“Malian-French Singer Aya Nakamura Faces Shocking ‘Racist’ Attacks”

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"Malian-French Singer Aya Nakamura Faces Shocking 'Racist' Attacks"

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The organizing committee of the Paris Olympics has expressed shock over “racist” attacks by far-right French groups against Malian-French singer Aya Nakamura.

The attacks stemmed from reports that Nakamura, 28, would perform a song by the legendary 20th-century French singer Édith Piaf at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in July.

On Sunday, the far-right group Les Natifs protested in Paris with a banner stating: “There’s no way Aya, this is Paris, not the Bamako market,” in reference to the capital of Mali, Nakamura’s birthplace.

Having migrated to France with her family as a child, Nakamura obtained French citizenship in 2021.

The music star faced further hostility when she was booed by supporters of the far-right Reconquest party during a rally on Sunday.

“We have been deeply shocked by the recent racist attacks against Aya Nakamura. We offer our full support to the most listened-to French artist in the world,” stated the Paris Olympics organizing committee on Monday.

Several fans and French leaders, including French MP Antoine Leaument and Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, have expressed their support for Nakamura.

Les Natifs has remained steadfast in its stance, claiming that Nakamura does not represent French culture and that her performance would signify the “Africanization” of French culture.

Nakamura is one of France’s most prominent musicians, with some reports naming her as the most listened-to French-singing musician globally.