Vancouver Winter Olympics Open After Tragedy

A special-effects laden opening ceremony welcomed the world to the 2010 Winter Olympics. But amid the spectacle, a fallen athlete was never far from everyone's minds.

Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died early Friday during a practice run when he lost control of his sled and crashed over a safety railing into a steel beam. The remaining seven members of his team decided to carry on with the competition and were greeted with a standing ovation when they entered BC Place Stadium.

Moment of Silence

The audience of 50,000 held a moment of silence just before the Olympic flag was raised, and many of the nearly 2,600 competitors from 82 nations wore black arm bands in Kumaritashvili's memory.

"When these bad accidents do happen they catch you so off guard; never in a million years do you fathom something like that could happen," said U.S. ice dancer Tanith Belbin. "Hopefully we can come together and offer condolences and support to his team and family."

The opening ceremony was held inside the domed stadium because of rain. But that didn't dim its majesty. Throughout, the stadium floor seemed almost alive, transforming into blowing leaves, an ice rink, golden fields and an ocean with breaching killer whales.

The ceremony – far more scaled down than the one Beijing produced in 2008, but no less moving – paid tribute to the different geographic areas of Canada, from Quebec to the Western Rockies. Skiers and snowboarders performed airborne twists and spins, roller-bladers sped around the arena, and a giant, illuminated bear spirit floated in the air.

Canadian Stars

Canadians Bryan Adams, Nelly Furtado, Sarah MacLachlan, k.d. lang and Joni Mitchell sang during the three-hour program. Donald Sutherland narrated the show before helping carry in the Olympic flag as part of a six-person troupe that included hockey's Bobby Orr and singer Anne Murray.

Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, helped give a huge cheer for the 200-strong U.S. contingent, whose members wore Ralph Lauren-designed parkas and knit caps. Biden told NBC that he took his granddaughters to meet Shaun White and the other snowboarders.

"[The girls] loved it. It made me a hero. All that matters is what your granddaughters think," the vice president said.

Michaelle Jean, the governor general of Canada, declared the Games open. Afterward, four athletes entered to light the Olympic flame, bringing about the night's only snafu. One of the hydraulic arms didn't rise, so only three of the athletes participated: hockey great Wayne Gretzky, NBA star Steve Nash and skier Nancy Greene.

Moments later, Gretzky traveled by truck to a second, outdoor cauldron, and lit that one himself.

Nelly Furtado & Sarah McLachlan Likely at WInter Olympics Opening

The 2010 Winter Olympics may be lacking snow, but that hasn't stopped the leaks.

The first names of likely opening-ceremony performers have filtered out, thanks to spies at the rehearsals and a commercial for the Vancouver Games that aired during Saturday Night Live.

Canadians Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams all seem a lock for tonight's opening ceremony. Best bets are also rockers Rush and jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky, also both Canadians. The '80s band Devo will be among the bands performing at the Games' medal ceremonies.

So far no word on Shania Twain nor other Canadian faves Avril Lavigne or Celine Dionl.

The new all-star "We Are the World" video for Haiti earthquake relief will also air during Friday's Olympic coverage.

The Winter Olympics opening ceremony will be televised tonight starting at 7:30 pm (ET) on NBC.

Singer Nelly Furtado Doesn't Want Madonna's Exercise Routine

Singer Nelly Furtado isn't going to obsess about getting older. The pop star says she'd rather enjoy good food than stick to an intense exercise regime -- like some people she knows.

She said: “I am not ready to adjust physically, just to be marketable. My sell-by date will run out eventually. Unlike Madonna, I wouldn’t be willing to do Pilates round the clock, just to slow down the deterioration of my body. I prefer to sit in the kitchen, drink tea and eat biscuits.”

Nelly, who is married to sound engineer Demacio Castellon and has a six-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, took a two-year break after she finished promoting her 2006 album Loose and says she was enjoyed having the time to lead a more normal life.

She explained to Germany’s Petra magazine: “After the tour I was terribly exhausted and had to find a way back to a healthy routine. I cooked chicken soup for my family and just enjoyed everyday life. The small things that make you happy are important to me.”

MUZOPHILE: The Decade Collection #67

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MUZOPHILE: The Decade Collection #75

My favorite tune by Nelly Furtado, "Promiscuous" (Ralphi Rosario Mix) from 2006, is in the #75 spot of the "MUZOPHILE: The Decade Collection" countdown of his favorite 100 dance club mixes.



Check out http://blog.muzophile.com/ for Muzo's news on music, men and more!

Nelly Furtado Releases Spanish CD

Canadian singer/ songwriter Nelly Furtado has embraced her Latin roots -- and the Latino music market -- with the release of her first Spanish language album, "Mi Plan."

Although raised in Victoria, British Columbia, her parents are of Portuguese descent and she has been speaking Spanish since the age of 14.

The Grammy-winning singer has mixed Spanish and Portuguese lyrics into songs on her previous albums, but felt it was time to dive in completely and create an album entirely in Spanish.

"I had always included 20 percent Latin content on my three previous albums, either in Portuguese or Spanish," Furtado, 30, told Reuters Television as "Mi Plan," her fourth studio album, was released internationally Tuesday.

"It's a language that I've been speaking since I was about 14. I've also been speaking Portuguese since I was a little girl, and it's a great chance to show that other side of me."

For "Mi Plan," released by Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Furtado teamed up famous Latino guest stars including Juan Luis Guerra, Julieta Venegas, and Mala Rodriguez.

The album's first single, "Manos al Aire," (Hands in the Air), recently hit No. 1 on Billboard's Latin radio chart.

Furtado said writing in Spanish gave her a chance to express herself differently, something she couldn't completely do in English.

Furtado said she came away feeling spent creatively after a tour to promote her third album, "Loose," in which she teamed up with hip-hop producer and artist Timbaland, but writing songs in Spanish gave her new energy.

"It was almost as if the well had run dry, and the moment I started writing in Spanish and working in and making these connections with a lot of artists who helped me get all of my emotions out and these songs completed, it felt very liberating," she said.

"I don't know what you would call it, but it just felt very comfortable."

She said she was also able to express a more flamboyant and dramatic side of herself by singing in Spanish, citing the single "Manos Al Aire" as an example of how language allowed her to show her variety of emotions.

"I can be a little more complex in Spanish, I can be a little more dramatic, a little more theatrical, have a little more fire," she said.