At any time — but especially now in 2022 — love, support, and inspiration for our fellow human beings can never be in big enough supply. That cup can always use a top-up and, in support of and in tribute to all the amazing Paralympic athletes competing in the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games, Canadian singer-songwriter Paul DeRosa created powerful new theme songs in both English and French to help propel our competitors toward gold medal glory. “Champion” and “Toucher Les Étoiles” are both available now.
Both theme songs are part of the coverage for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games on CBC/Radio-Canada, and various streaming platforms, climaxing two years of a creative journey during which the lifelong Toronto musician and songwriter felt a personal renaissance.
“During the past two years, I was fortunate to meet with several of Canada’s top Paralympians and these engagements had a profound positive impact on me,” says DeRosa. “It gave me the strength and courage to move forward despite having our world turned upside down due to the pandemic.”
This new pair of theme songs marks the second time DeRosa’s music has been used for the Paralympics. His song “Shine” became the official theme song for the Canadian Paralympic Team during the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were postponed to August/September 2021 due to our global pandemic.
Watching the athletes compete and strive for their personal bests was a great inspiration for DeRosa. “Witnessing their resilience and determination while they competed at the Tokyo Games last summer, reignited my passion for writing music,” notes DeRosa. “I realized that being a champion is far greater than winning a medal. It’s about our inner strength, and the ability to push harder when barriers appear. It is the essence of the Paralympic spirit.”
You’re a champion
Through the rise and falls
You’re a champion
You’re the hero we call
Believe in yourself, don’t ever give up, just fight it
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Allons-y ensemble
Toucher les étoiles
Ce qui nous rassemble
C’est la force d’âme
“Champion” and “Toucher Les Étoiles” also mark the second time that DeRosa has collaborated with Canadian Idol Winner and Platinum recording artist Eva Avila on a Paralympics project. In 2019, Avila sang the lead vocal on both the English and French versions of DeRosa’s “Shine” used for the Tokyo Paralympic Games. For Beijing 2022, she co-wrote “Toucher Les Étoiles” with DeRosa and Alexandre Désilets and sings the lead vocal on that version of this year’s theme, while DeRosa sings the lead vocal on “Champion”.
“Collaborating with the talented Eva Avila, musicians and technicians, and the Canadian Paralympic Team to compose and perform ‘Champion’ has been a remarkable experience I will always be grateful for.”
“Champion” and “Toucher Les Étoiles” were heard throughout the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games on March 4 – 13, broadcast on CBC/Radio-Canada, AMI, and Sportsnet, and streamed on multiple platforms including paralympic.ca, cbc.ca, radio-canada.ca, CBC Gem, CBC, and Radio-Canada Sports apps, Amazon Prime Video, CPC, CBC, and Radio-Canada digital platforms.
