Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan warmed the hearts of the audiences with their soulful rendition of the national anthem at the Super Bowl LV, held last Sunday, February 7, 2021.
But the two talented singers were not the only ones who performed their hearts out as an ASL (American Sign Language) performer steals the spotlight.
On behalf of the National Association of the Deaf, Warren “Wawa” Snipe performed the national anthem in American Sign Language passionately, wowing and winning viewers.
“I was very honored and humbled to be selected to perform these songs at the Super Bowl.” The 50-year-old deaf rapper and recording artist shared in an interview. “It was always my dream to perform at the Super Bowl, and I would love to be able to perform the halftime show in ASL too!” He added.
True to his words, Snipe seized the moment and made the most of it with his bright smile, powerful movements, and big energy. His moving act did not go unnoticed as viewers shared on social media how his captivating performance left them in awe.
Meanwhile, Snipe’s videoed rendition of the national anthem in American Sign Language posted on the Facebook page of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has gained more than 9,000 reactions and over 900 comments.
“Now that was absolutely the most powerful and beautiful ASL performance I have ever had the privilege to watch!!!” One Facebook user shared in the comment section.
“You sir did an amazing presentation with so much power and grace in your performance, thank you for giving us the privilege of watching you perform. That was awesome,” said Melanie Faust
“You did an awesome job sir. It’s so amazing to see somebody who is so into the song and to be able to let the hearing impaired people be able to feel the song they need to do this more often.” Another Facebook user said, expressing her gratitude.
“I’ve never seen a sign language interpreter at any of the football games. They should start doing this more often because there are a lot of hearing impaired people that love to watch football and again thank you sir. My mom was able to see this and enjoy this,” posted Rachel Maddox on Facebook.
Before the big game, Snipe shared with CBS News how he prepared by practicing a rendition of the songs that closely tracks how this year’s singers usually perform them. He also spent time rehearsing together with the artists.
“My approach will follow how this year’s singers handle the songs in their own way,” Snipe disclosed.
“The Deaf and Hard of Hearing community needs access to these iconic songs just like everyone else,” Snipe added.
“To those who are hearing, try watching television with the sound and captions off, and you’ll experience inaccessibility. Why wouldn’t you want to make everything accessible to everyone, including Deaf and Hard of Hearing people?”
Watch the video below to see the full footage of Snipe’s incredible rendition of the national anthem in American Sign Language at the Super Bowl LV.