"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.

The initial version of "Nuestro Himno," or "Our Anthem," comes out Friday and uses lyrics based closely on the English-language original, said Kidron, who heads the record label Urban Box Office.

Pro-immigration protests are planned around the country for Monday, and the record label is urging Hispanic radio stations nationwide to play the cut at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in a sign of solidarity.

A remix to be released in June will contain several lines in English that condemn U.S. immigration laws. Among them: "These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws ... let's not start a war with all these hard workers, they can't help where they were born."

Bryanna Bevens of Hanford, Calif., who writes for the immigration-focused Web magazine Vdare.com, said the remix particularly upset her.

"It's very whiny. If you want to say all those things, by all means, put them on your poster board, but don't put them on the national anthem," she said.

Kidron, a U.S. resident for 16 years, maintains the changes are fitting. After all, he notes, American immigrants borrowed the melody of the "Star Spangled Banner" from an English drinking song.

"There's no attempt to usurp anything. The intent is to communicate," Kidron said. "I wanted to show my thanks to these people who buy my records and listen to the music we release and do the jobs I don't want to do."

Kidron said the song also will be featured on the album "Somos Americanos," which will sell for $10, with $1 going to the National Capital Immigration Coalition, a Washington group.

James Gardner, an associate director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, said Americans have long enjoyed different interpretations of the Star Spangled Banner, including country or gospel arrangements.

"There are a number of renditions that people aren't happy with, but that's part of it — that it means enough for people to try to sing," he said.

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, said this country was built by immigrants, and "the meaning of the American dream is in that record: struggle, freedom, opportunity, everything they are trying to shut down on us."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/spanish_national_anthem

Well, isn't this a special wast of time.

May just piss off more folks than the illegals care to think about.

I have also heard a version of the Star Spangled Banner in Cherokee Indian Language.

Huge mistake by the hispanics to push this type of nationalism at the pricise time american citizens are giving the illegals every benefit of the doubt and working hard to try and carve out a plan for immigration reform that is fair and provides a path for citizenship.

WTF are the hispanic leaders thinking?

This just makes me want to deport them even more. How dumb can they be?

I find such irrational nationalistic sentiments disturbing. It's a song. Francis Scott Key stole the music from an English drinking song. If hispanic people want to sing the anthem in Spanish as a way to show their love for this country, I'm all for it.

Yawn. Who cares?

Singing the Star Spangled Banner in another language is one thing. Changing the lyrics is another.

I find such irrational nationalistic sentiments disturbing. It's a song. Francis Scott Key stole the music from an English drinking song. If hispanic people want to sing the anthem in Spanish as a way to show their love for this country, I'm all for it.
I'd say it has evolved to mean and be more then that, Vile.

I'd say it has evolved to mean and be more then that, Vile.
And who's to say it doesn't mean as much as it does to us to those singing it in Spanish?

Singing the Star Spangled Banner in another language is one thing. Changing the lyrics is another.

I completely agree. Changing the lyrics into a protest song is just a boneheaded thing to do.

Singing the actual lyrics in a foreign languge can be a sign of respect, and I think that's how many of the people who are singing this song intend it.

I'd say it has evolved to mean and be more then that, Vile.

I would too. I would say it means a lot of things to a lot of people. To some it is a paean to a wonderful country that has given them the gifts of freedom. To others it might be the battle hymn of an oppressive capitalist state. One of the things I like most about living here is that it's ok to have either of those opinions, or any opinion in between. You're still an American.

And who's to say it doesn't mean as much as it does to us to those singing it in Spanish?
When did I say it does not mean as much to those singing it in Spanish?

However saying, "It's a song. Francis Scott Key stole the music from an English drinking song." gives me the impression that Vile thinks it is just a song (when it is far more then that) and that it is kind of a stupid song because it was from an old English drinking song. And I think it is far more than what it once was and I'm glad he agrees.

To be honest, bringing up where we got it from serves no purpose in being stated because it has nothing to do with this debate what-so-ever.

But Vile hit it on the head saying it was an English song. To take that a step further it was the language it was first sung in and has been sung in for years and years has been English. So, personally, I believe it should just be sung in English. Not that it is bad to sing it in another language, but I just don't think it is the correct way to sing it. At least, that's how I feel.

The lyrics have been changed to turn it into a protest song rather than a national anthem. If the illegal aliens are attempting to show how much they want to be American citizens this is exactly the wrong way to go about it.

The fact that they are heralding their hispanic culture over American culture in many of their protests is only highlighted when they take the national anthem and change it to a spanish language protest song.

In my opinion English should be made the official language of the United States and people who wish to become citizens of this country should have at least a working knowledge of the language. We should not have election ballots in languages other than Englilsh or demand that workers in government offices speak languages other than English. If people want to live in this country they should make every attempt to adjust to American culture and not try to change American culture to that of the country they care so little about they left it.

Bwahahahaaaa...get this:

On Friday, President Bush blasted the idea of singing the Star Spangled Banner in Spanish. But Bush’s highly-scripted 2001 inaugural ceremony actually featured a rendition of the national anthem sung in Spanish by Jon Secada. From Cox News Service, 1/18/01:

The opening ceremony reflected that sentiment. A racially diverse string of famous and once famous performers entertained Bush, soon-to-be First Lady Laura Bush, Vice President-elect Richard B. Cheney and his wife, Lynne, who watched on stage from a special viewing area.

Pop star Jon Secada sang the national anthem in English and Spanish.

Apparently, Secada singing the anthem in Spanish was a regular feature of the Bush campaign. From the 8/3/00 Miami Herald:

The nominee, his wife Laura, erstwhile rival John McCain and his wife Cindy joined Bush on a platform where children sang the national anthem - in “Spanglish,” Secada explained.

This morning, ThinkProgress revealed that, according to Kevin Phillip’s book American Dynasty, Bush himself sang the national anthem in Spanish. Looks like Bush’s conviction that “the national anthem ought to be sung in English” was something he acquired very recently.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/02/national-anthem-sung-in-spanish-at-first-bush-inaugural/

This is humorous as well:

Laura Bush OK with Spanish

Associated Press
Published May 4, 2006

WASHINGTON -- A Spanish-language version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," called "Nuestro Himno," which means "Our Anthem," debuted last week.

It stirred controversy because it rewrites some of the English version. And President Bush fed the debate, saying, "I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English."

But asked her opinion Wednesday in a CNN interview, First Lady Laura Bush said, "I don't think there's anything wrong with singing it in Spanish."

"What people want is it to be sung in a way that respects the United States and our culture," she said.

But when it was pointed out that this position differed from her husband's, the first lady had a different answer.

"Well, I think it should be sung in English, of course," she said.

She compared it to hymnals including translations into other languages.

"I love it when I look at the bottom of `Amazing Grace' and there are the words in the Methodist hymnal in Swahili," she said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0605040166may04,1,6443177.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed