The U.S. National Anthem in Spanish

Star-Spangled Banner -- in Spanish -- drawing protest, rage
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ
Associated Press

MIAMI -- British music producer Adam Kidron says he just wanted to honor the millions of immigrants seeking a better life in the U.S. when he came up with the idea of a Spanish-language version of the national anthem.

The initial version of Nuestro Himno, or Our Anthem comes out Friday and features artists such as Wyclef Jean, hip-hop star Pitbull and Puerto Rican singers Carlos Ponce and Olga Tanon.

Some Internet bloggers and others are infuriated by the thought of The Star-Spangled Banner sung in a language other than English, and the version of the song has already been the target of a fierce backlash.

``Would the French accept people singing the La Marseillaise in English as a sign of French patriotism? Of course not,'' said Mark Krikorian, head of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports tighter immigration controls.

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Bush Says Anthem Should Be in English
By JEANNINE AVERSA

WASHINGTON (AP) - The national anthem should be sung in English - not Spanish - President Bush declared Friday, amid growing restlessness over the millions of immigrants here illegally.

"One of the things that's very important is, when we debate this issue, that we not lose our national soul," the president exclaimed. "One of the great things about America is that we've been able to take people from all walks of life bound as one nation under God. And that's the challenge ahead of us."

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Listen to the audio and read the words in Spanish.