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Shock as Malian-French singer faces ‘racist’ attacks

The organizing committee of the Paris Olympics said it was shocked by “racist” attacks made by far-right French groups against Malian-French singer Aya Nakamura.

The attacks were triggered by 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 saying: “There’s no way Aya, this is Paris, not the Bamako market”, referring to the capital of Mali, where Nakamura was born.

She migrated to France with her family as a child and received French citizenship in 2021.

The music star was also booed by supporters of the far-right Reconquest party during a rally held on Sunday.

“We have been very shocked by the racist attacks against Aya Nakamura in recent days. [We offer us] total support to the most listened-to French artist in the world,” the Paris Olympics organizing committee said on Monday.

Several fans and French leaders, including French MP Antoine Leaument and Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, have supported Nakamura.

Les Natifs has continued to double down, saying Nakamura does not represent French culture and her performance would signal the “Africanization” of French culture.

Nakamura is one of the biggest musicians in France, and some reports name her as the most listened-to French-singing musician in the world.

 

Source: bbc.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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