Celine Dion kicks off first full concert in six years
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“I have to admit, the path was rockier than expected, the journey longer than expected, with unplanned stopovers, but I held on to a faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains,” Dion told the audience.
By Tolulope Oke
Canadian singer Celine Dion has performed her first full concert in six years, making an emotional return to the stage in Paris after battling a rare neurological disorder.
The 58-year-old singer was visibly moved as she opened the concert on Saturday at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, west of Paris.
Dressed in a strapless black gown, Dion performed her popular French-language ballad, On ne change pas, before pausing briefly as emotions took over.
The crowd of about 30,000 fans responded by chanting her name.
“I have to admit, the path was rockier than expected, the journey longer than expected, with unplanned stopovers, but I held on to a faint ray of light in the distance, deep in the mountains,” Dion told the audience.
“And now, the sun is here, the sun is in front of me. So tonight, I want to sing for you, sing for myself, sing for life,” she added.
Celine Dion was forced to cancel several performances after she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare condition that affected her movement and ability to perform.
Saturday’s concert marked the beginning of a 26-show run in Paris, with thousands of fans travelling from different parts of the world for her comeback.
The performance was the first of 16 sold-out shows scheduled for September and October. Dion is expected to return to Paris for another 10 concerts next May.
The series, produced by AEG Presents, is projected to generate hundreds of millions of euros in economic benefits for the French capital.