Watch Christine And The Queens, Chilly Gonzales, & Sébastien Tellier Perform At The Paris Paralympics Opening Ceremony
The Summer Olympics in Paris are in the books. The festivities all went down last month, and they included some grandly theatrical musical performances — Lady Gaga, Céline Dion, and that great Gojira moment at the opening ceremony, Phoenix performing with Air, Kavinsky, and Ezra Koenig at the closing ceremony. Now, the Paralympics are just kicking off in the same city, and last night’s opening ceremony featured some more grand-gesture performances.
Last night’s Paralympic Opening Ceremony was reportedly the first ever to be held outside of a stadium. The parade of athletes came down the Champs-Élysées, while the performances happened at the Place De La Concorde, Paris’ largest square. Those opening-night performances featured dozens of dancers, as well as 16 performers with disabilities.
At least for those of us over here, the ceremony’s best-known performer was the French artist Christine And The Queens, who wore an extremely cool red suit, strutted across grand pianos, and sang a techno version of Édith Piaf’s signature anthem “Non, je ne regrette rien,” as well as Patrick Hernandez’s 1979 disco anthem “Born To Be Alive.” That performance is really something, and you can watch it below.
The Montreal musician Chilly Gonzales performed, wearing a billowing black cape and playing what was apparently an impressionist piano rendition of Mr. Oizo’s 1999 French touch house smash “Flat Beat.”
🎼 Chilly Gonzales fue el encargado de dar banderazo inicial a la Inauguración de los Juegos Paralímpicos #2024.
140 bailarines y 16 interpretes con discapacidades se dieron cita en la Plaza de la Concordia. #ParaMéxicoTodoEsPosible pic.twitter.com/kcpUH9Lj4k
— Hi! Sports TV (@HiSportsTV) August 28, 2024
The French dance-pop musician Sébastien Tellier was on hand to perform his 2004 track “La Ritournelle.”
@lucas_elties #sebastientellier #paralympics #joparis2024 #laritournelle #melancholy #sadsong #bestsong #lovingsong #beautiful ♬ son original – Lucas