In a development not totally unrelated to the previous post, it’s been revealed that the “adorable” little girl who appeared to sing “Ode to the Motherland” at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics was in fact lip-synching.
(I didn’t watch the ceremonies, so I’ll have to take their word on the adorable bit.)
In an interview with Beijing Radio, Chen Qigang, a musical director for the ceremony, said that organizers concluded during a rehearsal that the voice of 9-year-old Lin Miaoke, who appeared before a television audience of tens of millions, “must change.” Yang Peiyi, the 7-year-old girl whose voice was judged superior, would actually sing the song.
“We combined the perfect voice and the perfect performance,” Chen said. He added: “The audience will understand that it’s in the national interest.”
“The national interest requires that the girl should have good looks and a good grasp of the song and look good on screen,” Chen continued. “Lin Miaoke was the best in this. And Yang Peiyi’s voice was the most outstanding.”
