Aya Nakamura (France-Mali)
Phenomenal flow

Aya Nakamura is the most listened to French pop star in the world. In February, her single ‘Djadja’ surpassed a billion views on YouTube. In early July, she reached 9.36 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Thirty-year old Aya Danioko, her real name, is a phenomenal young Bambara woman, born in Bamako in 1995, who spent her childhood in the Parisian suburb of Aulnay-sous-Bois. Her mother is a griot, and the hauntingly powerful voice of diva Oumou Sangaré constantly echoed through the family home. The little girl dreamed of becoming a singer. And she succeeded. Her lyrics are peppered with suburban slang and African argot. While she was hailed as a symbol of integration when she performed with the French Republican Guard orchestra during the Paris Olympic Games, she unleashed a stream of hatred among the ranks of the far right. But Aya laughs it off, flaunting her sculptural body, fluorescent wigs and endless nails. Her flow and talent have captivated an entire generation of young people around the world.