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April 29, 2006
English~ English ~ English Get That Straight!
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Spanish 'Star-Spangled Banner' Draws Ire
MIAMI (AP) - British music producer Adam Kidron says that when he came up with the idea of a Spanish-language version of the U.S. national anthem, he saw it as an ode to the millions of immigrants seeking a better life.
But in the week since Kidron announced the song - which features artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon - it has been the target of a fierce backlash.
Some Internet bloggers and others are infuriated by the thought of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung in a language other than English.
"Would the French accept people singing the La Marseillaise in English as a sign of French patriotism? Of course not," said Mark Krikorian, head of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter immigration controls.
The initial version of "Nuestro Himno," or "Our Anthem," comes out Friday and uses lyrics based closely on the English-language original, said Kidron, who heads the record label Urban Box Office.
Pro-immigration protests are planned around the country for Monday, and the record label is urging Hispanic radio stations nationwide to play the cut at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in a sign of solidarity.
A remix to be released in June will contain several lines in English that condemn U.S. immigration laws. Among them: "These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws ... let's not start a war with all these hard workers, they can't help where they were born."
Bush Says Anthem Should Be in English
The national anthem should be sung in English _ not Spanish _ President Bush declared Friday, amid growing restlessness over the millions of immigrants here illegally.
"One of the things that's very important is, when we debate this issue, that we not lose our national soul," the president exclaimed. "One of the great things about America is that we've been able to take people from all walks of life bound as one nation under God. And that's the challenge ahead of us."
When the president was asked at a Rose Garden question-and-answer session whether the anthem should be sung in Spanish, he replied: "I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English, and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."
He made his remarks on the matters during a wide-ranging briefing with reporters.
"I think people who want to be citizens of this country ought to learn English," Bush said
Wild Thing's comment.....
A-hem President Bush, I also think people coming to this country to live here should come here legally NOT illegally. Ok-key-doh-key?
And another thing that irritates me about this, is that the Spainish version cuts out all the parts that refer to the war that INSPIRED Key to write the song!
Posted by Wild Thing at April 29, 2006 02:27 AM
Comments
Under the " Push one for English, Two for deported" post, I took the liberty of writing another alternative version of the Star Spangled Banner. Hey, at least this one's in English !
Billy
Posted by: Billy at April 29, 2006 03:07 AM
Hi Billy I am going there now, thank you.
Posted by: Wild Thing at April 29, 2006 03:15 AM
