By Zoubida Senoussi
Rabat – Maître Gims is in a precarious situation right now. The Congolese rapper has been the center of media attention since he was denied French nationality a few weeks ago.
The singer-songwriter expressed his disappointment in France’s refusal to grant him French citizenship.
“Iy first request [for French citizenship] was quickly rejected and I don’t understand why,” Gims said in an interview with the French television program En Balade Avec.
But we might know the reason behind his citizenship rejection…
According to the French magazine Closer, the famous Francophone singer is still married to “a French woman living in Morocco,” and never filed for divorce before he tied the knot with his new wife, DemDem, in 2005. Gims had converted to Islam back in 2004, before taking a second wife.
“Maître Gims is now married to two women, and this has hindered the artist’s candidacy for French nationality even though he has been living in France since he was 2 years old,” added the tabloid.
“According to France’s policies on foreigner residency, it is forbidden to live ‘in a state of polygamy’”, points out Closer, explaining why Gims’ application for citizenship was likely rejected.
Nevertheless, Gims continues to profess his affection for France and his attachment to French language and culture. “I feel French. After all, being French is not just a title on a paper–it’s a way of life. Today, I am French, I speak French, I love the French language, and I am an ambassador of the French language all over the world.”
Maître Gims was born in the Congo in 1986 under the name “Gandhi Djuna,” but spent his childhood in France. Starting in 2002, Gims kicked-off his career in France as a singer and a rapper with the French hip-hop group, “Sexion d’Assaut.” He began his solo career in 2013.
