Squamish singer-songwriter Dana-Marie Battaglia's pitch-perfect voice and smooth guitar strumming has already garnered her a healthy local fan base - but even she's been surprised at the adulation she's gotten while performing at various Olympic events over the past few weeks.
And the highlight of all her 17 Olympic gigs may end up being the requested private show for Olympic athletes at Whistler Village.
"They specifically asked for inspiring original music, and I was so honoured that they asked me," she wrote in an email to The Chief. "Their job is to inspire the world, and my job apparently, is to inspire them. How cool is that?!"
The gig might have been a result of her impressive rendition of national anthems few weeks ago. The enthusiastic entertainer memorized the Russian and Swiss anthems and sang them for the women's hockey teams in an exhibition game at Brennan Park.
"The teams were really impressed and afterwards I'm told that the Swiss coach said I broke his heart - in a good way," Battaglia said.
The songstress said she's very excited with her extensive involvement with the Games, because people all too often lose sight of the true meaning of the Olympic Games.
"People tend to get lost in all the politics and forget that the Olympics are really about the human experience. The entire world has come together to celebrate what we all have in common; achieving our goals and having pride in personal accomplishment - everything that drives us as race."
And if you've strolled Olympic sites from Vancouver to Whistler and anywhere in between within the last couple of weeks, you've likely heard Battaglia's soft but powerful voice somewhere amidst the chaos of the Games.
Battaglia's Games time shows have included performances at the Squamish and Whistler Torch Relay ceremonies with Barney Bentall and the Grand Cariboo Opry, several on the streets of Whistler Olympic Village as a part of the Whistler Live program, as well as a handful of performances on the Town Plaza stage and the Whistler Olympic Park in front of as many as 6,000 spectators.
"I have had the most Olympic experiences of anyone I know, for which I am really grateful and excited," she wrote.
"I am honoured to be given all of these amazing opportunities to be a part of this experience with the whole world. I am grateful that VANOC is embracing our local culture and recognizing local artists."
Even though Battaglia has years of performing and an album under her belt, gigging at the Olympics is a huge thrill for the performer.
The Ontario-born performer said the first time she played on the Town Plaza stage she shockingly realized how many people were watching her.
"I knew there would be a lot of people there, but I wasn't expecting there to be thousands I think the part that surprised me was that there were so many people actually watching me, they brought a camera guy over, they put me up on a giant screen and they announced me," she said. "That certainly is the largest audience I have ever seen. It was amazing."
Battaglia was also chosen to represent Squamish in the Whistler Live Sea to Sky Artists' project and to sing the Canadian national anthem during the Paralympic Torch Relay ceremony.
She is currently working with Canadian producer, engineer and mixer John Ellis to finish her second album, which is expected to be released a little later this year.
