Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
The World Cup's secondary competition is between anthems, and one anthem above all has shown the most staying power despite being as much of an underdog as its team: Uruguay's "Himno Nacional." Warning: if you thought the prancing, operatic version they use in matches was long, the full follows below. At the end, you may wonder if you've ever done anything but listen to the Uruguayan national anthem.
You may know it better as the two minute pocket opera played each time Uruguay takes the field, or "that music that sounds like the theme to a Bugs Bunny cartoon." The similarities are not coincidental in the Bugs Bunny comparison: the theme is allegedly based on a Donizetti melody, and is the world's longest national anthem at a full running length of around five minutes. Fortunately for you and the viewing public, the Uruguayans realize you might not share their enthusiasm for their anthem, and perform only two of the anthem's twelve verses at international matches.
Recommended activities while listening to the Uruguayan anthem: grilling hundreds of pounds of meat over open flame, prancing around slapping people, kissing sessions with pictures of Diego Forlan, or massaging flowers out of Elmer Fudd's head.
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Love the Latin American anthems
First, no national anthem fan should go a day without watching Ivan Zamorano captaining the Chilean team at France 98, especially the last 20 seconds. I’m ready to find some Chilean heritage so I can suit up for them.
I really love how all the Latin American ones have these long flowery intros. FIFA doesn’t even let the Argentine one get to the start of the first verse (yes, it actually has words).
But your Tweet about Bugs Bunny slapping people with white gloves has been rattling around my brain for two and a half weeks now. Glad we’ll get to hear "Orientales, la patria o la tumba one more time, looks like in the third place game.
by PhilipVU94 on Jul 6, 2010 4:13 PM EDT reply actions
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