Award-winning Polish opera singer Jakub Józef Orliński has said his striking performance at the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris was an “unbelievable experience”.
Appearing at the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday, the 33-year-old countertenor performed an aria from “Les Indes galantes” by French Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, while incorporating urban breakdancing moves.
“It's really a huge honor to be part of this,” Orliński told TVP World. “Of this beautiful opening ceremony, which is very historical in a way, because not only is [breakdancing] finally at the Olympics, but also this is the first opening ceremony happening outside of a stadium.”
His all-white costume was based on France’s 16th-century king Henry II. Other performers were dressed similarly – paying homage to France’s baroque period.
“I was representing [breakdancing], I was representing baroque and singing, and that felt very, very good,” he said. Described by the BBC as a “multi-skilled, golden-voiced countertenor”, Orliński has become an internet sensation after the opening of the Olympics.
Singing was his first love, having started with an amateur choir in Poland as a young boy. But he quickly fell into breakdancing and urban performance too.
“When I was 18, probably, I found [breakdancing] was like sort of an enlightenment for me because it combined the music, the creativity, physicality and this acrobatic sort of factor in it, but also that freedom of expression, which I absolutely adore and love about this art form and sports.”
He says he’s not a “professional dancer” since singing takes the majority of his time. “But,” he adds, “whenever I have a production in Munich, in Paris, in Zurich, in New York, I always contact my friends from the [breakdancing] community, the hip hop community of that place, and I practice with them because I just love it.”
In September, Orliński will release an album called “Let's Baroque”. He recorded it with his friend Alexander Demby and they are touring Poland.
“It's really a huge honor to be part of this,” Orliński told TVP World. “Of this beautiful opening ceremony, which is very historical in a way, because not only is [breakdancing] finally at the Olympics, but also this is the first opening ceremony happening outside of a stadium.”
His all-white costume was based on France’s 16th-century king Henry II. Other performers were dressed similarly – paying homage to France’s baroque period.
“I was representing [breakdancing], I was representing baroque and singing, and that felt very, very good,” he said. Described by the BBC as a “multi-skilled, golden-voiced countertenor”, Orliński has become an internet sensation after the opening of the Olympics.
Singing was his first love, having started with an amateur choir in Poland as a young boy. But he quickly fell into breakdancing and urban performance too.
“When I was 18, probably, I found [breakdancing] was like sort of an enlightenment for me because it combined the music, the creativity, physicality and this acrobatic sort of factor in it, but also that freedom of expression, which I absolutely adore and love about this art form and sports.”
He says he’s not a “professional dancer” since singing takes the majority of his time. “But,” he adds, “whenever I have a production in Munich, in Paris, in Zurich, in New York, I always contact my friends from the [breakdancing] community, the hip hop community of that place, and I practice with them because I just love it.”
In September, Orliński will release an album called “Let's Baroque”. He recorded it with his friend Alexander Demby and they are touring Poland.
Source: TVP World
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