The fella on the public address system at the World Sevens at the Stade de France exhorted the crowd to sing a song with no words around noon on Sunday.
It was the guitar riff from Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes, which may seem a strange choice for a team that play in the Six Nations, but it fitted the occasion and the stadium, and it lifted France, who beat Kenya into the semifinals of their home tournament.And now I can’t stop humming it.
Seven Nation Army is on repeat in my head. They did not play it for any other team at the Stade de France. They reserved it for France.
I wonder if they had to pay copyright every time they chant Seven Nation Army in France. And why didn’t they use a French song
There is a law in France, put in place in 1994, that requires the songs played on radio stations to be 40 percent French. That’s 50 percent less than the SABC’s new dictate of local content, announced to the country last week.
French radio stations boycotted the law for 24 hours in September after the culture minister tried to stop them playing the same 10 French songs over and over again to fill the space.
Or, as France24 reported it, to “stem the encroachment of English into French culture and give a helping hand to home-grown talent”. The latter is admirable, the former an attempt to throw a bucket of water on a bush fire.
They made the mistake of forgetting that French artists want to record in English to push global sales. The Guardian wrote last year that the number of songs being recorded in French has fallen by nearly half.
Daft Punk may even sound a little cooler in French, but they won’t sell, and, well, there’s that money thing to worry about.
SuperSport are the host broadcasters for cricket in South Africa after SABC told Cricket South Africa they didn’t have any money to show cricket on the telly. CSA even offered to help them sell advertising, but they were fussed about incurring the wrath of soapie fans. They have also attempted to take cricket off the English-speaking Radio 2000 in the not-too-distant past.
If they were host broadcasters, would the SABC insist on 90 percent of songs used to introduce South African players to ODI and T20 matches being local? That might not be a bad thing.
It wouldn’t be the worst thing for South Africans to promote local music. Although, what if all the white guys in the team go for Mandoza? What would you choose?
I don’t listen to enough music these days. I’m stuck with what I know. I’d fancy Brenda Fassie’s “Vuli Ndlela”, or “Don’t Go Away” by Crystal Park.
You would hope there is a great South African stadium anthem out there, a song the land won’t be able to stop humming. Perhaps the great music quota on national stations will unearth it.
Wendy in wonder land
Wendy Luhabe being nominated as an independent on the World Rugby executive committee is no small achievement. Yet, there is the caveat that she is just one of two independents in a committee of 12, and the other 10 are all rugby people.
It is to be seen how much influence she can have in a white, male dominated board (which includes no representation for the Pacific island nations, the most ignored and abused in world rugby).
Still, she is there. Her job will be to help steer rugby towards a brave, new place. It will be fun watching her do it.
RIP Tony Cozier
In their obituary on Tony Cozier, the Independent had perhaps the telling quote: “When Tony’s death was announced, the West Indies captain Darren Sammy said, ‘That voice will forever be in my head’.”
Dear love for the rhinos
From the Sydney Morning Herald. There is an Australian Rhino Project, which was “established three years ago to try to prevent the harsh reality of the species becoming extinct by rugby fan Ray Dearlove … he had the vision to create a breeding herd of rhinos here in Australia as insurance in case this eventuates.
“They have been chosen by the Waratahs to be one of the chosen charities for this season and part of every ticket sold for the game against the Bulls will go towards this great initiative.”
Good on, you Dearlove.
The Star