Meetup with Celine Dion at a Concert for the first time

Celine Dion is my favourite pop artist. I connect with her music in a way I do not with most pop artists. I regard her as the undisputed queen of pop. Each of her songs embodies talent, perfection, excellence, warmth, energy, euphoria, emotion, and escapism. Her vocal style is incomparable to none other. When she gets on stage, you get nothing short of a spectacularly presented musical performance. For me, Celine Dion is not only an entertainer or a celebrity, but also a role model, a source of influence, and an inspiration. In this paper, I describe and reflect on my first experience with Celine Dion at a live concert.   

Ever since I was a young girl, I have always wanted to see Celine Dion perform at a live concert. I had listened to and viewed her music religiously, but I always desired watching her perform live. There is nothing that could be more fulfilling than watching my all-time favourite pop singer do her magic live on stage. I purposely saved money just to attend her concert. The day finally came. On the night of February 23, 2016, Dion staged a special concert in Las Vegas dedicated to her late husband Rene Angelil, who succumbed to throat cancer in January, 2016. That night I had mind set on just Dion. I did not even desire an autograph like most people would when they get the rare opportunity of meeting a celebrity of her stature – all I yearned for was to see her perform live.

The concert was her first since the demise of her husband. It was, therefore, expectedly going to be full of emotions. The concert was preceded by a short montage of videos and pictures depicting her husband’s life. The montage set the stage for what later turned out to be a breathtaking musical performance. The video ended with an even more moving written message dedicated to her husband. In the message, Dion reiterated how her husband was instrumental to her music career, describing her career as her husband’s masterpiece – her husband’s symphony. She proclaimed that in spite of her husband’s death, she would continue with her career in his honour. You could feel powerful emotions in the air as the audience read the message.

Dressed in a meticulously designed black gown decorated with stars, Dion then entered the stage and started singing Barbra Streisand’s popular hit With One More Look at You. You could see tears in her eyes, an exemplification of her love for her husband and the sorrow she was undergoing. She also sang another one of Barbra Streisand’s hits Watch Closely Now. After the two songs, Dion addressed the audience, emotionally narrating how she loved her husband and his unwavering support for her musical career. She described her husband as not only her partner, but also her manager, her inspiration, her counsellor, and her greatest critic. Dion also talked about her grief, strongly expressing her belief that her husband would always be with her even in his death. She told the audience that she and her husband “will always be one.” Following the sensational tribute to her husband, Dion performed the hit Where Does My Heart Beat Now.  

Hit after hit, Dion did what she does best. You could notice how naturally her vocals came out, wowing the audience every second. Her vocals came out the way missiles dispel from a weapon – seamlessly. She triumphantly moved from one end of the stage to the other, pumping her chest and fists sportingly and beautifully. With Dion, there is just no pretence or nervousness – everything flows naturally. For me, an artist that achieves who epitomises such naturalness is worth robbing a bank for.    

I have not attended many live concerts in my life, but out of the few I have attended, Dion’s was unique in its own way. Unlike many other artists, Dion performed with every bit of her body – she brought her entire self to the stage. For me, this was phenomenal. Dion was also emotionally present, making every moment enjoyable. While still mourning her husband, she did not fail to be the humorous, seductive, and lively Celine she always is. With every moment she was on the stage, Dion brought a completely new feeling. In my experience, this is something you do not get from many artists – their shows are usually empty. With Dion, however, you do not just get entertainment – you also get an emotional connection. Her performance does what music should do: elicit emotions.