A new France was consecrated Friday evening during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. When Aya Nakamura, a French Malian singer, made her grand entrance in a short fringed golden dress from the esteemed Académie Française, she redefined the very essence of Frenchness.
Adieu to the strict rules of the Académie, which aimed to safeguard the French language from what one of its members once termed as “brainless Globish.” Bonjour to a France where the language is increasingly influenced by expressions from its former African colonies, which form the soulful core of Ms. Nakamura’s numerous chart-topping hits.
Aya Nakamura, France’s most beloved singer both at home and internationally, mesmerized the audience as she elegantly strode across the Pont des Arts in her golden laced gladiator sandals. Accompanied by a band of the Republican Guard, she delivered her lyrics infused with slang and confidence that almost bordered on audacity, proudly proclaiming, “This, too, is France.”
Despite criticism from Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, who questioned the language in which Ms. Nakamura sings, the performance proceeded, undeterred by attempts to label it as humiliating to the French people.
The ceremony took place against the backdrop of a political and cultural crisis in France, where traditional values clash with modern ideals, and an open society contends with a closed one. The nation finds itself in a state of political stalemate and cultural division, struggling to form a new government or reach a consensus on the evolving definition of French identity.
Against this tumultuous backdrop, the ceremony, curated by artistic director Thomas Jolly, sought to challenge the conventional boundaries of French identity, aiming to promote a more inclusive France and a more united global community. The event was not merely a spectacle but a political statement, wrapped in a vibrant and pulsating performance.
