“In the ceremony we have a love anthem and that’s ‘L’Hymne A l’Amour’. We all wanted to finish the show with this song and our first idea was very simple and clear. We wanted to ask the best singer to sing love and this is Celine Dion,” artistic director Thomas Jolly told Reuters.
“It was obvious for us to ask her to do that to close the ceremony.”
The 56-year-old singer said in late 2022 that she had been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome that causes muscle spasms. The syndrome causes muscle rigidity and increased sensitivity to sound, touch and emotional stimuli that can trigger spasms. The condition led the multiple Grammy winner to cancel all of her tour dates for 2023 and 2024.
The Canadian singer, who started her career singing in French, had not performed live since March 2020, when she appeared in New Jersey.
“How proud we are! Our Celine singing Edith Piaf’s L’hymne à l’amour at the Opening Ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games,” Quebec premier Francois Legault wrote on X.
“A proud Quebecer from Charlemagne is on stage at the Opening Ceremony! Celine Dion is a Canadian icon, an incredible talent, and she overcame a lot to be there tonight,” Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, also on X.
He added: “Celine, it’s great to see you singing again.”
Dion, best known for the “Titanic” movie theme song “My Heart Will Go On”, was first spotted in Paris on Tuesday, triggering speculation that she would be part of Friday’s extravaganza.
Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura shine
Earlier in the fast-moving and multi-location ceremony masterminded by acclaimed French theatre director Thomas Jolly, Lady Gaga and Franco-Malian R&B superstar Aya Nakamura also had their time to shine.
In a nod to her passion for French culture, Lady Gaga appeared from behind a fan of pom-poms held by her dancing troupe to sing “Mon truc en plumes” (“My Thing With Feathers”), an iconic French music hall hit by the legendary Zizi Jeanmaire.
“It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on,” Gaga wrote on her social media channels after the performance, saying she always “felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music”.
Nakamura, the most listened-to French-speaking singer in the world, performed a medley with two of her hits “Pookie” and “Djadja”, as well as a classic by Charles Aznavour, “For me Formidable”, 100 years since his birth.
Rumours she was to perform had sparked a backlash from the extreme right in France and a torrent of racist abuse on social media. But in a striking symbol, she was accompanied in her performance by musicians from France’s Republican Guard.
According to Jolly, the 12 different phases of the ceremony told the story of a country rich in its “diversity”, “inclusive”, “not one France but several Frances”, and celebrating “the whole world united”.
He has been backed by a writing team including famed novelist Leila Slimani and screenwriter Fanny Herrero, who penned the smash-hit casting agency comedy “Dix pour cent” (“Call My Agent”).
In another highlight, the star “etoile” dancer of the Paris Opera, Guillaume Diop, performed on a Paris rooftop.