By Akram Mondal
On 26th July, the Olympic Games opened with a spectacular ceremony in the city of love, Paris.
A historical and cultural city, Paris is hosting The 2024 Olympics! The Opening Ceremony took place outside the Olympic Stadium. The capital city of France became the state for incredible performances by notable names like Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, and Gojira.
The parade of participating athletes from different countries in the Olympics took place on boats on the Seine River. Among all the beautiful events, Celine Dion’s Olympic Performance moved people to tears! ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer sang “Hymne à l’amour” from the Eiffel Tower.
She moved her audience to tears with her rendition of Édith Piaf’s song worldwide. But why were people moved so much? She is suffering from a rare neurological disorder called Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) and yet with all the suffering, she gave an enthralling performance.
Celine’s Fight With Stiff Person Syndrome
In December of 2022, she shared her health problems via Instagram. Watch the Instagram video where Dion explains how she has been dealing with her health problems for a long time.
Additionally, she shared her diagnosis of a sporadic neurological disorder. She had to cancel the rest of the world tour due to this condition. Henceforth, her fans thought they would no longer hear her voice.
SPS is a neurological condition that results in muscle spasms and rigidity. Celine Dion struggled to push her voice during her Courage World Tour as she practiced. She said, “It was just feeling a little strange, like a little spasm… My voice was struggling, I was starting to push a little bit.”
All this time, she was left undiagnosed with this rare condition that affected her health and voice. All her tour dates from 2023 to 2024 got canceled, “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%.”
How Did Stiff Person Syndrome Affect Celine Dion’s Ability To Sing?
Her music career slowed down after she was diagnosed with SPS, and she focused on her health. When you have SPS your muscles are affected. You will feel rigidity in your muscles with spasms.
So, your vocal muscles or cords get affected which changes the sound of your voice. Celine Dion lost control over her vocal cords, which is essential for singers.
‘All by Myself’ singer said that the spasms affect every aspect of her daily life, sometimes even causing difficulties when walking. Additionally, she noted that SPS was not allowing her to use her vocal cords to sing the way she sang previously.
There is no cure for this autoimmune disease which makes it more serious. Furthermore, more pressure on her vocal cords will deteriorate her voice altogether. Yet, she did not give up. In a BBC interview, she said she needed to find a way to be on stage. And she did and gave a powerful performance on the Olympic stage.
Related: U.S. Wins Most Olympic Medals In Paris Games’ First Weekend
Reaction To Celine Dion’s Olympic Performance
Several fans like Kelly Clarkson and other audience members of the opening ceremony couldn’t stop themselves from shedding a few tears.
Clarkson, being one of the hosts of NBC for the Paris Olympics, apologized for her reaction, saying she wasn’t ready. Did you watch Celine Dion’s Olympic Performance? If yes, then you know what we are talking about! If not, check it out!
I got goosebumps listening to Celine Dion sing from the Eiffel Tower, as did other fans. One X user said, “It made me get out of bed after I wiped the ocean of tears off my face,” after watching the performance.
Another user said that he would cheer for Celine whenever she sings but her performance at the age of 54 while debilitating chronic illness is amazing.
No wonder people were in awe of the singer after knowing her years of struggle with a neurological disease. She interviewed with BBC, where she mentioned that she would perform even if she had to crawl onto the stage or talk with her hands.
This is because a true performer feels the best in their element. For Celine Dion, her element is her voice and music which everyone deserves to hear. So, please share your reaction to Celine Dion’s Olympic performance with us.
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