album, 鈥淎ya,鈥� in France. In July 2021, her album 鈥淣akamura鈥� surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. She is now the most listened-to French-speaking artist in the world.聽

Her style has vibrant, diverse roots.

鈥淣akamura gets her inspiration from various sources, from zouk to R&B,鈥� says Marie Sonnette-Manouguian, a hip-hop expert at the University of Angers. 鈥淪he uses rich and everyday language, playing with onomatopoeia and rhythm, to create an original lexicon that is easily picked up by her fans. It鈥檚 one of the factors in her success.鈥�

But her linguistic choices have spurred critique from the far right. The National Rally party鈥檚 Marine Le Pen said on French radio that not only did the artist dress and act in a vulgar fashion, but she didn鈥檛 sing in French. 鈥淪he doesn鈥檛 sing in a foreign language and it鈥檚 not a blended language either,鈥� said Ms. Le Pen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nonsense.鈥�

But it is precisely Ms. Nakamura鈥檚 use of language that enables her to relate to her fans, especially the young people with whom she is particularly popular.

鈥淎ya uses slang and expressions ... and I sing along with her,鈥� says Roxane Sebbagh, a Franco-Algerian resident of Aulnay-sous-Bois. 鈥淎ll this talk about grammar and the French language is an excuse for what is more of a political problem: the idea that a Black woman from the suburbs could possibly represent France.鈥�

鈥溍塪ith Piaf of her time鈥�

But Ms. Nakamura does represent France, albeit a different sort of France from the one typically in the limelight.

Though the French authorities prohibit the collection of data about citizens鈥� race or ethnicity, studies put the Black population聽. Ms. Nakamura,聽having spent most of her life in France, is also part of the immigrant community, which numbered about 7 million people, or around 10% of the population, in 2022 according to official figures.

Her status as a single mother is also representative of a significant portion of the public: 25% of families are single-parent and the vast majority of those parents are women. And the economic conditions in which she grew up in La Rose des Vents 鈥� deemed by the local government to be a 鈥減riority zone鈥� suffering from inequality, economic, and social difficulties 鈥� are shared by 5 million French people today.

While some of her critics may take umbrage at a person from such a background taking on the task of honoring聽脡dith Piaf at the Olympics, Piaf herself came from a similar background, as the child of immigrants who spent most of her youth in poverty. In a way, says Dr. Sonnette-Manouguian, that makes Ms. Nakamura a natural to sing Piaf鈥檚 songs.

鈥淎ya Nakamura鈥檚 audience is a varied audience,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is also a large audience.鈥� Ms. Nakamura would be a 鈥渞ational choice鈥� to sing at the Olympics opening, she argues, because she is 鈥渘ot only the first woman to appear in the 鈥榯op artist鈥� 2023 list but she is also the French woman most listened to abroad, the Edith Piaf of her time.鈥�

Ms. Nakamura is not universally beloved in France鈥檚 minority communities. 鈥淎ya doesn鈥檛 represent France or me, she represents vulgarity,鈥� says Vanessa O, who grew up in the Paris suburb of聽Gif-sur-Yvette in a first-generation West African family. 鈥淲hat kind of example is she setting for our young people? That you can not finish school, not speak correctly and still get ahead?鈥�

But for many of Ms. Nakamura鈥檚 fans, it is the way she overcame challenges that makes her a role model. A recent study by a group of Black organizations found that nine out of 10 Black people in France experienced racial discrimination 鈥渙ften.鈥�

鈥淲hat I appreciate about Aya Nakamura is her determination and capacity to succeed despite the obstacles she had to face in her life,鈥� says Sergio Ciccano, a diversity and inclusion consultant. 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 an excellent representation of France for an international audience because she incarnates the diversity and dynamism of our country.鈥�

With the Olympic Games three months away, nothing has yet been decided about who will open or close the event. A handful of artists are in the running and Mr. Macron has said he will leave the final decision to the ceremonies鈥� artistic director.

But for those who love Ms. Nakamura, the choice is obvious.

鈥淲hen Aya鈥檚 music is playing, everyone gets up to dance,鈥� says Ms. Sebbagh. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we need at the Olympics: someone who can get people on their feet, having fun and coming together.鈥�