Warren “Wawa” Snipe will perform at an event this weekend in which many artists only dream of making an appearance: the Super Bowl. Snipe, who is deaf, will perform the national anthem and “America the Beautiful” in American Sign Language (ASL) during the pre-event party, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) announced last month. .
“I felt very honored and humbled to be selected to perform these songs in the Super Bowl,” said Snipe, a creative artist who acts, creates, performs music and more. “It was always my dream to act in the Super Bowl, and I would also love to be able to do the part-time show at ASL!” Snipe added.
Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan will sing the national anthem during pre-Super Bowl LV events, with HER scheduled to sing “America the Beautiful.” Snipe told CBS News that he and the other performers will rehearse together “to make sure we’re lined up and ready for game day.”
Snipe explained that ASL’s performances usually match the tenor, rhythm, and tempo of how the singers perform the songs. He said he has been preparing to perform a rendition of the songs that he “follows closely” as this year’s singers normally perform them. “My focus will continue on how this year’s singers manage the songs in their own way,” said the avid 50-year-old football fan.
Roy Cox / Photograph by Roy Cox
There’s been an ASL player in the Super Bowl since 1992, and the NAD has been involved with the NFL in choosing the ASL player since 2009, according to Howard A. Rosenblum, executive director and director of services. of the NAD.
Snipe said he thinks it’s important to have an ASL performer for the big game’s flagship songs for one main reason: “Access. Just like that.”
“He Deaf and deaf community you need access to these iconic songs like everyone else, “Snipe explained.” For those who listen to it, try watching TV with sound and subtitles turned off, and you’ll experience inaccessibility. Why not make everything accessible to everyone, including the deaf and hard of hearing? “
He added that the representation of people in the deaf and hard of hearing community offered by ASL’s performance in public places “is important because ASL is the language of our community and should be one of us that take action “.
To help make live events more accessible Deaf and deaf communityRosenblum told CBS News that “ideally” the ASL performances of the iconic songs would be “fully shown” during television broadcasts.
“In addition, each live event must ensure that any ASL performance or performance is displayed visually on large screens within the event so that everyone can see it, as well as accurate captions provided by professionals available throughout the event. so that everyone can see it, “he said. explained. “Both ASL and subtitles are needed, as each serves different segments of the deaf and hard of hearing community, some only speak English or ASL, and others are fluent.”
Broadcasters have been criticized in the past for not broadcasting full ASL performances in the Super Bowl. “The deaf community would like to see the performances of the ASL in its entirety on television,” Rosenblum said. “We look forward to this day. We appreciate the NFL’s efforts to push sports accessibility to new heights.” NAD plans to post the full version of both performances on its YouTube page after the live broadcast.
While the opportunity to perform in the Super Bowl may be one of the highlights of any artist’s career, Snipe has been on stage for years. He had a first taste in acting in high school, then specialized in theater in college.
Snipe developed “Dip Hop” in the late 1990s, which he defines as “Hip Hop Through Deaf Eyes,” with a mix of audio and images.
“Hip Hop is the hearing culture version, and you have to show a deaf culture version of Hip Hop,” he said. “Dip Hop is a different genre to help listeners understand deaf culture, as well as for deaf people to understand Hip Hop.”
In 2016, Snipe released “Deaf: So What ?!” an album that aimed to show the appeal of music to everyone, NAD said. He recently released his third album, “Wamilton”.
In addition to his work as a pioneering recording artist, Snipe is also an actor and said he is currently involved in film and television projects. In particular, he has had a recurring role in The CW series, “Black Lightning.”
He explained that he hopes his work in film and television “will pave the way for more opportunities for black deaf actors, as we are often overlooked for their roles.” Snipe added, “I hope Hollywood realizes that many of us are ready to be part of the world of acting.”
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