November 13, 2009 in Toulouse.
At the Stadium, the XV of France is preparing to face South Africa for its autumn tour.
The two teams line up for the traditional anthems.
Ras Dumisani, a South African reggae singer, steps forward to sing his country's.
And here is the drama.
Broken voice, false notes and smeared words… The singer's performance is catastrophic.
“I thought for a moment of a hidden camera, but no,” says John Smit, hooker for the Springboks, in the book
Rugby en Chœurs
(Amphora editions) by Guilhem Herbert.
Almost 13 years to the day after this episode, and before France-South Africa next Saturday in Marseille, we found Ras Dumisani.
And he returned to the smallest detail on this very special evening.
His life changed that night in Toulouse.
“It took three or four before it came down, but even today people keep telling me about it.
I know that with the World Cup in France, people will talk to me about it again, ”says the reggae singer, who has just celebrated his 49th birthday and who still lives in France from his music.
When we contacted him, he was returning from a concert tour in the south of France, in Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence.
"I love France", as he told us so many times.
"I couldn't sing well in these conditions"
In 2009, Ras Dumisani was chosen by the South African Embassy in France to perform the anthem before the match.
“I received a call from my assistant to let me know.
There was no problem, I knew the anthem very well.
I had already sung it many times in my youth.
Originally from Durban but exiled in France, the man accepts without any financial compensation.
We are then “six or seven months” before the meeting scheduled for the autumn tour: “It was a sacrifice for me but it was fate.
It was time for me to become famous in front of televisions all over the world.
Ras Dumisani does not yet know what really awaits him.
Read alsoXV of France: physical commitment, kicking game… Weaknesses to correct against the Springboks
On the day of the match, he arrives in the morning at Toulouse airport, where the ordeal will begin: “We waited several hours for someone to pick us up.
I felt there was something wrong.
At the hotel, there was nothing to eat.
“At the stadium, the reggae singer also remembers a not very loquacious welcome: “We asked for access to the changing rooms.
We found ourselves three floors below, in a closed space with no fresh air.
It was cold, how can I not have broken my voice?
“To accompany him in his performance, we introduce him to his team:” We were in the middle of a corridor with several 15-year-olds who were there to play for me.
They had never rehearsed the song.
»
Ras Dumisani, this man murdered the national anthem here 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/N6FY7CW0RN
— Ama (@Ama_thegreat) April 6, 2022
Shortly before 8:45 p.m., the start of the match, Ras Dumisani entered the ill-equipped stadium, according to him: “I had no feedback in my ears.
I didn't have the right mic.
I couldn't sing well in those conditions.
“The South African singer rushes all the same to interpret the “Nkosi Sikelel'iAfrika”, in his usual style, in reggae: “The organization never spoke to me.
They didn't know I was going to sing that way.
“After a few (bad) notes, unease sets in throughout the stadium, including the closest to the singer: “Bryan Habana was right next to me.
I saw him smile when he realized what was happening.
" Ras Dumisani will still go to the end of his performance, not without continuing to surprise: "When I finished singing the anthem,
I yelled RASTA… And I think that made everyone die of laughter.
Everyone said to themselves: who is this guy?
»
Threatened to take "a bullet in the head"
The 49-year-old is not disappointed with his vocal performance, however: “I know I'm a good singer.
I just sang a few notes a little higher.
“For him, the problem is quite different:” They wanted to sabotage the national anthem.
It was clear in my mind.
It must have been the organization... I don't know.
Someone wanted to scare the Springboks before the game”.
The South African singer is sure of himself, even if he still laughs about it today.
For him, the buzz of his performance prevents him from having a bad memory of it: “I never felt sad about that.
It got more hits than Michael Jackson's death on Google.
It was almost too big for me.
All the televisions in the world asked me what had happened.
BBC, CNN, Australian television… They asked me to rehearse the anthem and they understood that I could sing.
However, for the Springboks, laughter has never had its place.
" I was angry.
I experienced it as a big lack of respect, ”explains John Smit, who suspects the singer of having been under the influence of narcotics.
Read alsoTendai Mtawarira: "The only ones who can prevent the Blues from being world champions is South Africa"
After the defeat of the Springboks (20-13), the last to date against France (7 wins since), South African coach Peter de Villiers was also moved at a press conference: "I would like to point out that the South African anthem was not respected and was sung by someone who did not sing well.
Still in the book
Rugby en Chœurs,
the
captain of the Blues Thierry Dusautoir remembers having struggled not to burst out laughing: "When the guy started to sing, we bit our lips not to laugh (...) Singing the Marseillaise after that, it was very difficult.
»
The book Rugby in chorus, Amphora editions, 29.95 euros
But things then took a much less funny turn since Ras Dumisani had received death threats from South Africa: “I was forbidden to return to the territory otherwise I would be shot in the head.
Several people found my number to threaten me.
I was told that I was not a real South African.
»
But the reggaeman keeps smiling.
The one who describes himself as "peaceful" claims to have met all these people "to show them that it was not my fault".
Ras Dumisani still regularly returns to South Africa to do small concerts there.
Israel, New Zealand, United States… The singer has his head full of travel plans, but continues to follow his passion for rugby.
The 49-year-old will necessarily have an eye on Saturday's France-South Africa: “I don't know yet if I can go to Marseille.
If so, I will fight for a ticket.
But not to sing the anthem.
