NBA Hires Woke Singer to Butcher Canadian National Anthem, Call it “Our Home on Native Land”

Jully Black, a Canadian singer, sang the national anthem for the opening of the ceremony. NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night, but made a noticeable change to the lyrics.

Black has changed the expression “our home and native land” Click here to go to:Our home on native land“Singing the change, I look directly at the camera.

Black is a Toronto-born artist who has collaborated with numerous high-profile artists, including Sean Paul and Nas. 

“We’ve been singing this anthem since kindergarten. And now, in the last three years, especially with indigenous rights and what’s going on in our country and the history and the learning, I too am learning,” Black told TSN. “So, I reached out to some indigenous friends and said, ‘First of all, how do you feel about me doing this anthem?’ And I got some feedback.”

“I really dissected the lyrics to really sing it with intention because I know it like my name.”

In an interview with The National, CBC Black said Monday that she had defended her performance. “sang the facts.” 

“We are walking, breathing, living, experiencing life on native land. On Indigenous land.” She spoke about an Indigenous friend she had and said she got a positive response. “I didn’t know how much this would mean to him. But now I do. And to every person who has lived generationally through being Indigenous, and just want the world to know that their lived experience matters.”

Chuck D of Public Enemy, who tweeted praise for Black’s performance, also tweeted. “my girl [Jully Black] just kicked the most soulful O Canada [I] have ever heard at 2023 #NBAAllStar game.”

Others praised the lyrical changes. One commenter said they had been singing the anthem with this new arrangement since 2018. Another commenter suggested, “Remove the reference to god next. It has no business in our anthem,” Referring to the line that reads “God keep our land glorious and free.”

Another one said: “I am okay with that change. Would go a long way toward reconciliation,” To which another replied “Lol no it won’t.”

Others were harsher. One commenter pointed out that they were not Indigenous-ancestry but born in Canada. “While Canada was established ‘on’ native land, the previous ‘and’ was also correct. Canada is my native land, I was born here,” The Twitter user wrote. 

“Leaving it as ‘our home and native land’ could be interpreted in a similar manner. It’s our home and it’s also native land,” Another thought.

“The original lyrics do double duty: they express the concept of native land and as a bonus, it’s far less ‘shamey.'”

Another important point is: “For the Canadians incl 2nd generation, where can they call home. The anthem is supposed to unite us. Changing the anthem was not part of the 95 calls to action which was thoughtfully deliberated for years. Let’s unite not divide.”

Official changes have been made to Canada’s national anthem in the past. The lyrics of the 2018 anthem were modified to make them gender-neutral. The lyrics of the anthem were changed from “in all thy sons command” To “in all of us command.”
 

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