Multi-award-winning French-Malian superstar Aya Nakamura kicked off the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in grand fashion with a stunning performance during the opening ceremony. Joined in her hometown of Paris by multi-Grammy-award-winning artists Lady Gaga and Céline Dion, the event drew approximately one billion viewers worldwide and was broadcast in the US via NBC.
Joined on the famed Pont des Arts by the French Republican Guard Orchestra, the momentous evening saw Nakamura perform two of her original hit songs “Djadja,” and “Pookie” intertwined with a special rendition of “For me, Formidable” by the late renowned French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour. The honor reflected her role as one of the most important figures in contemporary French music.
Born Aya Danioko in Bamako, Mali, Aya Nakamura comes from a family of Griots, West African storytellers and praise singers. She grew up in the Parisian suburb of Aulnay-Sous-Bois and later took the stage name Nakamura after the character Hiro Nakamura from NBC’s popular series Heroes.
Dubbed “One of the most important acts in Europe now, musically and socially” by The New York Times, Aya Nakamura’s trajectory only continues to reach new heights. She reigns as the most streamed female artist in the history of Spotify France since the platform’s inception 15 years ago and her seminal album Nakamura holds the title of most streamed Francophone album of all time. Earlier this year, she earned the “Victoire de la Musique” award as Female Artist of the Year at the 2024 France Music Awards prior to journeying stateside to make her debut at the MET Gala where she wore Balmain.
With numerous #1 songs and albums in her native France as well as charting in over 46 different countries, Aya Nakamura has achieved over 7 billion worldwide streams across her catalogue. While her career is already one for the record books, it is still on the rise as the power of her music, her message, and social impact is felt further across the globe and especially within the United States.
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