Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ has earned cult status since its release in 1984. It has been performed all over the world, on varied avenues, to rousing public acclaim. However, the use of the song at a Donald Trump June 24 rally has drawn adverse reactions from the late musician’s estate.
The estate responded to the unauthorised use of the song with a strongly worded post on Facebook on June 25.
Hallelujah became the center of a dispute between Donald Trump and the Leonard Cohen estate
The post read, “The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song ‘Hallelujah’ is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24. This use is not authorized, and the Estate does not support or approve of this or any similar usage.”
OK! Magazine reported that media analyst Dr. Lillian Glass commented that the inappropriateness stems from the huge chasm between Cohen’s artistic identity and the current political setting. She said, “This is a spiritual hymn and Cohen would have hated it to be political as he was anything but political,” she said, adding, “He was all about love and introspection and it would be a terrible fit to include his song in any political rally. It would tarnish his image and his brand.”
The recent controversy came when several performers backed out of the Freedom 250 Great American Fair, which aimed to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of American independence, citing reasons that varied from scheduling conflicts to disagreement with the political bias in the celebrations.
The late Canadian singer was famous for penning and singing deeply philosophical songs. In addition to “Hallelujah,” the Canadian performer is known for well-loved songs like “Suzanne” and “Bird on the Wire”. The song used at the Trump rally has become one of the most recognizable, covered by generations of musicians and loved by audiences around the world.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE ESTATE’S REACTION?
Originally reported by Sreemanti Sengupta on Reality Tea
