During his state visit to Niger, Olaf Scholz had to endure an at least unusual version of the German national anthem. The chancellor, however, gave no sign.
National anthems are meant to exude something official, patriotic and lofty – but when they’re misvoiced, the effect can quickly turn ridiculous. The best example of this is probably Sarah Connor, whose singer “Brüh in the light of this happiness” is still attached to her today. And the national anthem is always a sensitive topic during state visits.
Traditionally, the anthem is played from the guest’s country, for example when a head of state visits another country. This is also the case on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s trip to Africa, which takes him to Senegal, Niger and South Africa. In Niger, the military band in the capital Niamey presented a completely botched version of the German national anthem as a welcome.
Olaf Scholz visits Bundeswehr soldiers in Niger
Hardly a note was hit, the melody was difficult to recognize. The intonation of the brass band caused a lot of amusement on social networks. “It’s a shame that you can’t see Scholz’s face,” commented one user on the video. “In some moments it pays off that the Chancellor has great self-control,” said another. Someone attested Scholz “nerves of steel” – or he was “just stone deaf”.
It’s not the first incident of national anthems making a dubious showing. The Egyptian military was also known for a time for rendering foreign hymns with idiosyncratic interpretations.
In any case, the Federal Chancellor was not disturbed by the idiosyncratic interpretation of the anthem. His visit was primarily aimed at the more than 200 German soldiers stationed in the country who are on an anti-terrorist mission in the Sahel zone. “The Bundeswehr is doing extraordinary things here and has also achieved extraordinary things here under very difficult conditions,” said Scholz.
At a military base, German combat swimmers, among others, train special forces from the West African country for the fight against Islamist terror in the region. Niger, with its almost 25 million inhabitants, is considered an important partner for Germany in the fight against Islamist terror in the Sahel.
Sources: Andreas Kynast on Twitter / DPA
