City at ‘civil war’ for years over who can play Celine Dion the loudest

A small city in New Zealand is currently the location of intense ‘siren battles’ involving the music of Celine Dion, irritating local residents.

Porirua, which sits in the south of Te Ika-a-Māui, New Zealand’s northern island, has been dogged by these battles for ‘months on end’ according to reports.

According to local media, people will drive to a particular spot in the city and, using siren-type speakers, will attempt to play music as loud as possible.

And it seems Celine, 55, has gradually emerged as the best choice for the contestants who want to win – much to the chagrin of everyone else.

The city’s mayor, Anita Barker, has called on the siren battlers to cease their public annoyance contests and respect the frustrations of the local community.

She said: ‘It’s a headache. They love Celine Dion. They like anyone with a high pitch and great tone in their voice.

‘It’s really loud music. They only play a quarter of the song, so it’s like having a turntable and it comes screeching out.’

Speaking of its effect on residents, she said: ‘It’s happening in our city centre, which is like a basin, so the noise just goes out like a drum to all the suburbs.’

‘People are just not getting any sleep, because it’s all hours,’ she said, revealing that over 300 people have come to the mayor’s office with complaints.

One resident said that, while she loves hearing Celine Dion from the comfort of her living room, she didn’t enjoy hearing loud ‘fragments’ of her songs at 2am.

Celine Dion has sold over 200million records, making her one of the most successful recording artists of all time – she has two UK number ones.

The My Heart Will Go On singer has recently been battling chronic health issues, dealing with symptoms of stiff person syndrome in recent years.

Her sister said: ‘You know people jump up in the night because of a cramp in the leg or the calf? It’s like that, but in all muscles. There’s little we can do to support her, to alleviate her pain.’

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