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Journeyman
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I responded on another forum to a Canadian guy asking for reactions to the opening ceremonies. I thought I'd copy my post here, since PG Music is Canadian and lots of Canadians frequent this forum.
*****
OK, here are my reactions, from the United States.
I don't usually watch the opening / closing ceremonies. I didn't see China's for instance (the one that cost a bazillion dollars that the announcers kept referring to).
My wife always watches. That was my mistake. I went to get a drink, and walked through the living room just as that little girl started singing the anthem.
I heard the voice of an angel. A world class singer of any age. I appreciate your post because I made a mental note to track her, and bam, you gave me her name. My instant reaction was that she would win American Idol, that she would really stand out in a sea of good singers. Plus, she is a beautiful girl. (You may laugh at my thoughts, but those were my real-time thoughts.)
I then watched a good bit of it, more than I should have. When I didn't watch, I shoveled in the audio while I was working.
The music was mellow, but it was the best (the highest quality) I have ever heard in a production like that. Blew away any Superbowl that I can remember.
I noticed that almost every singer was female. That was strange. But they were so good, so off-the-charts good, I couldn't believe it. I wondered if I was listening to recordings. It looked like it was live. (When a song started, I got up to watch.)
I liked the Bryan Adams / Nellie Furtado duet, especially the drum sound. I thought it was the Indians chiming in on the downbeat. It reminded me of the effect of Queen's "We Will Rock You". Stadium electric!
I was surprised that Gordon Lightfoot was not included. I heard Anne Murray's name called and Joni Mitchell was, of course, a recording. My thought was that they made a conscious decision to not include older Canadian stars, choosing instead to go with performers who still had complete control of their instrument.
At first I thought Joni's recording of "Both Sides Now" was the one used in "Love Actually"; similar, but not the same. Absolutely brilliant, the way the lyrics coordinated with the visual presentation.
I was amazed by the visual technology. After a while, I would leave, as I'd become bored. Not my cup of tea. (Not a comment on Canada, or how others react to such presentations.)
But the sound and the quality of the music and singing was the best I have ever heard. (I'm not a teenager.)
I wished it could have been us. (The U.S.) But it wasn't.
Canada should be very, very proud!
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A credit to school music programs, Canada has been just flat producing great musicians!
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The anthem singer was Nikki Yanofski, from Montreal, bi-lingual, and someone posted some of her album where she does Ella Fitzgerald here and she got dissed by a number of people.
I pointed out she's done Carnegie Hall already, she turned 16 last week, and she has been at the Montreal for the Jazz Festival for the last few years.
And the Joni Mitchell piece was very good.
We have one odd thing going for us. Our radio stations are required to include something like 15 percent Canadian content. I personally think everyone should do that at a state or provincial level too. Develop and support local talent. And when it's cold here we hang out in bars. Well not John any more, unless I have one beer waiting for my wife to get off work, rather than parking in front of her office and wondering when she's coming out. Then she has a 1/2 (pint) and we head home.
I don't get the fact that some people didn't like Donald Sutherland as narrator, and helped carry the olympic flag. He's been a very proud canuck, along side Leslie Neilson and what's his name from Star Trek who's everywhere ...I saw a few minutes of Boston Legal, which I never watch and saw him there, but I've seen him in Toronto Hotels a lot of times, smile at the guy and he waves at you...cool.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
The anthem singer was Nikki Yanofski, from Montreal, bi-lingual, and someone posted some of her album where she does Ella Fitzgerald here and she got dissed by a number of people.
I pointed out she's done Carnegie Hall already, she turned 16 last week, and she has been at the Montreal for the Jazz Festival for the last few years.
And the Joni Mitchell piece was very good.
We have one odd thing going for us. Our radio stations are required to include something like 15 percent Canadian content. I personally think everyone should do that at a state or provincial level too. Develop and support local talent. And when it's cold here we hang out in bars. Well not John any more, unless I have one beer waiting for my wife to get off work, rather than parking in front of her office and wondering when she's coming out. Then she has a 1/2 (pint) and we head home.
I don't get the fact that some people didn't like Donald Sutherland as narrator, and helped carry the olympic flag. He's been a very proud canuck, along side Leslie Neilson and what's his name from Star Trek who's everywhere ...I saw a few minutes of Boston Legal, which I never watch and saw him there, but I've seen him in Toronto Hotels a lot of times, smile at the guy and he waves at you...cool.
Thanks very much for the reply, John.
I remember that thread! I read it blind, because I'm on dial-up, and so couldn't watch or hear the performance.
The very first thing I thought of was Michael Jordan, who was cut from his High School basketball team as a sophomore. He wasn't good enough.
Then, your (GREAT) long post cracked me up! Nikki Yanofsky's accomplishments ended any debate.
One of the big negatives about the internet and ALL of our connectivity is that we are really quick (at least in America) to see all the flaws in beginning musicians and singers.
Bully for Canada in encouraging Canadian musicians!
I'm not a jazz guy, so that was it for me. I didn't make it a point to remember her name.
Now I'm interested (invested). So I appreciate "SaxMarc" starting the thread and your informative post. (I searched for the thread and have saved it. Here's the link:)
http://www.pgmusic.com/ubbthreads/showfl...ge=0#Post256836
Re: Donald Sutherland
I'd heard zero criticism, but wouldn't have. To my ears, his voice had that "gravitas" like James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman. So I don't have a clue why anyone would beef.
As far as I'm concerned, he's been Hall Of Fame ever since his "limp General's salute" in the "Dirty Dozen". That's one of the most memorable movie funnies in my lifetime.
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I REALLY enjoyed the music at the Superbowl. The show and production were outstanding.
I was trying to watch the NBA all star game, and could never actually see basketball. The singers before the introductions, horrendous. Then I gave up, everytime I went back there was a commercial. Nuts. Then I hit the half time show and some woman with big hair and almost no clothes was singing and it was terrible. Not a word could be heard at all. The lyrics were buried. And the whole gangster rap clothing thing?
You get what you advertise and your marketing is going to result in the attraction of a certain type of person. No wonder two players drew guns on each other in the locker room. Whoever gives the commissioner of basketball advice on music acts sure missed the boat.
On the other hand a bunch of 60 year old + rockers made the superbowl halftime show something you didn't want to end....
John Conley
Musica est vita
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The only criticism I would have about the opening ceremony is that each segment went about double what it should have. For example, the boy flying over the fields of wheat. The first 3 minutes or so were cool, but then yawn.
As for the music, in the new world Celtic segment, were any of the Ashleigh MacIsaac wannabees actually Ashleigh MacIasaac? I never heard the announcers say who the main fiddle players were. For me here in the States, this guy was the guy who first really made Celtic fiddle playing mate properly with rock/modern music. I got to hear him now and then on the radio and on CBC, because I lived in Detroit area, one of the few places where Canada is SOUTH of the USA, and close enough to pick up the cool Canadian radio stations where you could hear the Crash Test Dummies, the Northern Pikes and all way before they got popular in the US.
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John, I don't know - the Who's halftime show was quite a disappointment for me. I don't blame the remaining 3, but they should have let them play out some of the songs.
Let them play 'We Won't Get Fooled Again' to completion. Let it be a lesson to the youngsters. Unfortunately, I think we're being fooled from all fronts right now in the US; left and right alike.
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