A member of the Canadian singing quartet The Tenors has been suspended from the group after he changed a lyric in his country’s national anthem to reference “All Lives Matter” during the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 12.
While singing “O Canada,” Remigio Pereira went rogue and unexpectedly sang, “We’re all brothers and sisters. All lives matter to the great.” The correct line is: “With glowing hearts we see thee rise. The true North strong and free.” He also held up a sign that said “All Lives Matter” on one side and “United We Stand” on the other.
The British Columbia-based group quickly issued an apology during the game and placed the blame solely on Pereira. “The Tenors are deeply sorry for the disrespectful and misguided lack of judgment by one member of the group acting as a ‘lone wolf’ today during the singing of the Canadian national anthem at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Diego,” the three other members, Clifton Murray, Fraser Walters and Victor Micallef, wrote on the quartet’s official Twitter account on Tuesday. “The other members of the group are shocked and embarrassed by the actions of Remigio Pereira, who changed the lyrics of our treasured anthem and used this coveted platform to serve his own political views.”
“Our sincere apologies and regrets go out to everybody who witnessed this shameful act, to our fellow Canadians, to Major League Baseball, to our friends, families, fans and to all those affected,” they continued. “The actions of one member of this group were extremely selfish and he will not be performing with The Tenors until further notice.”
Although the Canadian anthem wasn’t shown on U.S. broadcasts, it aired live on Canadian stations. Viewers immediately took to social media to express their disapproval of the changed lyrics and the sign promoting “All Lives Matter,” which is often considered a rebuttal to the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter has sparked a major dialogue in the U.S. in recent weeks, after the police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile and the massacre of five Dallas police officers who were working at a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest.
“Nice of you guys to alter your national anthem lyrics to piss off your country & take a political stance to piss off another, @TenorsMusic,” one tweeter posted.
“You know the Canadian national anthem is not yours to take creative liberty with, right @TenorsMusic? Shameful,” another Twitter user wrote.
The award-winning group has previously performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies, the Queen’s Jubilee in England in 2012 and the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals.
