”the voiceIt will be broadcast live from the Elysée Palace,” the French weekly reported. rec express Emmanuel Macron said he improvised as the director for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024. The magazine also revealed that singer Aya Nakamura will be asked to perform Edith Piaf's songs there. As soon as the French-Malian artist was mentioned as representing the country, and without waiting for confirmation, a wave of attacks by op-eds and far-right groups erupted, from television to social media.
Karim Hamou and Marie Sonnet-Manoogian, two sociologists specializing in popular music and culture, co-edited and co-authored the book. 40 Ans de Musique Hip Hop En France (“40 years of hip-hop music in France”). In their view, the issue of presidential communications needs to be at the center of this new debate.
This is not the first time Nakamura has been the victim of such controversy since the start of his career. How do you explain this?
Sonnet-Manugian: The criticism leveled at Nakamura must be placed in the context that hip-hop music (particularly rap and R&B) has been the subject of controversy raised by the right and far-right throughout its history. If Nakamura defines himself first and foremost as a pop artist, drawing inspiration from everything from zouk to R&B, but is still recognized and promoted as a rapper, it's primarily because of these. due to the racialization of musical genres, which are perceived as non-racial. -White. Therefore, due to the syllogism fallacy, black singers are often equated with rappers.
The criticism she received is reminiscent of the criticism leveled at rapper Youssoufah, for example, when his song was chosen to be France's Euro 2021 presentation. These successful racist media figures are regularly exploited and criticized by the right and the far right. A reactionary discussion of a political agenda that goes far beyond an artistic perspective. Mr. Nakamura is not the first person to be subjected to racist and classist treatment by some in the political and cultural sphere, and he certainly will not be the last.
Hamou: Nakamura's comments have long shown that women and racialized people are disproportionately exposed to criticism on social media, even online harassment. To understand her trajectory, we need to consider the combination of sexism and racism that emerges from certain comments. This is because Nakamura's public image lies at the intersection of these power relationships.
One of the main arguments raised by critics of her appearance at the opening ceremony is that Nakamura's lyrics do not contribute to the “influence of French in the world.” What do you think?
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