The Paris Olympics organising committee expressed dismay at “racist” assaults from far-right French groups targeting Malian-French artist Aya Nakamura.
The controversy arose following rumours that Nakamura, 28, would feature a song by iconic 20th-century French singer Édith Piaf during the July opening ceremony.
On Sunday, the far-right group Les Natifs protested in Paris with a banner saying: “There’s no way Aya, this is Paris, not the Bamako market”, referring to the capital of Mali, where Nakamura was born.
Having relocated to France with her family in childhood, she acquired French citizenship in 2021.
Unfortunately, the music star faced jeers from far-right Reconquest party supporters during a rally held last Sunday.
“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,” the Paris Olympics organising committee said on Monday.
Nakamura has garnered support from various fans and French figures, including French MP Antoine Leaument and Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera.
Despite this, Les Natifs remains steadfast, asserting that Nakamura doesn’t embody French culture and warning of the “Africanization” of French culture through her performance.
Notably, Nakamura holds a prominent status in France, with some reports labelling her as the most listened-to French-singing musician globally.
