When thinking of classical/pop-opera-type male vocal groups Il Divo has to be my "true north"; there's an archived post about them here. Since their success others have emulated their style, and while still lacking polish, glamorous settings and international followings, they still do a darn good job! Several groups of this style have been discovered via TV talent shows: America's Got Talent (AGT), and Britain's Got Talent (BGT). One such group appeared on AGT auditions just last week, they call themselves Vox.
A group called Collabro competed in BGT last year:
Anybody notice the "we've only been together for a month" thing in both the AGT and BGT clips? Oh, and those phoney expressions captured on the faces of BGT judges. There was a hint of the same at AGT too, not shown in the clip. (LOL!!!) Oh the manipulation! But the lads are good.
The Texas Tenors performed for the judges of AGT in 2009
3 Redneck Tenors came from AGT's second season, in 2007. "Redneck" is a gimmick, but it possibly brings them audiences who could otherwise have dismissed this music style as "not our thang".
Finally, one from my "true north", singing one of my favourite songs too, all the while glad-handing ladies of the audience:
A group called Collabro competed in BGT last year:
Anybody notice the "we've only been together for a month" thing in both the AGT and BGT clips? Oh, and those phoney expressions captured on the faces of BGT judges. There was a hint of the same at AGT too, not shown in the clip. (LOL!!!) Oh the manipulation! But the lads are good.
The Texas Tenors performed for the judges of AGT in 2009
3 Redneck Tenors came from AGT's second season, in 2007. "Redneck" is a gimmick, but it possibly brings them audiences who could otherwise have dismissed this music style as "not our thang".
Finally, one from my "true north", singing one of my favourite songs too, all the while glad-handing ladies of the audience:
wow wow and wow.. I heard Vox Friday night and was so happy I hadn't turned off the tv and gone to bed when they announced boy band..
ReplyDeletelistened again and this morning and also to the Pavarotti version. I could listen to it all day and never tire of it.
that song, sung well, literally makes me feel I am floating= seriously it does.
I heard it the first time in Madison square garden when I was 5 years old- don't know who was singing- and I cried. something about that song has magical qualities for me. It seems to reverberate in my body and speak to every cell to work in harmonious flow.
thsnk you for posting this Annie.. I will save the link and listen many time today.
I very much enjoy a good male tenor's voice, just as I do a female's soprano (or alto soprano). I've heard the same music sang by various individuals, but some have a magnificence in their voice, the others are just plain ol' good, but not superior. I'm not sure what it is that provides the exceptionalism to some. I'm not a fan of opera, but probably because I'm not educated about the stories behind the music and most are in a foreign language. I like Josh Groban's voice and he is known for his tenor, with an exceptional range. Choi Sung-bong has quite the voice and it will be interesting to see how far he goes ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ46Ot4_lLo ).
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ReplyDeleteI agree Mike, Choi does have a very good voice.. yet,, something about his story just doesn't ring true to me. in fact it sent all kinds of bells and whistles off inside and when that happens my intuition usually proves accurate..
Sonny ~ Glad you enjoyed - it's a great and uplifting piece, and it never gets old. :-)
ReplyDeleteSonny - Howdy! Who knows with these talent contests. They've all been mired in controversy, with an occasional sham contestant. Either way, Choi is presenting his voice, not his history, and his voice is amazing. Wiki has a page on him and here's an excerpt...he appears to have passed scrutiny so far:
ReplyDelete"Choi Sung Bong was born in Seoul and abandoned in an orphanage at the age of 3. He ran away from the institution two years later because he was ill-treated and beaten by the staff. He took a bus to Dae-Jeon and for 10 years he lived as a “street kid’ among criminals and drug addicts in the red light district, sleeping on stairwells and in public washrooms. He said that he survived by scraping a living by selling chewing gum and energy drinks on the street and in a nightclub."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_Sung-bong
mike ~ I'm not true opera fan, but have always enjoyed the best known operatic pieces - "pop opera". That genre was my first love - a lasting one too. Mario Lanza, Mario Frangoulis as solo singers, and Il Divo as a group are my #1s. I enjoy all the groups for their diversity. The guy in the middle of Texas Tenors - his voice gives me goose bumps, as do all the voices of Il Divo.
ReplyDeleteThat last song "Impossible Dream", by the way, is included here especially for Bernie. ;-) It brought tears to my eyes. I hope that he'll also be singing along with the last verse of "Nessun Dorma": Vincerò! Vincerò!
ReplyDeleteMike,
maybe its the language/culture barrier or that they don't seem to use the facial emotions I'm used to seeing.
anyway- great voice and I wish him well and much happiness for the rest of his life. sad to think of a 5 year old on a bus alone headed to the dark street and all that happens there to the innocent.:(
Bernie is doing much better than I had anticipated. Some biographical essays have appeared in the mainstream of late and I take that to be a good sign that editors are taking notice of Bernie's popularity and want to cover his background. The younger generation is definitely supportive and could carry him to election.
ReplyDeleteSeveral recent articles about Bernie:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-119927.html#.VaPv3PmovIU
http://college.usatoday.com/2015/07/09/viewpoint-bernie-sanders-perfect-fit-for-millennials/
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/opinion/sunday/the-bernie-sanders-moment.html?_r=0
mike (again) ~ Yes, I'm so encouraged by the response he's getting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links - I hadn't seen the first article before- it's excellent, and doesn't disappoint on his background and history at all. Was glad to read that Eugene Debs is a hero of his - he's one of mine too.
I'd seen the second linked article - also encouraging! The third link needed a subscription to see more than para 1 though. Never mind. There'll be others for sure, more and more of them as more people wake up and....can't resist this one "feel the Bern". :-)