Canadian band The Tenors managed to irk many of their compatriots when one of their members altered the lyrics to ‘O Canada’ which was performed prior to the MLB All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego Tuesday night.
Singer Remigio Pereira substituted “We’re all brothers and sisters. All lives matter to the brave,” for “With glowing hearts we see thee rise. The True North strong and free.”
Pereira — who sang the altered lyric alone and drew a sideways glance from the Tenor to his left — also held up a sign during the performance saying “All Lives Matter.” The words “United We Stand” were written on the back of the sign.
The group issued a statement a couple of hours later apologizing for Pereira’s actions.
In the statement, they declared he was ‘acting as a lone wolf’ who “used this coveted platform to serve his own political views.”
They also said Pereira was “selfish” and that he would “not be performing with The Tenors until further notice.”
Pereira later addressed the incident on Twitter, stopping short of apologizing for changing the lyrics to Canada’s national anthem.
Many Twitter users were aghast at the Pereira’s decision to remake Canada’s national anthem to make a political statement about America.
Other Canadians were demanding an apology from the group (which they eventually received.)
While some were upset with the group, other Canadians were placing the blame on Major League Baseball.
The game was shown south of the border on Fox, who chose not to air the Canadian national anthem.
Other Canadians took to Twitter to respond to the controversy:
– With files from Jon Azpiri and The Canadian Press
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