Olympic Torch Relay Sing-Along Facebook Video Goes Viral

A video of the public joining the guards of honour of the Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay in spontaneously singing the relay’s theme song with a torchbearer has gone viral.

As of Sunday evening, according to the event organizers, more than 2.1 million people had viewed the video on Facebook, just one day after it was posted.

The sing-along took place last week in the town of Caruaru in northeastern Brazil. Francisco Cantarelli, who is part of the security detail accompanying the torch on its 30,000 km journey around Brazil, led the impromptu rendition of the classic northeastern song Vida de Viajante (Life of a Traveller) by Luiz Gonzaga.

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“I don’t have the words to describe the feelings I have of being involved in the relay,” Cantarelli said. “It’s incredibly emotional.”

The Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay ends on 5 August in the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, when the Olympic flame will be used to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Photo courtesy: Rio 2016