World Cup 2014: Jennifer Lopez drops out of opening ceremony performance
Singer confirmed to have pulled out due to unspecified 'production issues'
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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Jennifer Lopez will no longer perform at the World Cup’s opening ceremony on Thursday, it has been confirmed.
The “One the Floor” singer was due to perform the official Fifa World Cup song “We Are One (Ole Ola)” alongside Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, but has had to pull out due to unspecified “production issues”.
In a statement, the singer’s representatives said “regretfully Jennifer Lopez will not be attending this year’s World Cup ceremonies”, but gave no further explanation about why she will not be performing.
Last week, Lopez said she was “thrilled” to be given the chance to perform at the opening ceremony, adding: “This is an amazing celebration of global unity, competition and sport.”
Fifa have confirmed in a news release that Pitbull and Claudia Leitte will sing the official song on Thursday before Brazil take on Croatia in the opening game in Sao Paulo.
The song has disappointed many Brazilians who complain that it sounds too generic for the nation's Bossa Nova-crazed audiences and that it features foreign musicians singing mostly in English and Spanish.
Leitte sings only a few seconds at the end of the song in her native Portuguese.
Four years ago, Shakira performed “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which went on to become a worldwide hit.
With additional reporting from AP
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