Canadian singer-songwriter Paul DeRosa created powerful new theme songs in both English and French to help propel our Paralympic competitors who are competing in the 2022 Beijing Paralympic toward gold medal glory. “Champion” and “Toucher Les Étoiles”
Both theme songs are part of the coverage for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games on CBC/Radio-Canada, and various streaming platforms, climaxing two years of a creative journey during which the lifelong Toronto musician and songwriter felt a personal renaissance.
“During the past two years, I was fortunate to meet with several of Canada’s top Paralympians and these engagements had a profound positive impact on me,” says DeRosa. “It gave me the strength and courage to move forward despite having our world turned upside down due to the pandemic.”
This new pair of theme songs marks the second time DeRosa’s music has been used for the Paralympics. His song “Shine” became the official theme song for the Canadian Paralympic Team during the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were postponed to August/September 2021 due to our global pandemic.
Watching the athletes compete and strive for their personal bests was a great inspiration for DeRosa.
“Witnessing their resilience and determination while they competed at the Tokyo Games last summer, reignited my passion for writing music,” notes DeRosa. “I realized that being a champion is far greater than winning a medal. It’s about our inner strength, and the ability to push harder when barriers appear. It is the essence of the Paralympic spirit.”
“Champion” and “Toucher Les Étoiles” also mark the second time that DeRosa has collaborated with Canadian Idol Winner and Platinum recording artist Eva Avila on a Paralympics project. In 2019, Avila sang the lead vocal on both the English and French versions of DeRosa’s “Shine” used for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. For Beijing 2022, she co-wrote “Toucher Les Étoiles” with DeRosa and Alexandre Désilets and sings the lead vocal on that version of this year’s theme, while DeRosa sings the lead vocal on “Champion”.
“Collaborating with the talented Eva Avila, musicians and technicians, and the Canadian Paralympic Team to compose and perform ‘Champion’ has been a remarkable experience I will always be grateful for.”
We heard these two theme songs throughout the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games March 4 through 13, broadcast on CBC/Radio-Canada, AMI, and Sportsnet. It was also streamed on multiple platforms including paralympic.ca, cbc.ca, radio-canada.ca, CBC Gem, CBC, and Radio-Canada Sports apps, Amazon Prime Video, CPC, CBC, and Radio-Canada digital platforms.
Check out “Champion” below, and stay up to date with Paul via his socials.
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