2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics was held on August 13, 2004 at the Olympic Stadium in Maroussi, Greece, a suburb of Athens. 72,000 spectators attended the event, with approximately 15,000 athletes from 202 countries participating in the ceremony as well. An estimated 4.5 billion people watched it worldwide on television, though many of them watched it on a tape delay due to large time differences between Greece and other nations. It marked the first-ever international broadcast of high definition television, undertaken by NBC and the Japanese television station NHK.

Music during the Opening Ceremony

The music played during the performances portraying Greek history and mythology was conducted by Stavros Xarhakos. The songs played were instrumental in nature and many used traditional Greek instruments. Famous Greek artists such as Stavros Xarhakos (whose song "Zeimbekiko" was played), Manos Hadjidakis, Mikis Theodorakis and Konstantinos Bita, were included in the Olympic soundtrack. The whole music project was arranged by composer George Koumentakis, who had worked in the past several times with Papaioannou.

Related Topics:
Stavros Xarhakos - Manos Hadjidakis - Mikis Theodorakis - Konstantinos Bita

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During the Parade of Nations, Dutchman DJ Tiësto provided the music, becoming the first DJ ever to spin live at the Olympics.

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Dutchman - DJ Tiësto - DJ

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Icelandic singer Björk performed the song "Oceania" from her album, Medúlla, immediately after the Parade of Nations ended. While the song was being played, a large piece of fabric was pulled over the heads of the athletes, who had gathered on the ground in the center of the stadium following their march around the stadium. At the conclusion of Björk's performance, a map of the world was projected on the fabric.

Related Topics:
Iceland - Björk - Medúlla

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After Björk's performance and the speeches delivered by organizers, Xarhakos returned to conduct a choir comprised of Greek children.

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