Aya Nakamura at the Paris Olympics

France's biggest music star has been subjected to "racist attacks" following reports that she may perform an Edith Piaf song at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura is rumoured to have discussed the idea with President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace last month. The unconfirmed report has "sparked an almighty row in France about identity and language", said the BBC. Some have argued that Nakamura's music "owes more to Africa and the United States than it does to France". 

There has also been a "vitriolic response from members of France's ascendant far right", said France 24. French police said they are investigating the "onslaught of racist venom", said NBC News. 

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The background 

Nakamura is the "world's most popular French-speaking artist", said Le Monde, and has had more than 1 billion views of the YouTube video of her 2018 hit "Djadja". Born in Bamako, the capital of former French colony Mali, she moved to Paris as a baby and is a French citizen.

The singer, now 28, is a "rare" example of an artist whose music reaches "well beyond the Francophone world", said France 24. Music critics argue that her global reach surpasses all other French female singers, even Piaf. "On paper, tapping her for the curtain-raiser of 'the biggest show on earth' is a no-brainer."

Nakamura is also the "proud face of the neglected banlieues (suburbs) of Paris", which have produced many of France's best-known music and sports stars – and which the Paris Olympics have explicitly promised to showcase.

But she has faced criticism from the far-right for the "liberties she takes with the French language using the familiar argot of hip-hop", said The Telegraph. Her lyrics mix French with slang and words from other languages.

Nakamura told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that she understood why some people accused her of "mocking" French speakers, but added that it is important to understand other cultures, especially considering that she claims two: Malian and French. 

The latest

Claims by right-wing politicians and pundits that Nakamura is "not French enough" to perform at the Olympics ceremony in July have exposed "deep faultlines of racism and class prejudice that threaten to cast a shadow over the Games", said The Guardian.

"Like her or not, the fact is, this singer doesn't sing in French," said far-right politician Marion Maréchal (niece of Marine Le Pen), vice-president of the nationalist Reconquest party. "[Nakamura] does not represent the French language," Maréchal said during a television interview.

Nakamura's name was booed by a crowd at a recent Reconquest campaign rally – the party is led by far-right ex-presidential candidate Éric Zemmour, who has previously been convicted of inciting racial hatred.  And  small far-right extremist group, Les Natifs (The Natives), hung a banner by the River Seine reading: "There's no way Aya; this is Paris, not the Bamako Market."

In a post on X, Nakamura responded: "You may be racist but you're not deaf. That's what hurts you. I'm becoming the number 1 state subject in debates ect [sic], but what do I really owe you? Nada." 

A complaint has been filed by the France-based International League against Racism and Antisemitism, triggering an investigation by the Paris prosecutor into alleged racist abuse. 

The reaction 

Ministers, musicians and cultural critics "rushed to Nakamura's defence", accusing detractors of rejecting her because of her African heritage, said the BBC. "We are very shocked by the racist attacks against Aya Nakamura," said the Paris Olympics organising committee. 

Antoine Léaument, an MP from the left-wing France Unbowed party, said Les Natifs "claim to love their country", but "want to exclude the most listened-to French-speaking singer in the world" since Piaf. "We cannot be both racist and patriotic in France," he added. "Beware of pretexts for using pure racism to attack someone," said Culture Minister Rachida Dati. 

The backlash has shown how important it would be to have Nakamura perform at the opening ceremony, Carole Boinet, from culture magazine Les Inrockuptibles, told AFP. The singer has "invented" a new language and France "should be proud" to have her represent the nation on a global stage.

"It's a controversy that comes from the backward side of France but it's not them who will decide," Boinet said. "I hope she will sing at the Olympics – it has become imperative."