The estate of Leonard Cohen has moved to block the use of his iconic song Hallelujah at a high-profile patriotic celebration in the nations capital.
According to Breitbart, representatives of the late Canadian singer acted swiftly after learning the totemic anthem was reportedly slated for Wednesday nights launch of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The estate made its position unmistakably clear, stating any such use of the song at the Washington, DC, gathering was not authorized.
Freedom 250, the organization behind the event, had announced in April that the Great American State Fair would run from June 25 to July 10 in the heart of the capital. Breitbart Newss Nick Gilbertson reported the fair would feature a unique event every day and that all of the U.S. states and territories would be represented, underscoring its broad national scope.
The dispute over Hallelujah highlights a familiar tension between cultural gatekeepers and large-scale patriotic events that seek to draw on widely beloved music. At press time, its unclear if the classic ballad was played during the kick-off celebration for the mammoth event, but the estates intervention again raises questions about why certain artists and their representatives appear so eager to distance themselves from mainstream American celebrations.
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