VICTORIA - Nelly Furtado came to the rescue of dancers from her old high school during a celebration in her honour in her home town of Victoria today.

Dancers from Mount Douglas Secondary were in the middle of a performance when the sound system gave out.

But Furtado jumped on the stage and led the crowd of about 15-hundred people in a rendition of her hit single "Maneater.''

The Grammy-winner told the audience the incident shows that everything in life doesn't go perfectly, and it's the way people build character.

Furtado also thanked her school teachers, family members and the people of the Victoria area in a speech where her voice cracked with emotion.

She said she recalled being on the same stage in Centennial Square as a little girl singing a song in Portuguese as part of the community's annual summer Folkfest festival.

Furtado is kicking off a Canadian concert tour in Victoria.