Aya Nakamura

Aya Nakamura, born Aya Danioko in Bamako, Mali, is a multi-platinum French-Malian singer celebrated for blending Afrobeats, R&B, and contemporary pop. She rose to international fame with her breakout hit "Djadja," a chart-topping single that became a global success.

Raised in a family of griots, the respected West African storytellers and keepers of oral tradition, Aya is the eldest of five children. She moved to France at a young age and grew up in the northern suburbs of Paris. When she began her music career, she adopted the stage name Nakamura, inspired by the character Hiro Nakamura from the television series Heroes.

Her debut album, Journal Intime, was released in 2017 and gained widespread attention thanks to the platinum-certified single "Comportement." The following year, she reached new heights with "Djadja," which topped the charts in France, earned Diamond certification, and became a hit in more than 35 countries.

Later in 2018, Aya released her second album, Nakamura, which produced multiple Top 10 singles, including the chart-topping track "Copines." The album's success established her as France's most-streamed female artist of the year, while "Djadja" also became the country's most-viewed music video on YouTube.

In 2019, she received nominations for Song of the Year and Best Urban Album at the French Music Awards. Her growing popularity led to a sold-out headline concert at the Olympia in Paris, followed by an 18-date arena tour that also sold out. That same year, she earned a BET Award nomination for Best International Act and released another major hit, "Pookie."

By the end of 2019, Aya Nakamura had once again been recognized as France's most-streamed and most-watched female artist. Her album Nakamura has since accumulated more than 1.5 billion streams and over 2 billion video views, cementing her status as one of the most successful French-speaking artists of her generation.