Jennifer Lopez performs in the Bronx, New York, on June 4, 2014 (AFP Photo/Dave Kotinsky)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) -
Pop superstar Jennifer Lopez has pulled out of the World Cup opening
ceremony in Brazil, FIFA said Sunday, four days before the tournament
kicks off.
Lopez, who
recorded the official World Cup song, "We Are One," with rapper Pitbull
and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, had been due to perform with them
at the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo but had to cancel, said the
football governing body.
"For
production issues, Jennifer Lopez, one of the artists of the official
song 'We Are One,' will not be able to perform at the FIFA World Cup
opening ceremony," it said in a statement.
The 25-minute ceremony
will feature 600 artists including acrobatic gymnasts, trampolinists,
marshal arts-style capoeira performers and stilt walkers.
The
grand finale will be a performance of "We Are One" -- now minus Lopez
-- accompanied by Brazilian drumming collective Olodum.
Pitbull did not let J-Lo's withdrawal dampen his enthusiasm.
"To
be performing 'We Are One' to the world, especially in such a beautiful
country like Brazil, is going to be a lot of fun. But more than this,
it is going to show the world that music is the universal language," he
said in a statement released by FIFA.
Lopez
also missed the January event where Pitbull and Leitte unveiled plans
for the song alongside FIFA officials in Rio de Janeiro.
More
than 60,000 people will be in Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena to watch
the ceremony and kick-off match between Brazil and Croatia. Around a
billion people are expected to tune in on TV worldwide.
No comments:
Post a Comment