Saru angered at anthem
16 Nov 2009
Oregan Hoskins has been in contact with the FFR regarding Friday night’s singing of the national anthem.
France manager Jo Maso told the media the South African embassy organised that reggae singer Ras Dumisani would sing the South African anthem in Toulouse, but Saru president Hoskins has written to the FFR expressing his unhappiness.
‘As a union we were shocked and horrified by the rendition of the anthem and I contacted the French Federation on Saturday morning to express our very grave concerns,’ Hoskins said in a statement. ‘The performance of the anthem is a treasured part of any rugby international and we take great pains in this country in the selection and rehearsal of artists to ensure that we appropriately honour all anthems.
‘Something went seriously awry in Toulouse and the upshot was that offence has been caused not just to the Springboks and Saru but to South Africans in general.
‘I congratulate France on their victory in the Test match, but look forward to their response on this important issue.’
Shoyab Casoo of the South African embassy in France denied Maso’s claims and told Die Rapport that the embassy had given a list of singers to the FFR as requested, but had not chosen a particular one.
‘We just gave them the names of people we’re aware of,’ said Casoo. ‘We didn’t know how well these people could sing.’
146 Comments
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16 Nov 2009, 10:35 am
I have the solution…
The Boks should take some-one with them to sing the anthem every time they play abraud. The bala brothers, jannie moolman, bok van blerk, steve… any one that we all know can sing.
16 Nov 2009, 10:36 am
#49 Sidewinder: Wow … someone who can think clearly!
16 Nov 2009, 10:41 am
#46 kevin w:
I am careful about who I call stupid… and very seldom do it… Hence… your name on the list…
Look English is the language of the IRB so don’t come with some BS about the FFR not speaking English…
#47 Sonito: Spot on bud…
#48 Sidewinder: All embassies around the world have registers of their citizens working/living in those countries… if the FFR wants a list of singers in Toulouse some admin person will print a list from the database and send it through… It’s up the the FFR to pick a suitable candidate.
It is not diplomatic or politick for the Embassy to promote anyone in particular over the rest… so they would simply hand over a list and the FFR should have done their homework and chosen the most suitable singer..
16 Nov 2009, 10:43 am
They should have asked Supersport’s Xola Ntshinga and Matthew Pearce to sing the anthem. After their Requiem rendition on last week’s Boot ‘n All, no one can doubt their ability. And they were right there on Friday.
16 Nov 2009, 10:44 am
#46 kevin w:
and BTW… you don’t have to know the language to hear if someone is singing in tune or has forgotten the words…
that’s why music is so international…
16 Nov 2009, 10:48 am
typical government trying to pass the buck.
16 Nov 2009, 10:48 am
#21 Sonito:
He actually has a harem.
Miss. Palm and her five daughters.
16 Nov 2009, 10:50 am
#54 ufo: You grasping at straws mate. You gonna get Castered just like Julius amnd the liars at ASA!
Embassy provided the list … they are the representatives of South Africa in France.
16 Nov 2009, 10:53 am
#51 ufo: If all the embassy had to do was access a database, I’m sure the French Immigration Office could have done it themselves. The French policy of allowing embassies to choose their own list of artists is supposed to be an act of courtesy to the visiting team. It’s an act of courtesy because it allows the embassy significant say in who sings their national anthem. It’s simple really. The embassy was asked to provide a list of suitable artists. The embassy responded by providing a list of suitable artists except for one tone-deaf and stoned rastaman.
16 Nov 2009, 10:54 am
#56 kevin w:
you’re a joke dude… me grasping at straws…???
What the hell do Caster Semenye, Julius Melema or ASA have to do with this thread…? You’ve brought them up… and you’re talking about grasping at straws…
I called you a fool…
you keep proving it…
16 Nov 2009, 10:55 am
#56 kevin w:
you’re a joke dude… me grasping at straws…???
What the heck do Caster, Julius or ASA have to do with this thread…? You’ve brought them up… and you’re talking about grasping at straws…
I called you a fool…
you keep proving it…
16 Nov 2009, 11:00 am
#57 Sidewinder:
so the Embassy must pay for a studio, get all the candidates in… get a group of diplomats to take a day off work and go and lilsten tot hem all sing to hear if they actually can sing in tune and know the words of the anthem…?
Sheesh dude… get real…
The the FFR organiser’s job… They must have a had a sound check… Why didn’t they can the man there and then…? Why did they let it go to the actual match and anthem…???
16 Nov 2009, 11:02 am
#60 ufo:
That’s the FFR organiser’s job…
16 Nov 2009, 11:03 am
While this Anthemgate is a huge scandal and embarrassment for us, I might just have a plan for spinning it in our favour. I’m going to suggest that we turn all future stadium anthem performances into comedy routines. It must become our “signature” – a way at poking fun at the so-serious nationalism displayed by other countries. My suggestion for the Italy game is Casper De Vries. And for Ireland we should try and get Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
16 Nov 2009, 11:08 am
#32 ufo:
Agree.
I’m trying to look at it in another way. Maybe Ras did us a favour. It seems as if most bloggers, who I presume are passionate rugby lovers, took offence to his rendition of the anthem. Hopefully they will now try and show him how it should be sung next year when we play at home again.
Perhaps we will see the stands full of, mostly white mind you, spectators singing ALL THE VERSES of the anthem UIT VOLLE BORS
16 Nov 2009, 11:11 am
#59 ufo: It was everybody but ASA’s fault until the truth came out.
I’ll draw you pictures next time.
16 Nov 2009, 11:11 am
#56 kevin w:
At the end of the day it was the French rugby unions job to organise a singer of the national athemn not the SA embassy. So there is no passing the buck here. Even if the Sa embassy gave them a list of the worst singers in the world it is still the French rugby unions job to make sure the person is up to the job.
Do you not interview and do background checks on people before hiring somebody for a job?
16 Nov 2009, 11:13 am
#49 Cheetahboytjie: not one of those u mentioned can actually sing….but I get your point.
16 Nov 2009, 11:14 am
#59 ufo: You fail to understand that Dumisani is already an established artist who has released albums. The problem is that reggae doesn’t lend itself to the singing of national anthems, especially if the anthem requires any vocal range to speak of. The embassy should have realised this before recommending Dumisani.
And who knows what happened at the sound-check. It’s quite possible that Dumisani only had to sing the opening lines of Nkosi and never got to the high notes of Die Stem. And even if he had, what should the FFR have done about it – start a diplomatic row by telling the embassy that their choice is rubbish and should be replaced?
16 Nov 2009, 11:14 am
#63 nama1:
Perhaps we will… but don’t hold your breath…
was going to say earlier… the guys who saw nothing wrong with it obviously don’t know the words or tune themselves… and obviously never sing it a rugby match either…
16 Nov 2009, 11:16 am
It’s like the Americans putting Marilyn Manson on a recommended list; then blaming the host country for picking him.
16 Nov 2009, 11:16 am
#62 nama1: If it will help drown out Ras Dumisani’s voice, I will certainly sing it “uit volle bors”.
16 Nov 2009, 11:19 am
#67 Sidewinder:
so you’re saying that as an established recording artist some diplomat in France should have assumed and made the call that the Rasta Brother can’t sing…??? On what basis could they have made such a decision?
Come on, it’s got nothing to do with reggae… Do you think Lucky Dube (RIP) would have butchered our anthem like that…? He would have blown the socks off everyone in the crowd…!
16 Nov 2009, 11:23 am
#69 kevin w:
even Marilyn Manson sings in tune and I can assure you he would know the words…
whatever genre of music they come from American artists take their anthem extremely seriously and sing it as it should be sung…
16 Nov 2009, 11:27 am
#70 ufo: I think we’re being side-tracked here. The point is that PdV, Hoskins and Saru begin to mouth off before they ascertain the facts. That’s just as embarrassing as the rendition of the anthem. Face it, we’re at least partly to blame for the fiasco, and no amount of anger and indignation is going to change that. Such knee-jerk reactions are fast becoming part of the South African syndrome.
16 Nov 2009, 11:28 am
#72 ufo: The point is that an effective embassy would not risk embarrassing their country by suggesting the WRONG artist.
16 Nov 2009, 11:29 am
Ras rocks!
16 Nov 2009, 11:30 am
And i’ll say it again … where is the list?
16 Nov 2009, 11:31 am
#71 ufo: At lease we all have heard of Marilyn Manson (class act actually).
Think a lot of fuss over nothing.
In my opinion the best solution is to get rid of singers leading the anthem. A band playing each respective countries anthem, the players can belt out their lungs and the crowd can join in. I’m sick of the tempo of anthems being messed with to be honest, all for some artist’ largese of a song.
16 Nov 2009, 11:31 am
If the French Rugby Union actually gave a dam they would of issued an appology after the game. They could of even stated that SA embassy recommended that person but it was still there resposibility to enusre that the athemns were performed to the correct standard.
16 Nov 2009, 11:31 am
#74 Dawn: Hahahahahahaha! You’re killing me with the Ras thing.
Hi there Dawn. Howe are you. It’s good to be back. You must tell me all the skinner that has been going on here on the blog. I see some new names.
There is a nice balance. It’s good to see.
16 Nov 2009, 11:32 am
#73 Sidewinder:
Sorry bud… can’t see why we’re to blame… but can agree to disagree with you on this one…
Such knee-jerk reactions have for some time been part of the anti-SA syndrome too… People are very quick to jump on any bandwagon that shows SA in a bad light…
But you are right… knee-jerk reactions from the left or the right knee
don’t advance the debate…
16 Nov 2009, 11:34 am
#77 oodles:
and a very intelligent guy…
the only person on the planet who in the search for solutions in the aftermath Columbine suggested that they actually talk to the kids…
16 Nov 2009, 11:36 am
#77 oodles: Yes he is a class act; but clearly you fail to see why his band would cause an uproar and not be recommended by the US embassy.
16 Nov 2009, 11:36 am
#78 rossoneri:
Whodat.
Skinner on this blog needs 12 pages!
Sigh.
One bad Ras damages the image of the whole movement.
16 Nov 2009, 11:38 am
#81 ufo: you are priceless man!
16 Nov 2009, 11:39 am
Uit die blou van ons hemel.
16 Nov 2009, 11:40 am
#74 kevin w:
kevin you’re missing the point… It’s not up to a suit (or dress) in an embassy to decide who is or is not a good singer… Those things are never left up to personal opinion… it’s up to the requestor to choose the most appropriate candidate…
they don’t have a musical attache who is up on all musical genres from classical to beat box…
16 Nov 2009, 11:40 am
#82 Dawn: True. And 12 pages is too much, even for me.
Did Ras really sing so bad? I missed the anthems on Friday, but heard the SA players faces were priceless.
16 Nov 2009, 11:40 am
The singer was too stoned to decently sing. Don’t pay the artists in advance…
16 Nov 2009, 11:41 am
#81 kevin w: Kevie you not on da same page mon. France played SA not USA. Also I never said Manson or his band. I inferred he is known (I have never heard of your rastaman).
He was funny
16 Nov 2009, 11:43 am
#83 Dawn:
Hey Dawn…
You’re obviously talking about De Wet Ras coaching kicking in Australia!!
16 Nov 2009, 11:45 am
#86 rossoneri:
Like I said elsewhere …
Ras is lucky the anthem ended when it did cos Schalk Burger was within an inch of moering him to death.
16 Nov 2009, 11:47 am
What was funny, was Schalk turning around surreptitiously… to not be too obvious… to check out who the hell had sung the anthem…
16 Nov 2009, 11:47 am
Cool … I concede.
The elected South African representatives in a foreign country could in no way have ensured the correct person was chosen to sing the country’s national anthem.
Please let me never lose my passport in France; i’ll probably be sent to some backyard criminal because they never checked his credentials.
16 Nov 2009, 11:51 am
#87 DonBilly: I just saw what happened on Friday with the anthem on Youtube.
I think you’re right. He does look stoned. But despite that. It’s clear that he cannot sing at all.
16 Nov 2009, 11:51 am
#90 Dawn:
Imagine the Headline………..
“Schulk Eye-Gougers Singer, 34 seconds before Kickoff.”
16 Nov 2009, 11:52 am
Funny, the “Zolkop” and his “Jjommas” are getting a lot of stick (as they should, it was shocking), but our performance was even worse. It was a mistake to choose all the big-guns. We should have rested them all and allowed all the fringe players to go and proof themselves.
16 Nov 2009, 11:54 am
#77 oodles: I agree – no more artist interpretations of national anthems. I’m sick of so-called recording artists treating the national anthem like the preliminary rounds of Germiston’s Got Talent. Trying to outdo and impress with vocal contortions and tempo flexibility like a poor man’s Mariah Carey on heat.
The best anthems are the ones where people can comfortably keep up with the melody, range and tempo, and therefore feel comfortable in belting it out. Just think “Land Of Our Fathers” in a packed Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Why would you want anything other than that? The real gooseflesh element is added by the people, not by some wannabe diva with a point to prove. Or some ****** rasta, fresh from the bong.
16 Nov 2009, 11:54 am
#95 Beast:
Ras lost that game for us.
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