I feel bad making 2 negative blog posts in a row so let me start off with the positives. I truly enjoyed yesterday’s Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremony. Contrary to what I’ve heard before the event, it seemed very well organized. The music was awesome, the lighting effects were gorgeous, the poem was breathtaking, the fiddlers were astonishing and I liked Sarah Mclachlan’s performance. The malfunction and the truck ride were disappointing but I’m not expecting perfection.
But what really caught my attention the most was the way our National Anthem O Canada was sung. I think Nikki Yanofsky has a wonderful and inspiring voice and I love her song “I believe”. However I think that our national anthem shouldn’t be sung in that slow jazzy style. If that is her style then someone else should have performed it.
Here is her performance (CTV keep removing the video so I added a vocal only version)
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This is how it should have been performed. With passion and power!
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Compare yesterday’s performance to how Carrie Underwood sang the US ‘s Star-Spangled Banner during the Superbowl:
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I thought Nikki’s performance was amazing. I thought the anthem sounded beautiful and was a great rendition. Why would we want to compare to Carrie Underwood? She is an American pop produced blonde bimbo, as far as I am concerned.
I thought the Opening Ceremonies were amazing.. albeit the few malfunctions as you noted… I was and am proud to be Canadian and cried almost the entire 3 hours or so 🙂
I’m not a fan of Carrie Underwood.. I just wanted to show the style in which the anthem was performed.
I would much rather see someone like Nikki perform than an over the top celebrity but I wish she had been less jazzy with that performance.
honestly, I really didn’t like it. I thought her voice was amazing and that she did a great job. It just wasn’t right to me. I just didn’t like how it was arranged. But Nikki’s herself did a great job.
Two completely different songs & themes . . . two completely different countries . . . give credit where credit is due. Comparing a just turned 16 year old (who performed at Carnagie Hall at age 15) to an almost 30 or 30 something . . . One is a Jazz singer and One is a Country singer . . . both equally good in their fields.
I thought it was beautiful and that Nikki did a great job, but I see where you are coming from. I think I would have liked a little more POWER at the very end for the “O Canada we stand on guard for thee” but other than that…amazing.
I think we’re missing the point of Boo’s post – it was the ARRANGEMENT of “O Canada” in question, not the vocalist. Aside from the fact the hubby and I were both unimpressed, we also ended up with three calls from family overseas asking if Canada “changed” our national anthem. Here’s hoping they play a nice traditional version at the podium, when we rack up the gold medals!!
I also did not like it. She made the ANTHEM sound like a SONG. It is meant to sound ANTHEMIC. Loud. Powerful. Strong.
I thought the national anthem stunk from her……we could have found someone better…….i think all the french was sooooo uncalled for, french is not the prominent language in cda or in vacouver…..english is….the opera singer was just so misplaced….sincerely these few things could have been so much better
BUT!!!!! K D LANG ROCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she made me cry man with that song…..maybe she should have sung the national anthem.
She has an amazing voice, but both DH and I thought it was disrespectful to our country as this isn’t the way the Nation Anthem is to be sung…
I was embrassed. She screeched her way through it. Made it unreconizable and many words you couldn’t understand. Her french part was off. With all the great singers we have in this country, this was not a good showing 🙁
I agree with harrlett on the placing of the opera singer And nickki already sang that song that ctv is playing to dead, i believe, maybe another singer should habe been given the chance.
She is a beautiful singer. This morning during the Olympic coverage they asked her about her “rendition” (if you will) of O Canada. She said she was told specifically to sing like that, it was not her decision nor was it her style. So no bashing her! 😛 It wasn’t her choice
just a note to Harrlett: Our country has two official languages, French AND English..and Canada is hosting the Olympics in Vancouver to the world, therefor it’s not just Vancouver’s language…as the poet reciting his poem stated, our country is made up of people of many cultures, languages, races..have pride in your whole country, and not only in your own spoken language.
I totally agree with you. This wasn’t the stage to be singing it in such a fashion. My husband and I were really annoyed last night when we watched her sing.
Its the Olympics for goodness sake!
Funny I told my husband it was the best I ever heard. She made the song not so boring and her voice was awesome! Best version I’ve ever heard before!!! She totally ROCKED
I think the pace of the anthem was too slow. If it had been done at a “normal” pace, you would have heard the whole BC Place singing it. It would have been awesome. As it was, you couldn’t sing along, which was disappointing. I think she has great voice – and the singer was not the problem – just the pace.
She’s a great singer and performer.
But, YOU DON’T SCREW WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, EVER. Any national anthem. I think it’s hugely arrogant for anyone (whether it’s the arranger, producer or singer) to believe that they can make the national anthem better by jazzing it up or making it more contemporary. Personally it annoys me almost as much when you have “soul divas” making the Star Spangled Banner into a contest of how long they can sing one note without taking a breath, too.
With so many great experienced singers in Canada; she would not have been my first choice for the singing of O Canada.
It should have been sung straight forward…the jaazzy part screwed it up; I didn’t mind the mix of french and english
I agree that it was b-o-r-i-n-g. Not that it was sung badly just really boring and sleepy. It should have been a go getter song that got everyone pumped up for the night, not a song to put people in a damper mood. I personally thought the native ice sculputures looked like “well male thingys”…Apparently I am not the only one thinking that. How did no else notice this during practice, or how did they not think of it?
Nikki was on my local news this AM in a quick interview (probably shown other places as well) and was asked THAT very question–WHY the jazzyness to the Anthem? She said, quite firmly, yet very friendly and nicely… that she is JUST THE ARTIST and THAT is what THEY (Olympics people?) wanted it to sound like. This must be online somewhere now. Didn’t watch last night, but saw a bit on the news this am–great voice, but I agree–the jazzyness just didn’t sit the best with me. hehe
I really loved her version of it! I was in the crowd and the moment she started singing, you could here everyone in our section say wow… by the end, there wasn’t a dry tear in the house. It was beautiful and completely moving!
Loved the ceremonies, loved Nikki’s voice, thought the musical arrangement of our anthem was terrible, more like the opening of an NFL football game. My only beef with the ceremonies–but was a bit shocking off the top.
I will say that she has a really great voice there is no doubt about that, but I hate when people try to make the national anthem a performance. It didn’t sound like our national anthem to me *shrugs*
I have nothing against Nikki who sang “Oh Canada” last night … but what is wrong with singing it the way it was written?? When you can’t recognize your National Anthem …there is something wrong.
Least we also mention that Nelly Fertado and Bryan Adams LIPSINKED..Another singer did too but cant remember name..For the amount of money it cost, there were alot of mishaps..
But was really impressed by the first nations performance and music…
And yes the Americanized Idol version of Oh No Canada…
My husband and I kept joking that it seemed like someone’s girlfriend singing O Canada.
Beautiful girl, beautiful voice – terrible arrangement!
(on the other hand- I recognised some members of the troops that they showed during the clip! 🙂 )
Michael said much of what I was ranting during the ceremony last night. While I love her voice – I had never heard her before but might actually buy something from her now you just don’t mess with a National Anthem. I think it would have been amazing to give everyone in the stadium a chance to join in and let the world hear several thousand proud Canadians belting out the anthem would have been incredible. Not a shot at the performer because she is obviously a great talent but anytime I see a performance of a National Anthem being turned into an opportunity to showcase vocal talent I always think of the Simpsons episode with Bleeding Gums Murphy at the start of the baseball game.
If vanoac told her to do it like has been suggested here they should be ashamed. (mind you when the man leading it chooses to lie and say that Gretzky would not be the final torch bearer when he was credibility is not high on the list of things they are concerned about I suppose)
I’m afraid I have to disagree. I thought it was great. Different for sure. But great.
My favourite part had to be the poem. The whales were great too.
Harlett – I supposed then, if French (an official language, by the way) was uncalled for then so would have been if it were sung in Cree or an Inuit language? Neither of those are prominent in Canada either, but are accepted languages in which to sing the anthem. I say if you’re a proud Canadian and you want to sing it, sing it in whatever language you feel most proud of.
If you’d like to get really picky, one could argue that English isn’t a the prominent language in Vancouver either.
Measha Brueggergosman was perfect to sing what she did. I can’t think of another Canadian opera singer who could have sung it better.
As for the arrangement of the anthem, honey no. You don’t mess with the anthem. This was our time and our place to belt it. I adore Nikki Yanofsky (have since I saw her when she was 12 in Montreal), kid can sing, but this wasn’t right. We should have heard the entire place singing proudly along, instead of watching people look confused at the camera.
The lip syncing I can understand. This isn’t the kind of event you want a wrong note or technical mishap to occur. The artists would have recorded the songs earlier in the week and synced them back. Not necessarily a bad thing. I would much rather have seen a lip synced Bryan Adams hitting all the notes than a live one not hitting any or having a mic mishap.
Speaking of mishaps. Oops. Things happen to hydraulics all the time. Should there have been a back up plan? Yes. I think a back up plan was in place for the lighting of the outdoor cauldron. The people who went to dress rehearsals of the ceremony had to sign a confidentiality agreement. If anything at all leaked out about the event, they’d change it (in fact, the only thing VanOc would publically confirm would happen at the opening ceremonies was fireworks – and that’s only because people outside BC Place during rehearsals could see them). I think someone else was supposed to light the outdoor flame, it got leaked and at the last minute they chanced it to Wayne Gretzky on the back of a pickup.
It was amazing!! And she is such a sweet girl! She did a fantastic job!
French is also the “Official” language of the Olympics.
As for the anthem I said this in the forums also but I think it is one song that should not be left up to someone’s artistic interpretation.
The arrangement was terrible. Un-sing-along-able. And not an anthem anymore. It’s not supposed to be a “national ballad,” or a “national amazing vocal freestyle performance.”
In front of a PPV Canucks game, perhaps. In front of the Olympics, with the whole world watching? Embarrassing.
Nikki Yanofsky sang the hell out of it, but you can’t polish a turd.
I’m not sure I’m looking forward to the Closing Ceremony. What’s next? Sticking some rap or maybe a guitar solo in there, to make it more “contemporary?”
Bah.
The addition of the French language was an excellent choice. Canadians should be proud their own culture, and that includes the strong French history and population.
I watched the Youtube video and I thought it was lovely. While other country’s anthems could be about portraying power and competition, Canada’s were more about peace and beauty. That’s fine – it’s a more accurate portrayal of our country.
Bad arrangement. As many others have said before. DO NOT MESS WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM! Other songs can be adapted to the signer’s style, but not this one. At the Canadiens games, they only bring out opera signers to sing the anthem.
I liked Nikki’s version best. It shouldn’t sound like an anthem right before every hockey game…. this is for the Olympics so it should be special.
Loved it.
I am so pleased that it was not a over hyped sell out mega star singing it.
It reflects how great Canada is and that we are a not “an in your face” country like the USA.
You are right about feeling bad about being negative.
It was appropriate for the occasion of the Opening Ceremonies.
It was beautiful…on the other hand…I couldn’t understand a word that was sung for the Olympic Anthem by the Opera singer. Great voice she has…just couldn’t understand the words.
Yes – it should be special – special in that there should be thousands and thousands of proud Canadians, who have paid lots of money to be at this once-in-a-lifetime event, singing their lungs out in front of a worldwide audience – not being all “WTF is this?”. If you can’t sing along to your national anthem at the OLYMPICS of all places, something is seriously wrong, no matter how talented or artistic it is.
that Nicky sung it way too slow, it took it twice as long as the oilers! LOL Also I think Leonard Cohen should have sung not KD lang, who I had no idea who she was and actually thought it was some bloke singing! LOL
Actually, I was disappointed that there was so little French. Usually it’s half and half. I would expect that at the OG, where French is an official language, it would at least be 50-50. Only 2 lines were in French. Sort of sad.
The voice is great but….
The arrangement – it started so slow I thought we were in for a typical 6 minutes version of the Star Spangled Banner, then it flipped to faster paced French, then back to slow and slower. I didn’t like it, but I had heard advanced warning that it was un-singable by the rehearsal audience as it was overly embellished, so I have to saw I WAS pleased that it wasn’t OVER THE TOP imbellished with those vocal inflections I find so aggrevating at US hockey games.
I liked it a lot. There is no rule that says you can’t modify the anthem. It was beautiful. Not boring at all.
I was so disappointed in the way the anthem was sung. The sense of patriotism and pride I usually feel when I hear Oh Canada was severely diminished by the rendition I heard last night. I was actually a little embarassed and angry about it. I’m sure this girl’s a lovely singer, in my opinion she just wasn’t the right choice for this. Nelly Furtado and Bryan Adams lip syncing wasn’t great either, nor was the opera singer. However, KD Lang blew me away. Everything about her performance was awesome. Now SHE made me proud to be Canadian.
I was also embarassed and saddened by the actions of all the protesters. Protest your little hearts out if you want but please don’t interfere with the proceedings. It was a shame the Olympic flame couldn’t be carried to the veterans at the war memorial and that Wayne Gretzky had to be taken by vehicle instead of running to the Olympic cauldron.
Oh and since 90% of the country speaks English, I still feel that English should be read first in introductions etc and French can follow….and I’m half french myself, so I’m not trying to be biased or start an E/F debate.
What if she’d rapped it? Would that have been cool too? 😉
I have to agree with the majority here – I was not fussed at all with the arrangement of the anthem. It felt like a christmas carol….a nice song to cozy up to with a cup of tea. Not something that strikes a chord in your heart and makes you feel proud.
I would have preferred it if it was the same old anthem that we all know and love. It’s hard to sing along when it’s practically a new song!
I did not like the anthem as it was sung. The people who paid tickets to see the opening ceremonies and who were Canadian could not sing with pride THEIR anthem. This was not VANOCs anthem to change as they saw fit. The anthem belongs to the people of Canada and should have been sung as such. There were rumblings in the news on the days leading towards the opening about this issue. I had hoped the people were wrong. I was very dissappointed in this part of the ceremony. Our country = our anthem as we all know it. Boo to VANOC for changing it.
I am from the USA and I felt Canadian pride when she sang the Anthem. It was the first time I have ever heard or seen Nikki perform and she was AMAZING in every way. She absolutely floored me and I intend on listening to her some more. I recorded the opening ceremony and I have listened to her sing it several times. Fantastic.
In addition, to bad mouth Carrie Underwood saying she is too much of a celebrity ruins your credibility. Carrie started from the bottom and worked her way to the top through a singing competition. (By the way, I believe Nikki Yanofsky could win any singing competition she entered).
In closing, be proud Canada. Be proud of how greatly Nikki represented your country in the opening ceremony. She is unbelievable and I would consider her a treasure if she was from my country.
I agree . Their version of the anthem too laid back…must be a west coast thing. It didm’t feel like an anthem at all.
The Gretzky drive was also lame.
Too bad they did not acknowledge all the immigrants (like the Chinese and Japanese) who helped built BC.
She is a great singer!….but just not cut out to be the powerhouse that is needed to sing something so wonderful as our anthem at the Olympics.
Maybe it would have been more fitting for her to sing at the closing ceremonies.
I thought Nikki had a wonderful voice, even though the version was a little odd.
I was very disappointed with Nelly Fortado and Brian Adams, i dont think they go well together…
Nikki has a beautiful voice. The anthem was sung like she was doing a show at a lounge. Whoever arranged this removed patriotic and replaced it with lounge.
The sound of everyone singing the Canadian Anthem should have echoed through the rockies. Instead it was just lip synced by one person on a pre-recorded track. No one could sing along. That was the most disappointing.
I didn’t like Nikki’s version at all.
And I feel the need to defend harrlett. They NEVER said french wasn’t a Canadian official language!
And I completely agree. I think it was wrong that French was spoken before english for the entire ceremony. I have no problem with it, but I do believe english should be first.
If I hadn’t caught the few lines in English I’d have never guessed it was OUR national anthem…
I didn’t like the style of the anthem, and I’m from the west coast, so it isn’t “a westcoast thing”. I also agree French shouldn’t have been the first language for all of the announcements. Hardly anyone here (Vancouver) speaks it, especially compared to other languages, for example, Chinese. With French as one of our national languages, I understand it being used, but why prior to English?
The anthem was okay, but “I Believe” is atrocious, so dull and depressing. I can’t believe CTV chose that as the theme. It’s as if she’s in mourning, not an inspiring “let’s go get ’em” song at all. Dreadful.
My family sat together eager to watch this much-anticipated historic event and although our Canadian national anthem was not sung in the traditional way our children hear every morning at school or before the start of a sporting event we were NOT offended or upset or ashamed by the performance. Why would we be?? Although the music was different…the words that were sung were the same and BEAUTIFUL! We were very proud as we listened and thought the performance was SPECTACULAR! There was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of and we will remember it more so.
GO CANADA!
Nikki did a fantastic job with both songs! It was unique & different, just like Canada is!
It would have been nice the traditional way with the crowd singing as well!
Can’t please everyone, lol
I did see Nikki on CTV this morning & they told her to sing it that way…
We loved it! A very refreshing rendition of the anthem.
I liked the whales.
As a child, my elementary school & high school played many different renditions of O Canada – some slow, some upbeat, some without words, some in french – some in a combination of french and english! Some had a country twang, and some were just plain weird. Nikki’s rendition was beautifully sung and well interpreted and I think that it’s perfectly acceptable for her to put her own twist on it.
you can arrange any song however you like but I think O Canada (or any countries anthem) should be sung as it’s intended.
O Canada is an anthem and I agree with everyone who has said it shouldn’t have been changed. Adding words at the end was incredibly stupid. All the “stylizing” was idiotic and while Nikki seems like a good singer (albeit one it’s hard to understand clearly) she was not the right choice for the national anthem even though the disasterous arrangement was not her responsibility. I was embarrassed that she was singing the anthem when she’s so tied to CTV’s Olympic theme…seemed like really crass marketing on their part or incredibly bad decision making on the part of the musical director. What’s worse about the anthem debacle is that was it…our one chance to open the Olympics properly and share in a moment of pride across the country. Instead we shared a moment of cringing and misery. Very sad overall.
The arrangement of the anthem was way off. I don’t know what they were thinking. She’s a great singer, and could have belted it if they let her.
And for all the people find issue with the french parts of the anthem…why? As a child I originally learned the anthem in english, and then in high school I learned the anthem in french. And every morning on the announcements they’d play the anthem and switch up the versions every few weeks. I remember many versions with french and english combined. I think as representing Canada, it’s perfect to have a combined language anthem. I am very proud of both languages.
Also, The official languages of the Olympics are French and English. In every Olympics it’s french first.
On a side note- a few years ago I met the poet from the ceremony, Shane Koyczan, when I saw him perform. He was astoundingly good when I saw him then, and he was great last night.
I agree with the post–during the opening ceremonies last night I was appalled to see someone sing O Canada like that, or at least at an extremely important event. I think it should be sung (sang?) the way it always has been, and not jazzed up at all. What bothered me the most though was how it ended… and then she added the words O Canada one more time. That was wicked-lame.
I like jazz! I like Canada! I just don’t want to have the anthem performed that way. *shrug*
I hate when any anthem is sang in any other modern style. It destroy the meaning and the emotion that anthem is for. You can’t sing along!! That’s irritating.
French was used first for the announcement during the ceremony because it is a rule of the International Olympic Committee. It has nothing to do with Canada. It the same at any Olympics anywhere in the world (or at least it should be).
The rule is that announcements should be in French, English and then the local language.
Personally, I enjoyed Nikki’s version. Had a lot more trouble accepting Brueggergosman’s version of the Olympic theme song.
I liked it, and I don’t think two negative posts in a row about the Olympics was necessary.
Didn’t like it at all.
I’m sorry to those of you that like her singing.. Her voice hurt my ears so i muted the tv.
Before the ceremonies my mother was talking about how sometimes they change the music to the anthem to make it more “pop” and how she didn’t like that. Meanwhile I was saying, no, it’s good, that was until I heard Nikki.
I like her voice, I like the other song she did, but this was not the Canadian anthem.
If I were there in Vancouver, one of the proudest moments for me as a Canadian would have been to join in the singing of our national anthem – they (whoever) didn’t allow for our participation leaving myself and others out in the cold. I was irked that liberty was taken in revising our identity. Anyway, apart from that Go Canada Go!
They had the crowd stand for our Canadian Anthem….. Where was it??? I thought it was funny as the camera looked around and the Prime Ministers face said it all…. What where they thinking> But her voice is very nice…. Next time dont change something unless all Canadians vote on it first!!
jgh83. Thats a pretty big claim have you done a consesus on who speaks french and who doesnt? Many of the countries there SPEAK FRENCH like the Canadian atheletes, moracco, france and senegal to name a few. Secondly the only reason french was spoken first was because they wanted to end OFF with english. More of a stronger impact.
Lastly, harlett you say the french shouldnt have been spoken. then you should also say that the first nations people shouldn’t have been included AT ALL in the ceremonies. Both french and first nations people provide to the definition of our country so I find it disgusting that you live in canada and want to say that it shouldn’t have been in french also. It added to the uniqueness of our ceremony
I think this was a wonderful rendition of the national anthem. I also believe that this was an appropriate way to bring on Olympics. I could only listen to 10 seconds of the other example. Couldn’t understand a word he was trying to sing.
I know that if it were me standing up there singing, all of you would be throwing everything you have at me to stop. Just my personal opinion.
Great singer, crappy version of Oh Canada. Could even tell on the faces of people in the audience that they didnt like her version
It was terrible how our National Anthem was done, you don’t mess with orginal tradition. Yes she has a beautiful voice, but that was terrible. Like the man says “YOU DON’T SCREW WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, EVER.”
French first, not, should of been English, but I guess they wouldn’t paid attention if they did the French last, lol.
I have to disagree, I thought this performance was fantastic. It was real and original….just like Canada.
She sung it very well, but I agree with you Boo, that’s not really our anthem. In her defence, I assume she was told to perform it that way, but they should have definitely done it the way it is meant to be done.
I think she’s a fine singer – and, good gosh, she’s only 16.
However, that was a HORRID arrangement of our national anthem! It should be played/sung as it was composed, uplifting and emotionally strong, patriotic and strident. The traditional anthem is majestic and dignified – awe-inspiring; it really is a beautiful song.
That said, at least sang the correct words! One of my pet peeves is when people sing “In all -our- sons command”, instead of ‘thy’.
I did not like the version she sang. I agree she is quite talented for a 16 year old, but our anthem should not be messed with. Who could sing along to that? My kids were confused.
I agree with the majority, the national anthem should be sung as we know it, not putting a personal spin on it. You could see people in the audiance looking bewildered while trying to sing it. Who could, it was impossible to follow. Sad to see our prime minister not singing either….what does that say….
I was not crazy about that rendition of ‘O Canada’, either. But oh, well, it’s done and over. No one will remember a year from now.
Let’s get over “O Canada” and start singing GO CANADA!
Are you kidding?? The anthem and the snowboard entrance were the best part about it! That girl killed it on a world stage! plus she wasnt lip-synching like Furtado and Brian Adams, the so called pros, how embarrassing :S
Great Job Nikki! You’re awesome!
Go Canada!
Why are we even discussing this on a coupon webiste? There’s so much negativity. Just give it a rest. Like John Furlong said, “when we’re playing, we’re not fighting.”
@Canadian Pride, you can check stat’s can and find that only 1% of the population in Greater Vancouver have French as their mother tongue. I have no clue how many visitors speak French; I was only referring to Vancouver.
I in no way meant what I said as a slam against French or against the opening ceremony (as I enjoyed most of what I did get to see). I just found myself trying with my very limited French to figure out what was being said.
I also didn’t realize that as one person pointed out, French and English are the official languages of the Olympics.
At least she didn’t lip sync like the Olympic athem. I was not impressed by that.
Jenn, OMG! I completely forgot those grade-school mornings when they would play those weird anthems. The kids would usually make fun of them. 🙂
Maybe it’s best to stick to the basics, but this version wasn’t too bad. Would’ve been nice to see the crowd singing along though.
wow i think its disgusting how everyone is bashing the opening. It was way better than most of the other openings i have seen (example. Beijing…) Ours was unique, different, and it brought in everything that canada was about. Well done by the committee!!!!
Everything was fine during the ceremony except for that fatass who went on a diatribe on Canadian nationalism that made no sense and was full of clichés and stereotypes. And THAT was the image of Canada to the world?!?
What I want to know is…who dressed some of these people? Nelly’s dress was soooo inappropriate, and kd lang looked like she was wearing her daddy’s tuxedo. Nothing against lang – her voice is impeccable – but the song itself was put into the show at such a weird time, and really, the lyrics had nothing to do with Olympics – it’s about lovers. Strange.
The opening ceremonies were spectacular as they were – changing the arrangement of the anthem was unnecessary and pretentious. I can only imagine how awe inspiring it would have been to have heard the stadium filled with thousands of proud voices singing our great country’s praises – I get a bit teary just thinking about it. The reality left me with indigestion. I think, as a nation, we were robbed of a beautiful moment. Ugh, pass the tums please…
O Canada is a singalong song. To sing along, we need it to be in the proper tempo and with the traditional arrangement. A modified version of the anthem is no longer the anthem, its a performance piece that nobody can sing with.
This is a neat comparision, I think that the Nikki anthem wasn’t to bad, but I definatly think the audience should have had a chance to show our Canadian pride. I LOVE the Edmonton Oilers one, that was awesome….even if I am a Flames fan, lol.
Worst ‘O Canada’ Ever!
I’ll never buy her music, not after hearing her bastardize our national anthem to the entire world. Why not let the world hear it the way it is supposed to be sung? I’m tired of arrogant celebrity singers who think they can improve on a national anthem. It’s a disgrace!
I was there and all ready to proudly sing our national anthem and we were robbed by some jazz rendition ..that was not our anthem Shame on you! Yes, Nice voice but not our National Pride!
I was disgusted! I agree that she has an AMAZING voice but that was NOT our national anthem. There was not a single person that would’ve been able to sing along with her to OUR own national anthem. I stood all by myself in my living room as they started to play and after she sang two lines I sat back down. Soooo disappointing. The Francophone verse was better than the english verses. Thank goodness it was all uphill from there with the rest of the opening ceremonies. Beautiful show.
Copyright of the IOC, I LOL’d.
They likely don’t get royalties when watched on youtube, but they probably do when watched on an ‘official replay’ site like ctvolympics.
*facepalm*
Hi, Nikki’s voice is amazing…. what a pity WE Canadians weren’t given the opportunity to stand at attention, hand on heart and sing along to OUR anthem. At every sporting event the fans are encouraged to sing along, how could we possibley follow that rendition?? Nice to see Bryan Adams out of his jeans and when K.D. Lang was about to perform, I asked myself “What is Wayne Newton doing in Vancouver at the Olympics”?? She has an amazing voice however how did that song fit into the Olympics?? Do any of you remember her performance at the Calgary Olynpics…pretty wild stuff!!
Ok, my 2 Cdn cents. I’m another Don’t Mess With Our Anthem. The young lady did great, but I wish the organizers didn’t go with the jazzing up (it was their request BTW).
Does anyone know if another country has ever changed their anthem lyrics, at such a large event? Just seems… wrong.
And that Oiler fans clip still brings chills to this Oiler fan *ooooh*.
Nikki has a great voice, but the anthem was the low light of the opening cermonies.
Personally, I was not a fan of it. I LOVE our anthem and I think it should be presented in its original form, especially when it’s being presented to the world in such a HUGE venue. The performance itself was nice, but to call THAT our anthem, I feel, is inaccurate. I wanted to hear Oh Canada… not that.
I thought it was creative and lovely. Carrie Underwood’s style is the more expected but rather dull rendition of a national anthem.
I really didn’t like it. It just wasn’t right to me.
As a musician, I really have a problem with people with this so I apologize and going to rephrase it:
Stop blaming Nikki and how she sang the anthem and maybe she wasn’t the best choice. It is another person called the ARRANGER who made the anthem sound like it was.
Also, like people here have mentioned, she’s 16. For those who say you didn’t know her before, this is how people you do know break out and get known. It is an honour and privilege to sing our anthem on a world stage. Maybe not the version we like it, and maybe she didn’t like it either, but to me, if I was in the same situation I wouldn’t pass up that kind of opportunity for anything. Nikki owned the situation.
On a side note, I thought the cauldron overshadows this. I’m the person who like to lead in strong and end strong. There is still closing ceremonies so don’t burst a bubble yet.
Bottom line, just enjoy the games and festivities. Happy Chinese New Year to you all and Happy Valentines day!
At least the world knows we don’t live in igloos anymore.
to all those that was robbed and couldn’t sing along or that it wasn’t the way you like it…most of you are just plain ol’ steak and potato pepper-is-the-strongest-spice stop-all-them-import-of-ethnic whitey anglos. even if you sang it, you probably sang through the french portion IN ENGLISH. so you yourself couldn’t sing the official canadian version, you yourself would have basterdized it. you pathetic people. i’m surprised you people didn’t complain that it was too artsy fartsy. hurray for the open minded canadians.
Moving and Absolutely Beautiful! Like a slow and personal love ballad it expressed and confirmed the expanse of my love for this country. All much more than any group anthem sing-a-long has ever done for me. Made me even more proud! Brought me to tears!
I thought that Nikki did a fantastic job singing the anthem. She has an amazing voice and she completely dazzled me the moment she started singing the anthem.
BUT, I would have to agree with everyone else that the arrangement was TERRIBLE. I didn’t have a problem with the slow rendition of the anthem, in fact if prefer it just to enjoy her voice, but the various embellishments after the second verse just seemed like it was way too much. I would have preferred if the note pitches were maintained to what we are used to, embellishments kept very minimal, and if it was to be that slow, notes sustained longer. The slow pace is singable, and if not, allows us to sing more proudly then we have ever done so (try it). Sarah McLachlan had a great rendition of it in 1996 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clEdy80PUMo)
I was caught dazed and confused when I realized that I couldn’t sing along with Nikki. I felt like I was a bit blue-balled. Also the odd timing/rush into the French portion seemed off and abrupt.
It would have been awesome for the world to have seen all us Canadians sing-a-long, and even better have a solo bit with just the stadium on it’s own! Like the Stanley Cup finals in Ottawa in 2007. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ9veFlM2Bg)
As for the comments about the French and English portions, I’m surprised that there is problems with this. I remember having to sing half English half French anthem in school since my elementary years. I just wish I could remember the French portions.
Still, Nikki was amazing and I hope that she will sing it again and that VANOC will make some arrangement changes and show to the haters that she can do it with the best of those who sang before her.
~Tien
PS. We could have it sung this way too. 🙂 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rzvnsif6bg)
At least they sang the anthem at the beginning. The IOC had originally asked that it be sung as the Canadian athletes entered…..
The fact we had French first, English second bothered me a bit but ultimately, they are BOTH the official languages of Canada, no matter what percentage of citizens speak one or the other.
The part that ticked me off the most was all the Americans that ran with the torch the last day…Matt Lauer, Arnie….correct me if I am wrong, but NONE of them are dual citizens so why exactly did they run??? You can darn well bet the next time the Americans host the Olympics not one single Canadian will run with it!!!
To all of those who wonder why French is first in announcements at the Olympics, it’s not just the Vancouver Olympics, but every single Olympics since 1896 because it was brought back by a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin. They made up the rules that all Olympic cities must follow and that is one of them. French is the official language of the Olympics.
I’d like to hear Michael Buble or Celine Dion in the Closing ceremonies!
I think Nikki is very talented (and I love her I Believe song) but I think the way she sung O Canada was very disappointing. I didn’t feel as proud of a Canadian as I normally would whenever I hear the anthem; but that’s just me. If anyone’s to blame its the musical DIRECTOR as he/she should had the say as to how things are going to be presented.
Myself and my hubby are a bit disappointed at how the opening seemed a bit chaotic. As a wannabe graphic artist, I LOVE all the graphic arts presented; they’re all amazing. I think the camera angles that were presented on the tube/tv is amateur. They focused on the not so flattering angles and for a LOOOOOOONG time or sometimes the camera’s are moving/shaking.
As for the “TRUCK RIDE”– that was horrible and embarassing. I was having an anxiety attack for Wayne; so scared that the “mob” would just grab him. And come on organizers you know it was raining and you sent the poor thing out in the rain for what seems like an eternity.
Don’t mess with the national anthem! You couldn’t even sing along with it! What a missed opportunity! Imagine that place if everyone had been been able to join in! Now that would have been impressive.
And French is not our first language! Insulting to put it first. Hate to say it, but who won at the Plains of Abraham?
I was taught that when the National Anthem is played that it was important to stand up and sing it, which is impossible when it is stylized. Thank you for the clip from the hockey game, THAT IS how most Canadians appreciate the anthem and being able to show our patriotism by singing aloud. Loved her voice and sad that she didn’t have a choice.
i agree with you. other than the love for the i believe song.
That rendition of the anthem did nothing for me. it did not give me chills, it was filled with frills that, yes showcased her vocal abilities, but they should have went for something stronger.
it really bugs me how they want to back her and manufacture this girl into the next best thing.
It was appalling. Apart from the inappropriateness of messing with the national anthem, it was a huge missed opportunity. Imagine the impact if everyone in the stadium had been on their feet, singing along, in front of the whole world. Who could have sung along with that shambles of a version? I didn’t blame the singer; the people in charge had to approve it and they made a gross error in judgment. Shame.
we enjoyed Nikki singing the national anthem–it was lovely. however, for the olympics they should have kept the renditon traditional. just seems like they were too focused on making things ‘fancy’. It is great how passionate everybody feels about it.
best parts of the ceremonies for me were Sarah McLachlan, and kd lang. I felt the poetry reading from nwt gentleman was out of place and too political–really unnecessary, aren’t we past all that?
I thought the song suited the Opening Ceremony – they both sucked! What was the purpose of the First Nations – was it to contrast what the Greeks and Romans contributed to our way with what the First Nations contributed?
The more I listen to the anthem sung at the opening ceremonies, the more I like it.
It’s a little different, but I think that’s ok.
DH66… Thanks for the info on the Olympics. I always wondered who Pierre de Coubertin was. The street the Olympic Stadium here in Montreal is on is named after him.
That young lady has a beautiful voice. However, do NOT put a twist on a National Anthem. Ours or anyone else’s.
It was the BEST I EVER heard for sure,
I can’t believe the negative a/n comments, as usual a bunch of conservative Candians reluctant to change. Nikki at age 16 did exactly what our trusted authorities wanted her to do. She nailed it. if you need to bash, bash the coverage of the parties, hot tubers etc. Since when has a party become an olympic sport?
Wow – I am deeply saddened by such negative comments, especially surrounding the Olympics – how very “Un-Canadian-like”. Even if it wasn’t the best arrangement ever sung, I am sure she sung her heart out and was only trying to inspire everyone. Find something else to be negative about!
Jahm – if you’re going to talk about not singing the French part and “bastardizing”, are you going to speak also about not singing it in Cree or Inuktitut as well? Both are accepted languages in which to sing the anthem.
Also, for the love of all things good an holy on this planet, people. It’s called O Canada. Not Oh Canada. O. O Canada. It’s anthemic, not apologetic. I get that we’re Canadian and we apologize for everything but Jesus Tostig hopping on his pogo stick – it’s O Canada.
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/anthem-eng.cfm
Whoa, take it easy guys. It was a beautiful song and she did a great job. The opening ceremonies made me proud to be an American living in Canada.
Instead of wasting so much energy on criticizing the years of decisions and hard work that was put into planning for the Olympics, let’s recognize the good that was done. In my opinion, the best Opening Ceremony I have ever seen. Made me so proud of Canada. Great job to all involved. Go Canada, Go!
She totally lip-synched the anthem. The arrangement was a bit cheesy for my taste. K.D. Lang was by far the most amazing performance of the night. She sang live and it was an absolutely perfect performance. K.D. Lang is very under appreciated for the true talent she is!
I MISSED THE CEREMONY AND THE ANTHEM.I SEARCHED THE NET TO FIND THE VIDEO OF NIKKIE SINGING THE ANTHEM…NOWHERE TO BE FOUND …WAS PULLED OFF THE NET…….WOW!!!!! MUST BE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY..SO THE SONG WAS NOT SUNG AS EXPECTED BY MOST PEOPLE….BUT IT HAD TO BE REHEARSED AND ACCEPTED BY A COMITEE…AFTER THE THE FACT …SOME PEOPLE COMPLAIN..WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY TAKE IT OFF THE NET……TRYING TO HIDE WHAT ???? AN EMBARRASSMENT..COME ON .. THE FOURTH TOWER DID NOT COME UP AT THE LIGHTING OF THE TORCH….. THEY DID NOT TRY TO HIDE THAT..SO AN ERROR WAS MADE…BIG DEAL!….LET MOVE ON ….THIS IS NOT ERAN …SUPPOSED TO BE A FREE COUNTRY…I GUESS THAT’S HOW IT ALL STARTS …A LITTLE THING LIKE A SONG…NEXT THING YOU KNOW FREEDOM OF EVERYTHING ELSE….A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME SO WE DON’T NOTICE IT SO MUCH…SOMETHING LIKE GAS PRICING ..A LITTLE HERE A LITTLE THERE ,,,THEN BOOM!!!! YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT ANYMORE AND TOO LATE TO TURN BACK .I KNOW IT SOUND A LITTLE CRAZY.. BUT WE HAVE LOST SO MUCH FREEDOM OVER THE YEARS…. IF WE CAN’T FACE OUR DIFFERENCES OR OUR EMBARRASSMENTS..THEN ONE DAY..BOOM ! TOO LATE…. PERSONALLY I THINK WE ARE DOING PRETTY GOOD FOR FOR A BIG COUNTRY WITH LITTLE POPULATION.. OLYMPIC COMPETITION IS A NUMBERS GAME THE MORE PEOPLE TRYING OUT FOR YOU THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES ,WHEN ALL ELSE IS THE SAME….SO..GO CANADA GO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSBRTR7m7-k
Here is the version she sung. I think it is awful, that is not our national anthem, yes it’s the words to it but that is not the way we sing it. It’s our anthem, we should be proud of it and sing it the way it was ment to be sung! She has a beautiful voice, and I’m sure she could have done it justice if it was only sang the proper way.
In have to say I was not a fan of any of it.
I was like really this is what we do, we have so many great sings in Canada and we have Nikki, sing a weird version of O’Canada, then we have the Bryan and Nellie ( Both looking dressed like to JR. High kids) lip syncing. Then we have the Glitter hair Opera girl sing and I could wonder stand one world ( was the song in English/French?).
Then they bring in Sarah and well lets face it she is a little past her expiry date. A K.D Lang did (IMO) a very Cheesy version of a great Cohen Song. Because of this I will not be watching the closing.
I feel we fell short as Canadian’s normally I feel we welcome the world and we normally are excellent host but this time not so much.
( Note: I normally Love Nikkie, Nellie, Bryan but this time they feel short. I stopped being a Fan of Sarah a Long time ago, like when I left school. I’ve never like K. D Lang has never been a favorite and after this never will be.)
I understand that this site is meant for “Canadian” related things, but can we PLEASE keep it focussed on smart consumerism? I’m not invalidating your thoughts or comments, moderator, but I’m just asking you to not put it here. I’m sure you can easily develop your own personal blog to release such rants. We visit this site for tips & tricks on clever ways of saving money, and I am utterly grateful for all your hard work, but I don’t appreciate this public forum being taken advantage of for making personal (and implicitly political) claims.
Once again, I want to emphasize that I LOVE this site for what it is, and completely appreciate it for all it’s worth!
I agree with Jenny.
wow, jenny…it’s one post about the Olympics out of hundreds of other posts that are consumerism related. Could you not have skipped over this one post and ignored it if it bugs you so much?
The title of this site is “smart canucks” The Olympics are in Vancouver, a bit of discussion about something so major that affects all the Canadians that visit this site keeps things a bit interesting.
Hey Jenny- maybe you should start your own blog if this is bothering you.
Jenny,
Thanks for your feedback. I really appreciate it.
I absolutely had no political intentions with my post. How does a blog post about my opinion of how O Canada was performed have to do with politics?
Regarding politics, I’m very partisan and politics discussion in general is not my cup of tea.
I try keeping this blog deals oriented as much as possible but I hate seeing it being so materialistic and about nothing but money. I like blowing a breathe of life into it every now and then and sharing my personal opinion on interesting topics. I’ve been doing this since 2006. I just recently got a bit busy with school and my off-topic posts have significantly decreased.
That being said I understand and respect your point of view and I will try to keep it focused as much as possible 🙂
@j Thanks, glad others feel the same way (and aren’t wary of voicing it)!
@geenanana As it was pointed out in the post, this was actually a 2nd post about the opening ceremonies (this is actually irrelevant, but I’m just pointing out that it’s happened more than the one time you’ve suggested). Just by simple logic, this post could not have possibly “bothered” me unless I had actually read it, so I really could not have ignored it entirely. I reiterate, the opinions of the moderator made in this post don’t bother me as much as their choice to post it on this site does.
I already acknowledged that this site is meant for Canadian related items in my initial comment. I am all for 2010 Vancouver related consumer tips found on this site (like links to Olympic related paraphernalia available for sale or for free), I just don’t think it’s appropriate to put such a post on a site where people are expecting a non-partisan voice to advise us on the retail & commercial sales available for us to pursue. That is what I meant by “taking advantage” in my original comment.
@JJ Thanks for the advice, but I already have my own blog. But, could you please elaborate on how having my own blog would exacerbate my feelings on this issue…?
@Boo Radley Thanks for being so open to my comment! I don’t think your post was overtly political at all – but the ensuing commentary is clearly political (ie: does an embellished invalidate one’s patriotism/”Canadian”-ness?). That’s what I meant by “implicit”.
I’ve only been visiting this site for less than a year, so I suppose I’m just used to seeing only deals-related posts. Thanks for clearing that up though.
Once again, thanks for all the hard work you put into the site!
*embellished anthem
We are supposed to have Freedom of Speech in Canada…right?
So please feel free to Blog about whatever you want on this site. If people don’t like it then that’s their problem. Everyone has a right to their own opinion.
I thank that Nikki’s singing sucked. 🙁
I think that Carrie Underwood and that Edmonton Oiler guy sang boldly, proudly and with passion.
Maybe Nikki is too young to sing with the passion that is required for our wonderful National Anthem.
I made a spelling mistake.
Should be: I “think” that Nikki’s singing sucked. 🙂
And I am still all for Freedom of Speech.
Speaking as a proud “Canadian” about the singing of our national anthem at “The Games”.Although it was very tastefully done,it was unknown to the many Canadians that would have loved to sing along and raised the roof in song!
I personally thought this arrangement was beautiful and very moving, and made O Canada a little more interesting. I can understand that it might not be to everyone’s taste, but what really bugs me is all of this “don’t mess with our anthem, that’s not how it was intended” nonsense. Do those of you who feel that way not realize that O Canada has been changed several times over the years? It wasn’t even the official national anthem until 1980…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/anthem-eng.cfm
Just because you’re “used to” one particular version, please don’t assume it’s the only “acceptable” version.
As for the crowd not being able to sing along, I’d suggest that that might have been intentional, to keep the focus on the performance… just a thought.
Miss. Yanofsky has a wonderful voice but it was a shame that the anthem wasn’t sung so that everyone could join together and belt it out with joy and pride. I changed the channel b/c the arrangement was so “I can’t even..”, while international friends were asking whether our anthem really was sung that slowly and is the singer Selena Gomez 😛
There were some great moments that made me go “wow” but overall, I was really disappointed in the opening ceremony. I was hoping for something spectacular that would show off Canada to the world but after awhile, I gave up and just took it as the disjointed mess that it was.
Not to be all negative. Kristina Groves just won bronze. Yay!
Wow, I can’t believe the ammount of negativity coming from all of you! From the prejudicial comments about the bilingual anthem to the harsh criticism of the arrangement…
I think the organizing committee did an excellent job in reflecting the values Canadians cherish during the opening ceremonies: acceptance, equality, progressivism, natural beauty, politeness, among many others. We saw all of these in the gorgeous modern ballet, the punk-style fiddling, the awesome slam poetry… I was so proud to be a Canadian!
And yes, the arrangement of the anthem was different, but nonetheless very beautiful and moving.
Take off the blinders, step out of your cookie-cutter homes, open your minds and try another perspective on for a change! You’ll be surprised at how wonderful life can be without all that negative energy.
Without reading all the previous posts, I would like to say that I thought Nikki’s performance was breathtaking and very refreshing. Check out the pipes on that little firecracker! Although I agree that the Anthem sung by the fans at the Edmonton Oilers game shows power and passion, this could NOT happen at an International event like the Olympics where most of the people in attendance aren’t even Canadian. Which again reinforces my opinion that Nikki’s performance was very fitting as we Canadians are a very young, dynamic and refreshing country and I feel this was well interpreted in her performance!
As for the other performances, not too happy about Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado’s lypsyncing and I’m not sure that Sarah didn’t lipsync as well. Also not sure of KD Lang’s rendition on Hallelujah! Although she can and did sing very well, I question the actual song choice … not sure how this fits in with the Olympics. Great performance??? Absolutely!Appropriate for this event??? Probably not!
I was embrassed. She screeched her way through it. Made it unreconizable and many words you couldn’t understand. Her french part was off. With all the great singers we have in this country, this was not a good showing.
Discrase to canada.
The National Anthem rendition was horrible. Whoever arranged that bit of music should have their head examined. That version probably appeals to a few hard core jazz enthusiasts happy but left the vast majority of people feeling what the heck was done to the National Anthem.
I think there should have been more French, including the quote from Garneau, which was said in English. The anthem should have been half and half.
Plus, the games being said in French, followed by English, is a standard of the International Olympic Committee. It has always been the case in every country at every games. Get over it.
I agree that our anthem is our anthem, why was it changed? I absolutely love Nikki’s voice and think she has tremendous talent, but DO NOT MESS WITH OUR ANTHEM!! It was not written as a jazz song and therefore should not have been sung hat way. That’s my 2 cents!
I am an American and I LOVED the rendition! I had it stuck in my head all weekend! Canada is such a wonderful country and I thought she represented very well. I LOVE how everyone takes such pride in the song and the country. If you watch when the American National Anthem is song, not many people are singing along. That is because not many americans know the song to even be able to sing along with it. Canada you have so much to be proud of, including how Nikki represented you!!!
The girl’s talent was extrodinary, but I am a traditionalist.
On another note . . .
I’m concerned about why “CTV” kept removing the video. Canadians need to wake up and realize that many of our freedoms are and have been “removed” from us. That’s 100% crap. People have to begin by recognizing that even though we are told we live in a “free” country, in many ways we don’t. THINK about it and SAY something. Don’t be silent.
Gosh I kept falling asleep. When I saw at the end of the openings the whole copyright bla-bla, I wondered if I could find the Opening Ceremonies on YouTube the next day. The answer was “no”. Too bad: we wanted to see the parade of the nations again and check out the fashions.
I am an American. I could have answered the tirvia question, “What is the national anthem of Canada?” I knew that it is called O Canada. I’ve heard it at the Olympics before, and seen it sung on tv when I was forced to watch a hocky game(I told you; I am an American; from California).
Because it has stayed with me for days now, I looked online today to find out who that girl was who sang O Canada at the opening ceremony. I am sutnned to find that so many Canadians were unhappy with the preformance. As I listened, I thought to myself, FOR THE FIRST TIME; “Wow, this is a beautiful song.”
I totally approve your comment: our national anthem shouldn’t be sung in that slow jazzy style.
I didn’t like it the way she sang it.
Horrible.
it was the best ever! loved it!
It was an awful arrangement and performance (lip-synced to boot). Just another Idol-type manufactured singer and the wrong choice for the anthem. Two thumbs way down.
I wanted to slap her for the way she sang O Canada. It was disgraceful. The same for the pop version they sing at the opening of hockey games. Stinks!
I was moved to tears by her beautiful voice, her beauty, AND HER ARRANGEMENT! With this girl on the rise, who needs Celine Dion? For me, her version of ‘Oh Canada’ and also ‘I Believe’ were among the highlights of the Olympics.
Nikki, thank you! Live long and prosper!