This release is more than two years old
This release is more than two years old. For additional information, please contact Amanda Gaudes from our Media Relations team.
News release details
YouTube sensation Maria Aragon and platinum‐selling audience favourites The Tenors will perform live during the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' official opening ceremonies on Friday, September 19, the Museum announced today.
"Maria Aragon and The Tenors are globally conscious, socially aware Canadians who are as committed to causes in the community as they are to their many fans," said Museum President and CEO Stuart Murray. "Maria and The Tenors have delighted audiences around the world, and we're exceptionally pleased they will be part of the Museum's official opening."
Winnipeg's Maria Aragon soared to fame in 2011 at the age of 11 when her cover of Lady Gaga's "Born this Way" captured international attention, garnering some 58 million YouTube views, appearances on The Ellen Show and Good Morning America, and special performances for audiences including the Prime Minister of Canada and HRH Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and HRH Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge.
Aragon has performed for Free the Children's We Day in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre in 2013, at numerous charity events, and last winter recorded and donated proceeds of a special fundraising single to families devastated by the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines.
Aragon is completing recording her debut album, produced by multi‐Grammy Award‐winning producer Narada Michael Walden, and has just released her first single to radio, titled "Nothin' But A Beat."
"The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is really important to me because it gives young people a voice and it's a reason for hope," said Aragon. "Issues like bullying are universal with youth throughout the world, but the Museum is a place where everyone is equal and where we can find solutions to even the world's biggest problems."
Currently in the studio working on their new album to be released in 2015, The Tenors have performed on the Oprah Winfrey Show, at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, the opening ceremonies of Vancouver's 2010 Olympics and for the NBA, MLB and NHL all‐star games. They've shared stages with artists ranging from Paul McCartney to David Foster and have even shared a private tea with Her Majesty The Queen.
The Tenors are involved in humanitarian and philanthropic initiatives around the world. The group recently filmed a documentary in Bulembu to bring awareness to the plight of children impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis in Swaziland, South Africa and have performed alongside the Dalai Lama at Free the Children's We Day and continue to support these causes around the globe.
Performing at the Museum's opening ceremonies will mark a homecoming of sorts for the Tenors: in the fall of 2012 they donned safety vests and hard hats to deliver the first‐ever musical performance inside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when the building was still under construction.
"We were thrilled to be the first‐ever performers at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and we're thrilled to come back to perform at the Museum's official opening ceremonies," The Tenors said in a statement. "This Museum is unlike any other in the world, and it's a place that celebrates the incredible power of music and culture to break down barriers and change lives."
The Museum's official opening ceremonies will be broadcast live at 10:30 a.m. CDT on Friday, September 19. Canadians can watch the live broadcast on City TV Winnipeg, nationally on APTN or OMNI TV or live online at humanrights.ca. Additional details about the opening ceremonies program will be unveiled next week.
From September 22 to 26, a number of special events will be held including private visits by people whose stories are portrayed in the Museum. The CMHR is honouring their courage and giving them a chance to see the exhibits in privacy during these few days. In addition, the Museum will welcome senior Canadian travel and tourism officials for familiarization tours. Regular operations, with paid admission and public access to all Museum galleries, begin Saturday, September 27.
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Maria Aragon
press@welovefreemusic.com
The Tenors
What's happening when?
CMHR official opening ceremonies
Friday, September 19, 10:30 a.m. CDT
The public is invited to watch the opening ceremonies live on CityTV Winnipeg, nationally on OMNI TV and APTN, or live online on humanrights.ca.
Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT
From skateboarding to the symphony, RightsFest will feature more than two dozen free performances, activities and events all weekend long on multiple stages in and around The Forks.
Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT and
Sunday, September 21, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CDT
The Museum will offer free, hour‐long tours through four of its galleries to give as many people as possible a look inside the Museum during opening weekend.
The preview tours are now fully booked.
Canadian Museum for Human Rights Concert
Saturday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. CDT (or watch live beginning at 7 p.m. CDT on CityTV, OMNI TV and APTN, or live online via the Museum's website).
The Museum invites the public to a free outdoor concert featuring top Canadian talent including A Tribe Called Red, Bruce Cockburn, Ashley MacIsaac, Marie‐Pierre Arthur, Shad and Buffy Sainte-Marie.The show will be capped by a unique grand finale at 9 p.m. (CDT).
This release is more than two years old
This release is more than two years old. For additional information, please contact Amanda Gaudes from our Media Relations team.