Ledisi brought spirit and grace to Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, with a soul-stirring performance of “Lift Every Voice And Sing.”
Dressed in a flowing white jacket, matching slacks and blouse, the Grammy-winning R&B singer performed on a platform in the center of Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The Oakland, California native, whose birth name is Ledisi Anibade Young, was backed by a New Orleans youth choir.
Wearing yellow robes and black pants, the young singers stood on both sides of the Grammy-winning songstress and performed flawlessly before a global audience.
As the song continued, Ledisi’s voice rose to a powerful crescendo when she sang the lyrics: “Let us march on ’til victory is won.”
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The iconic song was first written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900, according to the NAACP’s resource guide. Weldon’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, composed the music.
In 1919, the NAACP began calling the hymn “The Black National Anthem,” for inspiring African Americans. The song was used as a rallying cry for activists during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s.
Following Ledisi’s performance on Sunday, there was a celebration of New Orleans’ music and culture featuring local artists.
Later, New Orleans native and Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter and composer Jon Batiste took a seat at a white piano and belted out a jazzy version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” — the country’s official national anthem.
Super Bowl LIX kicked off at 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET on Fox. The game streamed on DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, NFL+, and Sling.
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