Chantal Kreviazuk, the woman who performed the Canadian national anthem prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game Thursday night changed a lyric in “O Canada” as a response to to President Donald Trump’s remark about making the country the 51st state.
During Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory, Kreviazuk told The Associated Press she did it “because I believe in democracy, and a sovereign nation should not have to be defending itself against tyranny and fascism.”
“I’m somebody who grew up on music that spoke to the heart and the moment, and it shaped me as a songwriter and really as a human being,” she said. “I don’t think it would be authentic to me to be given a world stage and not express myself and be true to myself.”
Publicist Adam Gonshor confirmed to CBS News that Kreviazuk changed the lyric from “in all of us command” to “that only us command.”
Kreviazuk, who is from Winnipeg, also wrote the phrase “that only us command” with mascara on her left hand. She posted a picture of that on her Instagram with emojis of a Canadian flag and a flexed muscle.
“I just put it on there so if I ever had a moment and I kind of froze, I would be able to look at my hand and see it,” Kreviazuk said. “I’d love to see people sort of get inspired and catch the fire and say their heart more in their art. … Sometimes you just got to speak the truth in your art and it’s awesome. That’s what it should be about.”
In the post, Kreviazuk said, “I am sorry if my performance of our national anthem rubbed you the wrong way. … I am sorry if you think that we’d be better off annexed. … We should express our outrage in the face of any abuses of power. … Canada, not unlike Ukraine, is a sovereign nation. Period.”
In a post on X, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
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