Vancouver Island singer Raymond Salgado took centre court on Thursday at an NBA game between the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls.
In a social media post, Salgado said his performance of the two countries’ national anthems at the game was a last-minute opportunity.
“Just this Tuesday I got an email randomly and of course being the risk taker that I am, I jumped on board literally this morning on a plane to Toronto,” he wrote Thursday.
He added that he hopes that proud moment was just a start of good things to come in 2024.
“Thank you to [the Raptors] for having me,” wrote Salgado. “Means a lot especially representing the LGBTQIA+ community tonight for ‘Pride Night.'”
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Salgado is no stranger to the limelight.
In 2021, he sang at a Vancouver Canucks Game at Rogers Arena, and in 2023 he was a finalist in Season two of Canada’s Got Talent.
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He’s also friends with another Vancouver Island-grown musical talent, Lauren Spencer-Smith. Spencer-Smith was an American Idol contest whose singles have gone on to top the daily iTunes charts in the U.S. and and abroad.
Some of her songs have also reached tens of millions of views.
Anyone looking to see Saldago sing in person will soon get the chance. He’s among the headliners for “The Power of Love” concert in Nanaimo on Feb. 10.
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Adam Chan
