Sarah Brightman

Beijing Olympics roundup (5)

August 14, 2008 by Yein Jee

Some random news about the Beijing Olympics…

Liu Yan the injured dancer

26-year-old Liu Yan, a renowned Chinese classical dancers, was supposed to be one of the stars at the Olympics opening cerremony… but lady luck was not on her side, as she was badly injured during a rehearsal on July 27.

Chinese dancer Liu Yan injured in Beijing Olympics rehearsal

The opening ceremony directors visiting Liu in hospital (Image via Sina)

Liu was rushed to the hospital after falling from a three metre stage. Her spine was badly injured, and her lower body paralysed. It’s feared that she might not be able to walk again without assistance. Best wishes from us here.

Beijing Olympics opening ceremony – my thoughts

August 9, 2008 by Yein Jee

So, what do you think about the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Friday night? It’s a decent show for me; not great, but nice.

The ceremony started off well. The fou (the drum like instrument) performance managed to draw the crowds’ attention, the giant footsteps’ fireworks were cool, and the countdown managed to boost the mood very well.

Then came the splendid fireworks, followed by the formalities of flag raising and national anthem singing.

The masterpiece of the show was revealed after that… the giant paper scroll, which was quite captivating at first. The initial performances still managed to keep me in front on the TV, but things started to turn boring for a few reasons…

Beijing Olympics official theme song – You and Me MV

August 9, 2008 by Yein Jee

Music video for “You and Me”, the Beijing Olympics official theme song which was revealed at the opening ceremony on Friday night, sang by Chinese singer Liu Huan and British singer Sarah Brightman…

To be honest, the song is just ok. Liu Huan and Sarah Brightman did well, but the song doesn’t really appeal for me. I like the lyrics, but the music is too soft and lack the ‘wow’ factor.

Liu Huan and Brightman to perform Olympics theme song

August 7, 2008 by Yein Jee

Chinese singer Liu Huan and British soprano Sarah Brightman will jointly present the theme song of the Beijing Olympic Games at the opening ceremony on Friday.

Liu Huan is an iconic singer in China; it’s not surprising that he is picked to sing the theme song. I am a bit surprised that Sarah Brightman is chosen though… as I think China have a pool of local talents that can perform quite as well.

Regardless, I like Sarah Brightman, so I’m not complaining much. This will be her second time singing the Olympics theme song; her first performance was in Barcelona 1992 with José Carreras, with Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)…

The official theme song for Beijing Olympics is still a secret and will make its debut at the opening ceremony. There are a few popular non-official theme songs though, e.g. “Beijing Welcomes You” and “Beijing Olympics” etc.

Update – the official theme song revealed; check out other theme songs as well.