Note: Some of this post might not be strictly true: most of what is written about her is in French and my French is not very good! So corrections are welcomed.
Aïssa Maïga (1975- ) is a French actress who was born in Senegal. She is not just charming, beautiful and talented, she is also the highest-paid black actress in France and a regular at Cannes.
Some of her films:
- “Les Poupées Russes” (2004) made her name in France. She plays the lover of Romain Duris.
- “Paris, je t’aime” (2005) – she starred in this. See below for a bit of it I found on YouTube. Watch all the way to the end.
- “Il faut quitter Bamako” (2006) showed that she can write and direct as well as act.
- “Bamako” (2006), almost the same name as her own film, is probably her best performance to date. She played a bar singer, who always seems to be pictured as crying. Danny Glover was an executive producer, by the way.
As beautiful as she is, she is almost completely unknown in the English-speaking world. She does not even have an article in the English Wikipedia as of June 2009. I had seen her face before on the Internet, but I had no idea who she was until a commenter on this blog, Asha, brought up her name. Thanks, Asha!
Maiga was born in Dakar in Senegal. Her father, a journalist, came from Mali. Her mother is half Senegalese, half Gambian. The family moved to France when she was four. Her father died when she was eight.
After high school she did not know whether to study sociology or theatre. But then one night she saw “L’important c’est d’aimer” with Romy Schneider and knew she wanted to be a comedienne. So she chose theatre. A few months later, though, she dropped out of school and became a waitress. She thought the courses were heavy on theory, light on practice.
Her aunt, it turns out, was a comedienne and was able to train her. At 17 Maiga was acting in a musical comedy, “La nuit la plus longue”, something she did for three summers.
In 1996 she got her first part in a full-length film, “Saraka Bo”. It is a police drama that takes place in a black part of Paris. That led to parts in police dramas on television, something she did for years, but it also got her noticed by directors, like Claude Berri.
In 2005 she appeared in “French Beauty”, a television show that asked some of the great beauties of French film, like Bardot and Deneuve, what it is like to be a beautiful French woman.
Blacks in French film: Just like in Hollywood, most of the few parts there are for blacks play to stereotypes. But on top of that blacks are often seen as foreigners in France even when they grew up there, just like Asians in America.
She lives in both France and Senegal. She has two sons by her one-time boyfriend, Stephane Pocrain.
See also:
- Black France
- The most beautiful black women – I have her at #7, after Naomi Campbell but before Lela Rochon.
- The most beautiful black actresses – at #4, after Gabrielle Union but before Lela Rochon.
- black actresses
- Senghor
She is absolutely beautiful! And who says there aren’t GORGEOUS black (dark-skinned I may add) women aren’t out there.
I want to meet her one day.
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And who says there aren’t GORGEOUS black (dark-skinned I may add) women aren’t out there.
The ones that say that are the ones I’m better off avoiding. On a different note, she reminds me of a good friend from college. Similar facial structure.
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I was about to say the same thing, that she looks like someone I know. There is something strangely familiar about her look.
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OMG she is beautiful!
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Oooh, thanks for the insightful comment Peta. Whatever.
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Cool! I’m so happy that you did Aisa MAiga. Now do Fatou N’Diaye, please.
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Okay. She will go up Monday or Tuesday.
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she is pretty
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She’s beautiful. Lovely skin! Still waiting for your Mercy Johnson article…lol
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Verrry interesting. Did not know about her–so great that she keeps her look.
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LOL. Right. Mercy later in the week.
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Re: DaliSalvadorAde
*is puzzled* I’m sorry, did I say something insulting? I simply meant that anyone who says that black women aren’t beautiful are people that aren’t worth the time of day.
Unless I misinterpreted your response.
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In that case, I misread your initial response. Pardon me.
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🙂 It’s cool. Glad we cleared that up.
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I love her skin. Such beauty! She reminds me of my little sister.
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D3ar Abag0nd,
I also love this one to bits!
Sincerely,
***Marie-Francoise**
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I LIKED THAT SHE KEEPS HER HAIR NATURAL MOST OF THE TIME. A NATURAL BEAUTY.
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Black is beautiful when the skin is the darkest. I have had the love to love dark skinned womens and she reminds me of a dark skinned honey i had in my younger years, Gail johnson in phoenix arizona and gwen thompson of goldsboro n.c I LOVE ME SOME DARK SKINNED GIRL!
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I LIKED THAT SHE KEEPS HER HAIR NATURAL MOST OF THE TIME. A NATURAL BEAUTY.
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Me too.
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OMG, my girl crush! I’ve only seen one movie of hers, she is so beautiful and charming! She is considered one top 5 most beautiful French actresses ever.
However, as someone who watches a lot of French TV, I have to say there are some big differences. While I’m sure there is tons of racism in France, the fact is that on TV there is a lot of variety in the way Black people are represented. At least physically, but I think that even that says something. You don’t have to be light-skinned, straighten your hair, if you’re a woman, or be a beefcake if you’re a man. You see all kinds of shades, body types and hairstyles, unlike on American TV, and you don’t have to be just one thing in order to be considered attractive.
Also, there are many cultural programs that often feature Black people (on Arte TV, Mezzo TV, TV5 and others) – not as an object of study or curiosity, but prominent Black artists and intellectuals, as guests. I know this is supposed to be 500 words a day, but I think it would be good if you researched and made popular some positive aspects too.
The movie I saw with Aissa Maiga (“Une famille parfaite”) was anything but stereotypes. She was a successful young writer in it, dating a handsome Black man who was the host of a popular cultural TV show, there were some beautiful love scenes, and very subtle and intelligent dialogues. They were both very cultured, accomplished characters, and their chemistry was neither downplayed, nor simplified – something you don’t see much in American movies with Black people. Too bad it was a TV movie and never made it on DVD, but maybe one day it will, I’d love to see it again.
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Black is just beautiful…Being natural is everything.Anty AISSA MAIGA IS YOUR NICE FANTA JALLOW NDEY’S DAUTNER..The family is very proud of you…
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I love her hair in the 2nd pic. Awesome
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im not surprised, Senegalese women are often stunning, as well as Malian, etc. i love her eyes. is she fulani or wolof, she’s a looker
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you have not seen my wife
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i would wish to meet Aissa Maga
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