Spanish 'Star-Spangled Banner' Draws Ire

[kurth]

Spanish 'Star-Spangled Banner' Draws Ire
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 27, 2006; 7:47 PM

MIAMI -- British music producer Adam Kidron says that when he came up with the idea of a Spanish-language version of the U.S. national anthem, he saw it as an ode to the millions of immigrants seeking a better life.

But in the week since Kidron announced the song _ which features artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon _ it has been the target of a fierce backlash.

Some Internet bloggers and others are infuriated by the thought of "The Star-Spangled Banner" sung in a language other than English.

"Would the French accept people singing the La Marseillaise in English as a sign of French patriotism? Of course not," said Mark Krikorian, head of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter immigration controls...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/27/AR2006042701781.html