Black Lives advocates in Ottawa are outraged after a Canadian singer spontaneously altered the lyrics of “O’Canada” before the MLB All-Star Game Tuesday night.
During their on-field performance at Petco Park, a line in the anthem was changed by tenor Romigio Pereira, to "We're all brothers and sisters, all lives matter to the great." The normal lyric is "With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the True North strong and free."
R.J. Pete is a Black Lives Matter advocate in Ottawa. He organized a vigil earlier this week to pay tribute to the victims of recent police shootings in the United States that left two black men dead. He says the term “All Lives Matter” is a racially charged counter point to “Black Lives Matter.”
“Here you are as white men and standing in front of thousands of people with a platform to speak on behalf of all of us, and honestly giving us a voice, and here you are taking it away from us.” Pete says the choice of Pereira’s words are offensive and racist.
He says, “For (him) to take away that image and that voice from people of colour who are struggling within the system in this country, it’s completely racist.”
Alicia-Marie Lejour is also a local advocate. “It’s really offensive, it's really degrading and it's really hurtful, we are trying to use our voice to create change and by saying all lives matter, you are silencing that change” she says.
Rebecca Noelle knows the pressure of signing the national anthem. She has sung at Ottawa Senators games and most recently at the Ottawa Redblacks home opener. She says the responsibility of singing at a sporting event, is not the time or place to insert political statements. “He hijacked a song that does not belong to him in order to express his political view.”
“I also think it's a shame because he disrespected his band mates because he completely blindsided them,” Noelle says.
On Facebook, the Tenors issued a statement, saying he acted as a "lone wolf" who changed the anthem to "serve his own political views."
Their statement said they are "deeply sorry" and "shocked and embarrassed" over what they term the "disrespectful and misguided lack of judgment by one member of the group."
"The actions of one member of this group were extremely selfish and he will not be performing with The Tenors until further notice," said the statement.
"Our sincere apologies and regrets go out to everybody who witnessed this shameful act, to our fellow Canadians, to Major League Baseball, to our friends, families, fans and to all those affected."
President of the Ottawa Champions Baseball team also took to social media and says Pereira won’t be invited to sing at RCTG Park. “The national anthem is one of the most important symbols we have as a country. It’s like the maple leaf, they might as well as burned the flag on the field.”
Major League Baseball was also taken by surprise by the lyric change. Spokesman Matt Bourne told The Associated Press they "had no idea" Pereira intended to make a political statement.
With files from CTVNEWS.ca
