VIDEO. Paralympics Closing Ceremony: Who is Santa, the singer who performed “Vivre pour le meilleur” by Johnny Hallyday ?

Santa a ouvert la cérémonie au Stade de France. MAXPPP – Andrew Matthews

The closing ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games opened on Sunday, September 8, with a tribute to Johnny Hallyday, a fixture in the stadiums throughout the Olympic summer, with a symphonic version of his song “Vivre pour le meilleur” performed by rising French star Santa.

The 31-year-old singer, in a huge khaki and black hooded dress with a train reminiscent of a boxer's bathrobe, made this rock hymn to life resonate in the Stade de France.

From national icon Johnny Hallyday, who died in 2017 at the age of 74, the hit “Que je t'aime" had already been chosen to accompany the French delegation during the opening ceremony of the Paralympics on August 28 at Place de la Concorde.

The French rhythmic gymnastics team also chose Johnny for one of its performances. It is an understatement to say that the legendary ballad from 1999 marked the playlist of the Paris 2024 Games, played in the speakers during almost every event. The non-French speaking public didn't always follow or understand but the French generally got their breaths out.

Singer of the group Hyphen Hyphen

This title, with “Allumer le feu”, goes straight into the informal playlist of French sports where you can also find “I will survive” by Gloria Gaynor or “Dans les yeux d'Emilie" by Joe Dassin.

Singer Santa, from the band Hyphen Hyphen, has been going solo since she returned to the forefront with “Pop corn salé", a nostalgic and powerful ballad that resonated successfully during the summer of 2022.

The video was shot in a square in Brussels where Santa played the piano 40m high, suspended by a crane. She embodies one of the new faces of French song, like Zaho de Sagazan, invited to close the Olympic Games, or Juliette Armanet, who performed at the Olympic opening.