It's a rarity that a national broadcast shows the pre-game for an American soccer game. I excited about seeing the pregame stuff--Pele pumping it up, the ring ceremony, the players taking the field. Then came the national anthem. Who the hell was that? and don't invite him back. His rendition of the song took too many liberties in my book, but what really set me off was the man was wearing a ***************ing do-rag on his head when he was singing it. I cannot believe he was not kindly asked to remove it. If it was hat worn for religious purposes, the producers should have found another act that could have demonstrated more respect for protocol. I am about a liberal as they come, but I could not believe they would let that wanker sing that way AND with the hat on.
I liked it. As did my family. They liked that he didn't take as many liberties with the National Anthem as other singers have.
He very often sings accompanied only by a djembe (African drum similar to a conga), so messing with the melody is his thing. His name is Vinx, and as I said in another thread, he was "discovered" by Sting around 1990 or so, and toured with him as an opening act on the Soul Cages tour. I've got a couple of his records, and they're not bad. Later, COZ
I thought he was great. If you're complaining about "taking too many liberties", then I can only imagine that you've never heard other renditions before sporting events.
If you let people wear their do-rags on their heads while performing the national anthem, the terrorists win.
I liked it as well, partly because he didn't take too many liberties with it, but mostly because there was a very heartfelt, sincere emotion in there that really treated the song as something special, rather than a chance to make it on American Idol. And yes, part of my reaction has been conditioned by the usual bad renditions that we hear so often.
I thought it was one of the best renditions I've ever heard, very reverential. Its was much better than any of the Britney Spears like young starlets they usually wheel out for the anthem, they similarly mess the melody but with no feeling for the song or occasion.
Father and son at the HDC: Dad: "Son, we're standing for the national anthem. Remember, face the flag with your right hand over your heart." Son: "OK, Dad." Dad: "Um, son, you're supposed to remove your hat and have your head uncovered. See, I've got mine off." Son: "But, Dad! Look at Vinx! He's the singer and his head is covered. What about him?" Dad: "He's different, son. He's an artist.
the rendition was beautiful and the dude was fine. the guy gets a big thumbs up from me for his performance. fantastic voice.
??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! Come on...let's not mix soccer and a do-rag wearing singer with worldwide politics. How can you equate a do-rag with terrorism?
Re: ??? I want to second Blong's welcome. And just fyi, anytime someone says ".... the terrotists will win", it is a joke. Similar jokes include "Move (insert city name)!", references to a certain 13-year-old's superhuman qualities and "60 to 90 days".
Tommy's Fun Fact for the day: The Star Spangled (Spangled? How many people go around spangling these days?) Banner is the ONLY national anthem to end in a question. "Say, DOES that star spangled banner yet wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave?" According to the song, this is still a mystery. And I'd like to remind people: America is great not because of a flag or song. So relax and stare at the pretty footage of Victoria St. tm
I was there at the HDC, it really wasn't that bad, I didn't think he took too many liberties with it. When they said "recording artists what's-his-name" my girlfriend and I didn't have a clue who he was. We still won't listen to him, but I didn't think he was horrible.