When you mention Brazil to someone, the first impression they’ll get in their head is probably the annual Carnival of Brazil, which is celebrated at the beginning of Lent, and can be described as a colorful, festive and energetic spectacle. So naturally I hoped that the South American host nation would blow my mind with the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2014, but I was sorely disappointed with the lack of passion they demonstrated, and you could’ve fooled me that this was a nation that worshiped football.
I wish I didn’t have to sound this critical about the FIFA World Cup 2014 opening ceremony, but how do you go from something like this…
to what is seen at the top of this post? It’s almost as if Brazil were holding back, trying too hard to be something that doesn’t reflect who they truly are. The concept behind the ceremony as a whole was nature, heritage and of course, football. It was a contemporary approach that felt extremely static and rehearsed, and I felt like I was lost in the plot of some aht-haus movie. I wanted to enjoy the festivities (it’s football’s greatest event after all), but there was nothing that gripped me and got me excited for the upcoming kick-off of the tournament. I even unintentionally found myself making a cup of tea to keep me busy.
When it was time for the big reveal of Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Cláudia Leitte to perform the 2014 FIFA World Cup anthem, it fell completely flat, so much so that the only thing that the SuperSport presenters could talk about was how gorgeous Jennifer Lopez was looking. I even missed the elevator malfunction because of the previously mentioned cuppa tea being made! There was no doubt that the trio were so proud of their achievement, but let’s get real here – nothing is gonna make your performance any better if you’ve got Pitbull singing next to you. Watch it below if you think you missed out on anything.
Jarryd Kin