Aya Danioko (born 10 May 1995), known by her stage name Aya Nakamura, is a French pop singer. She was born in Bamako, Mali and emigrated to France with her family, growing up in Aulnay-sous-Bois. Coming from a family of griots, she is the oldest of five siblings. She studied fashion at La Courneuve. She later launched into music with the stage name Aya Nakamura, after the character Hiro Nakamura of the NBC Heroes science fiction drama series.
Nakamura published her music online, gaining a following with "Karma" and "J'ai mal". Dembo Camara, a long-time friend, became her producer and manager. Notably, her song "Brisé", garnered traction on YouTube, and a duo with rapper Fababy "Love d'un voyou" resulted in her charting in France for the first time. She released her debut album Journal intime in 2017, followed one year later by its follow-up Nakamura, which was certified Diamond in France. It spawned the hit singles "Djadja" and "Copines" and launched the singer's international career.
Throughout her career, Nakamura accumulated five number-one songs and a number-one album in France. She was awarded a Victoires de la Musique award for her 2020 album Aya, and also won an NRJ Music Award and received multiple nominations for the MTV Europe Music Award for Best French Act.
