| Ibrahim Maiga | |
| Birth Date: | 3 January 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Mopti, Mali |
| Other Names: | Ibi Maiga |
Ibrahim Maiga, also known as Ibi Maiga,[1] [2] [3] (born in Mopti, 3 January 1963),[4] is a Slovak singer, actor, comedian, and politician.[5] [6] The BBC describes him as a "celebrity in Slovakia".[7]
Maiga moved to what was then Czechoslovakia in the late 1980s as a student at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava and subsequently obtained Slovak citizenship. He "quickly became famous as a singer and actor".[8] The BBC describes him as "a well-known figure" through his "infectious humour and songs about his homeland, Mali".[9]
He stood as a candidate for the European Parliament during the 2009 elections, representing the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL).[10] [11] As a pro-European, he has stated: "Particularly now, in a time of crisis, we see how important the European Union is. Without its existence, several states might have suffered collapse".[12] Explaining his choice to run for the European Parliament, he also stated: "I really want to fight this election just to show Europe that Slovakia has a great future in Europe. If I'm elected and for the first time in history a black man represents Slovakia, that's going to be obvious to all of Europe."[13]
In 2019, Maiga announced his return to politics and ran for a seat in the 2019 European Parliament election in Slovakia as a representative of the Priama Demokracia party.[14]
Maiga speaks six languages.[15] He has two children, a son and a daughter.