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 The American six-time Grammy Award winner was a surprise
addition to the ceremony, aimed at setting the stage for 16 days
of competition in the continent's first multi-sports event which
Azerbaijan hopes will put it firmly on the global sports map.
In a two-hour curtain-raiser produced by Dimitris Papaioannou,
who was in charge of the Athens 2004 Olympics ceremonies, the
history of the nation on the shores of the Caspian sea unfurled
in a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds.
"This is the proudest moment in the history of the European
Olympic Committees," EOC President Patrick Hickey, whose
organization awarded the Games to Baku in 2012, said in a brief
speech.
"We are creating a landmark moment in European sport. Tonight we
add the missing fifth ring to the continental Games of the
world."
The 6,000 athletes entered the stadium with Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev watching from the stands, along with Russian
President Vladimir Putin, sitting next to International Olympic
Committee President Thomas Bach, and 35 other heads of state.
A wide security cordon was thrown around the stadium and the
surrounding area hours before the ceremony started.
The energy-rich nation has spent well over a billion dollars to
stage its biggest sports extravaganza to date, building several
venues from scratch for the 16-day competition.
ARMENIA BOOED
The Games, featuring 50 nations, have, however failed to attract
the biggest track and field athletes and swimmers. Instead,
lower-ranked competitors will take part in two of the most
popular sports in the Olympic world.
The second edition in 2019 is also up in the air after
Netherlands withdraw from hosting it two days ago and less than
a month after being awarded the event citing the cost.
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Kosovo, only recently admitted to the Olympic family, made its
maiden appearance at an international multi-sports event but there
were loud boos and jeers when the Armenian team entered the Olympic
stadium.
The two countries are at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
as recently as April several soldiers from both sides were killed
and more were injured.
Armenia's Olympic committee chief has not traveled to Baku while the
country's participation in the Games was only possible after the
intervention of Bach last year.
Azerbaijan, whose government has banned officials from human rights
organizations as well as some media from entering the country, is
facing accusations of consistent human rights violations in the
run-up to the Games.
Ruled by the Aliyev family since 1993, Azerbaijan has rejected the
accusations saying they were an effort by "some western circles to
politicize the Games."
While the opening ceremony offered organizers a brief respite from
these questions, they are set to return when the competition starts
in earnest on Saturday.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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