Aya Nakamura performs at Olympic opening ceremony
R&B sensation Aya Nakamura, who received strong support from French President Emmanuel Macron and various celebrities including Carla Bruni, Benjamin Biolay, and Patrick Bruel, performed at the Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday.
Singer-songwriter Nakamura, who is of French and Malian descent, has become the most popular French-speaking artist in the world. Despite facing backlash from far-right groups, she confidently took the stage at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Extreme right-wing politicians and those with conservative views criticized the 29-year-old singer, famous for her hit 'Djadja', claiming her lyrics were "vulgar" and showed a lack of respect for the French language.
Aya Nakamura is a popular French singer and the Republican Guard orchestra putting on a show at the Pont des Arts.
This moment honors the connecting strength of the French language, shaped by various communities throughout history. #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/QYlS3EOD3G
The artist has been the subject of criticism from right-wing extremists on social media and reactionary groups. The group known as Les Natifs quickly expressed their disapproval of Nakamura's decision and put up a photo on the banks of the Seine holding a banner. They urged the artist to stop because "this is Paris, not the market of Bamako" where the singer was born 29 years ago.
Marine Le Pen, who has run for president of France three times, criticized Nakamura's appearance and called her "vulgar" for using language that is not typically French.
The leader of the left-leaning National Rally (RN) party, Member of the European Parliament and unsuccessful candidate for prime minister, Jordan Bardella, highlighted a survey that revealed 73% of French citizens did not approve of Nakamura representing the country.
Bardella found it concerning that a person who has been found guilty of domestic violence would be selected to perform at such an important event. He suggested that a different artist, who is more widely accepted, should have been chosen instead.
