INTERVIEW
"She invented a language, she invented words". Alongside Matthieu Noël in the program L'Équipée sauvage, Monday on Europe 1, the journalist and music critic Philippe Maneuver simply praised Aya Nakamura. Revealed by his title Djadja in 2018, the artist from Aulnay-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis) had climbed to the top of the charts in the Netherlands, a fact unseen since Edith Piaf. His trademark ? His invented words and expressions which, although no one really understands them, are taken up by young people until they integrate their everyday language.
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Gainsbourg and Aya Nakamura
"In catchana baby you dead that", "close the door, you have the pookie in the interior" ... A new language "at once African, tribal and urban", according to Philippe Maneuver who concedes that even his own children, ages 3 and 8, adopt and adore the Aya Nakamura style. "For me, it's a talent in its purest form," he continues. "There is a huge talent, I do not know what Gainsbourg could have done with Aya Nakamura ...", he interrupts, pensive, while, a few minutes earlier, he spoke of his strong connection with singer-songwriter of La Javanaise.
"When we see a talent like Aya Nakamura, low hat, congratulations to those who signed it," he concludes, arguing against all odds that "no", the music was not "better before" .