History of Aya Nakamura in Timeline
"Aya Nakamura, born Aya Danioko, is a renowned French-Malian singer-songwriter. Her musical style is a blend of pop and R&B, often incorporating elements of her African heritage. She gained international recognition for her hit song "Djadja," which topped charts in several countries. Known for her distinctive voice and empowering lyrics, Nakamura has become a prominent figure in contemporary French music."
1961: Breaking Édith Piaf's Record
With "Djadja," Nakamura became the first French female artist since Édith Piaf in 1961 to reach number one in the Netherlands.
May 1995: Birth of Aya Nakamura
Aya Danioko, known professionally as Aya Nakamura, was born in Bamako, Mali in May 1995.
2009: "Djadja" Tops Dutch Charts
"Djadja" was the first Francophone song since Stromae's "Alors on danse" in 2009 to top the Dutch charts.
2014: Debut Single "Karma" and Early Musical Releases
At 19, Nakamura released her first single, "Karma," on Facebook in 2014. She also collaborated with producer Seysey on the zouk-inspired breakup song "J'ai mal."
January 2016: Record Deal and Release of "Super Héros"
Nakamura signed a deal with Rec. 118 and Parlophone, a subsidiary of Warner Music France, in January 2016. She also released the single "Super Héros," featuring rapper Gradur, that same year.
2016: Birth of Nakamura's First Child
Aya Nakamura gave birth to her first child, a daughter, in 2016, keeping the father's identity private.
2016: Release of "Brisé" and Performance with Davido
Nakamura released the song "Brisé" with composer Christopher Ghenda in 2016. She also performed at the Modibo-Keïta stadium in Bamako, opening for American-Nigerian star Davido.
August 2017: Release of Debut Album "Journal intime"
Nakamura released her debut album, "Journal intime," on August 25, 2017.
September 2017: Performance at La Nuit du Mali
Nakamura participated in La Nuit du Mali at Bercy in September 2017 to celebrate Malian Independence Day, sharing the stage with renowned Malian artists.
2017: Fashion Studies and Musical Beginnings
Nakamura studied fashion at La Courneuve but later pursued music. In a 2017 interview with Le Monde, she revealed her transition from aspiring fashion designer to singer.
2017: Release of Debut Album "Journal intime"
Aya Nakamura released her debut album, "Journal intime", in 2017.
April 2018: Release of Hit Single "Djadja"
Nakamura released "Djadja," the first single from her second album, in April 2018, which topped the French charts for two weeks and gained Diamond certification.
August 2018: Release of Single "Copines"
Nakamura released "Copines" in August 2018.
November 2018: "Copines" Reaches Number One
"Copines" climbed to number one in France in November 2018 and also achieved Diamond certification.
November 2018: Release of Album "Nakamura"
Nakamura released her second album, "Nakamura," on November 2, 2018.
2018: Breakthrough with Album "Nakamura"
Nakamura's second album, "Nakamura," was released in 2018 and achieved diamond certification in France, selling over 1.2 million copies globally.
January 2019: European Music Moves Talent Award
Nakamura won the European Music Moves Talent Award for Best Urban album in January 2019.
February 2019: Nominations at France Music Awards
Nakamura was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Urban Album at the France Music Awards in February 2019.
April 2019: Release of "Pookie" Music Video
Nakamura released the video for "Pookie" in April 2019, which became the most-viewed French music video that year.
May 2019: Recognition by The New York Times
The New York Times recognized Nakamura as "one of the most important acts in Europe now, musically and socially" in May 2019.
June 2019: BET Awards Nomination
Nakamura received her first BET Awards nomination for Best International Act in June 2019.
October 2019: Re-release of "Nakamura"
Nakamura re-released her album "Nakamura" with five new songs in October 2019, which became double Platinum.
2019: Streaming Milestones on YouTube and Spotify
Nakamura was named Most Watched French female artist on YouTube and Most Streamed French female artist on Spotify in 2019.
2019: Support for ALIYAH Association
In 2019, Aya Nakamura began supporting the ALIYAH association, which was founded by parents of a child with hemolytic-uremic syndrome.
2019: Brief Relationship and Collaboration with Niska
Aya Nakamura was in a brief relationship with fellow musician Niska, with whom she collaborated on the song "Sucette," in 2019. She later accused him of domestic violence.
January 2020: Coachella Performance Announcement
Nakamura was announced as a performer for the 2020 Coachella Festival in January 2020.
July 2020: Release of Single "Jolie nana"
Nakamura released "Jolie nana," the lead single from her third studio album, "Aya," in July 2020. It topped the French singles chart and went Gold in two weeks.
October 2020: Confirmation of Relationship with Vladimir Boudnikoff
In October 2020, Aya Nakamura confirmed her relationship with music video producer Vladimir Boudnikoff.
November 2020: Debate over Nakamura's Lyrics and Language Use
In November 2020, a debate sparked in France regarding Aya Nakamura's use of slang in her lyrics, with some, such as Éric Zemmour, criticizing it as "a foreign language," while linguists defended it as part of French poetic tradition. Deputy Rémy Rebeyrotte even cited Nakamura in support of a law against accent-based discrimination.
2020: Release of Album "Aya" and Victoires de la Musique Award
In 2020, Nakamura released her third studio album, "Aya," and won a Victoires de la Musique award for it.
March 2021: Collaboration with Major Lazer
Major Lazer released a deluxe edition of their album "Music Is the Weapon" in March 2021, featuring Nakamura and Swae Lee on the song "C'est cuit."
May 2021: French Nationality Granted
Nakamura was granted French nationality in May 2021 after applying as an adult.
January 2022: Birth of Nakamura and Boudnikoff's Daughter
Aya Nakamura and Vladimir Boudnikoff welcomed their daughter in January 2022.
August 2022: Separation and Domestic Violence Incident
Following a domestic violence incident in August 2022, Aya Nakamura and Vladimir Boudnikoff announced their separation.
2022: New Music and Fortnite Concert
Nakamura released three non-album singles throughout 2022 and became the first French artist to perform a virtual concert in the video game Fortnite.
January 2023: Release of Album "DNK"
Nakamura's fourth studio album, "DNK," was released on January 27, 2023, and topped the French albums chart for two weeks.
February 2023: Lancôme's International Beauty Muse
Aya Nakamura became Lancôme's International Beauty Muse in February 2023.
February 2023: Court Ruling on Domestic Violence Charges
In February 2023, a Bobigny judge ruled that both Aya Nakamura and Vladimir Boudnikoff had to pay fines for their involvement in the domestic violence incident from August 2022. Nakamura was fined €10,000, while Boudnikoff received a €5,000 fine.
2023: Double Platinum Certification for Album "Aya"
"Aya" was certified double platinum in 2023, having sold 200,000 copies.
January 2024: Release of "Hypé"
In January 2024, Aya Nakamura released her single titled "Hypé".
March 2024: Backlash and Support Over Potential Olympic Performance
In March 2024, rumors circulated about Aya Nakamura being considered to perform at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, potentially singing an Édith Piaf song. This sparked protests, particularly from far-right groups, who deemed it inappropriate. The backlash was widely condemned as racist, while Nakamura received support from the Paris 2024 committee and prominent figures like Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and Rachida Dati.
April 2024: Wins at the Flammes Awards
Aya Nakamura won three awards at the Flammes Awards in April 2024, the most wins by any artist that year.