During the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, there was a moving rendition of the song Imagine by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Keeping in the theme of the opening ceremony centered around Paris’ famous river the Seine, Juliette Armanet sang a beautiful version of the song alongside pianist Sofiane Pamart.
Pamart’s piano was lit on fire and the two rode a small float down the Seine.
A song that ironically talks about the abolition of borders in an event that thrives on the drawing of borders has become a mainstay of the Olympic opening ceremonies since 1996.
Armanet, 40, is a French singer and songwriter who has had one top 10 album (and no single ranked higher than #42) in Paris. Album Révélation of the Year in 2018 at the Victoires de la Musique for “Petite amie.” Pamart, 34, is a classically-trained pianist who has collaborated with famous French and Belgian rappers. While they are well-known within their scenes, and provided a beautiful performance, they were relatively-unknown names compared to other opening ceremony performers like Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.
Video on Eurosport:
La reprise touchante de “Imagine” par Juliette Armanet et Sofiane Pamart.
👉 https://t.co/qsB1Tdiqg5#ceremoniedouverture #paris2024 pic.twitter.com/LeNx00vwkb
— France tv (@FranceTV) July 26, 2024
Tokyo 2020:
John Legend (representing the Americas), Keith Urban (Australia), Angélique Kidjo (Africa), Alejandro Sanz (Europe) and the Suginami Junior Chorus (Asia)
London 2012:
Footage of Lennon singing was played at the closing ceremony
Atlanta 1996:
Stevie Wonder plays Imagine at the Olympic Closing Ceremony
Did the irony register on anyone besides me during the line “imagine there are no countries” with 250+ national flags waving?