The Canadian National Anthem is not something to be toyed with.
Far too often I hear renditions of the anthem where singers perform the anthem instead of sing it.
When a singer gets asked to sing the anthem they should be told that they are expected to sing the anthem as it was written.
I am all for individualism and creativity but not when it comes to our anthem. Some might say I am a traditionalist and that is fine with me. I can admit I love tradition and I love my country and nothing irritates me more then when someone tries to sing it in a non-traditional way.
Such as occurrence happened a couple of weeks ago during the National Basketball Association All-Star Game in Toronto.
Nelly Furtado sang the anthem in Toronto with help from Indigenous North American flutist Tony Duncan.
The first two words of the anthem are very simple; ‘Oh Canada.’
Everyone knows them and everyone knows how to pitch and the timing is on those words but inexplicably Furtado, who is a Canadian herself, decided that she would forgo that and create her own opening.
While she did get the words right everything else was off. It did not take me long before I was upset with her rendition.
After the opening words it did get better for a few lines before Furtado started singing it out of tune again.
As a Canadian, Furtado should know the tune of her own national anthem and for her to sing it in the way she did is disappointing to me.
While talking to somebody about this they pointed out to me that the anthem was not that bad and they figured it kind of sounded like they were trying to do a rendition of the anthem with an homage to our native culture, which would explain the flute.
I appreciate the thought and I do respect the potential tribute to our native heritage I feel like it was the wrong time for the homage.
This is the national anthem we are talking about and it was being played on an international stage.
If the All-Star Game organizers wanted a native homage at the game they should have simply brought in a native musician, which I believe they should have. As Canadians we do not celebrate our native heritage nearly enough but the anthem was not the right place to celebrate it.
For the musicians out there I beg you, if you are asked to sing the anthem please make sure you know the words and please sing it the way it was written.
