Mariah Carey Performs at Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Milan
Mariah Carey performed in Italian at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium. Though she may not have a deep connection to Italy, her mother was a Juilliard-trained opera singer. In her autobiography Carey recalled listening at age 3 as her mother “stumbling” over an aria from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” “I sang it back to her, in perfect Italian,” Carey recalled.
“She looked at me, stunned, and at that moment, I knew she saw me. I was more than a little girl to her. I was Mariah, a musician.” Organizers, announcing her appearance in December, said the singer-songwriter “perfectly embodies the emotional spirit of the games.” In an Instagram video accompanying the statement, Carey greeted viewers and, in Italian, said, “See you in Milan!” Carey, a 56-year-old American, is one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.
Italy, Milan