The opening ceremony finale with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, seems like the perfect setup for a magical night of musical performances. One of the musical highlights of the night was the return of Canadian singer, Céline Dion to the stage, a year and a half after she withdrew from public engagements as a result of Stiff Person Syndrome. The neurological condition causes muscle spasms.
Céline Dion performed Édith Piaf’s famous work, Hymne à l’amour (the Hymn to Love), written to the love of her life, boxer Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash just a month after it was first performed.
Watch Céline Dion perform Édith Piaf’s, Hymne à l’amour here:
peut etre que c’est la chose la plus belle que j’ai entendu cette année, du respect sur celine dion et l’hymne a l’amour #ceremoniedouverture pic.twitter.com/JkAsIHnRGN
— serbie ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི (@lavraieserbie) July 26, 2024
Other musicians at the Paris 2024 Olympics
The night kicked off with two performers on a floating raft with opening notes of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Imagine”, a permanent feature at the Olympics by pianist Sofiane Pamart and singer Juliette Armanet and a burning piano.
Lady Gaga then kicked off the first musical performance in a theatrical delivery of the iconic French song “Mon truc en plumes” by Zizi Jeanmaire. Gaga’s performance featured an abundance of pink feathers and pompoms.
SEE Lady Gaga’s French cabaret look at the 2024 Paris Olympics here:
…Gaga oh la la!
Excuse us as we pick our jaws off of the floor 🤯 @ladygaga just blew us away with a dazzling French cabaret performance at the #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony! pic.twitter.com/oXBtU8wit3
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024
Algerian-French rapper Rim’K from hip hop band 113 performed “King” and name-dropped Olympic torchbearer, and NBC commentator, Snoop Dogg. He also ran the 200-meter sprint on the track and field trials.
Did somethin today. 💯👊🏿🔥 #FollowTheDogg pic.twitter.com/G4ugnUFssO
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 26, 2024
France’s most listened-to singer-songwriter, Aya Nakamura, performed a medley of her songs Pookie and Djadja in a gold outfit on a runway on the Pont des Arts.
In addition, multiple French musicians also took the stage. The likes of Philippe Katerine and drummer Cerrone, Marina Viotti and eco-metal band, Gojira.
ALSO SEE:
WATCH: Olympic Cauldron floats in Paris night sky, Celine Dion performs
Feature image: Simone Joyner / Getty Images
