18 December - Happy Birthday to British astrologer Jonathan Cainer, and pop/opera singer Mario Frangoulis - one a longtime favourite of mine, the other a newer voice to me, and one I very much appreciate.
I'll not be presumptuous enough to investigate Jonathan's natal chart, but I'll dare to take a peek at Mario's. There's a wee problem though. Some sources say he was born 1966, some 1967. Just a very brief look then, to see what a difference a year makes.
A recent interview available on YouTube, below, offers a chance to see and hear Mario speaking about his career, and a little about his charity work, but not a clear idea of who he is - other than that he appears unaffected, non-glitzy and charming, in a quiet way.
He is a tireless supporter of charities.
INTERVIEW
As no time of birth is known, the 1966 and 1967 charts for Mario Frangoulis are set for 12 noon. He was born in Zimbabwe when it was known as Rhodesia, but moved to live in Greece at a young age. In the absence of an exact location, I've used the capital, Salisbury, which will suffice to indicate planetary positions.
(Click on image to enlarge).
Moon, Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter all in different signs '66 to '67, leaving the only common ground as Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius, and the 3 outer planets in the same signs in both years.
Moon's Nodes move from Taurus/Scorpio in 66, to Aries/Libra in 67.
There's a case to be made for either chart, the Moon remains in a compassionate water sign, which could have been a give-away had it moved to a less sensitive placing. I quite like the Mars in Aquarius for him - it could link to his humanitarian drive towards helping charities, but that might come from philosophical Sagittarius too, or from his unknown ascendant. I like Venus in Scorpio, for the passion he displays in his songs, but again that could come from the ascendant. It's a mystery, but if pushed, and in the absence of a birth time, I'd choose the 1967 chart, on the right.
In an interview about his career for Hello Magazine, Mario said
"I'm not putting myself across as this major opera star, I'm just being Mario, a simple guy who does good music." The crossover pop/opera genre is becoming ever more popular. Il Divo, Amici Forever, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli and others are all enjoying sucess just now. Along with that other crossover genre of standards/pop/jazz (e.g. Michael Buble, Nora Jones), such artists are filling gaps left in modern popular music, where novelty tends to usurp quality. A prediction: this trend will grow and grow over the next few years.
Mario Frangoulis with Justin Hayward: "Nights in White Satin"
I'll not be presumptuous enough to investigate Jonathan's natal chart, but I'll dare to take a peek at Mario's. There's a wee problem though. Some sources say he was born 1966, some 1967. Just a very brief look then, to see what a difference a year makes.
A recent interview available on YouTube, below, offers a chance to see and hear Mario speaking about his career, and a little about his charity work, but not a clear idea of who he is - other than that he appears unaffected, non-glitzy and charming, in a quiet way.
He is a tireless supporter of charities.
"The World Centers of Compassion for Children has a specially elected Ambassador of Peace. Mario Frangoulis is a world acclaimed Greek tenor. He has starred in numerous theater productions from London’s West End to New York City. From musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber to Rogers and Hammerstein, Mario Frangoulis has graced the stage of many top venues.
With a strong passion to help, Mario Frangoulis has always had a drive to engage with charitable organizations. He has sung in approximately forty charity galas, such as the Red Cross Annual Ball, held at the Grosvenor House, several galas organized by the Greek foundation Elpida -a charity dedicated to the cure of children who suffer from cancer- and many others. His commitment to making a difference was a perfect match with the World Centers of Compassion for Children." (Here)
INTERVIEW
As no time of birth is known, the 1966 and 1967 charts for Mario Frangoulis are set for 12 noon. He was born in Zimbabwe when it was known as Rhodesia, but moved to live in Greece at a young age. In the absence of an exact location, I've used the capital, Salisbury, which will suffice to indicate planetary positions.
(Click on image to enlarge).
Moon, Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter all in different signs '66 to '67, leaving the only common ground as Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius, and the 3 outer planets in the same signs in both years.
Moon's Nodes move from Taurus/Scorpio in 66, to Aries/Libra in 67.
There's a case to be made for either chart, the Moon remains in a compassionate water sign, which could have been a give-away had it moved to a less sensitive placing. I quite like the Mars in Aquarius for him - it could link to his humanitarian drive towards helping charities, but that might come from philosophical Sagittarius too, or from his unknown ascendant. I like Venus in Scorpio, for the passion he displays in his songs, but again that could come from the ascendant. It's a mystery, but if pushed, and in the absence of a birth time, I'd choose the 1967 chart, on the right.
In an interview about his career for Hello Magazine, Mario said
"I'm not putting myself across as this major opera star, I'm just being Mario, a simple guy who does good music." The crossover pop/opera genre is becoming ever more popular. Il Divo, Amici Forever, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli and others are all enjoying sucess just now. Along with that other crossover genre of standards/pop/jazz (e.g. Michael Buble, Nora Jones), such artists are filling gaps left in modern popular music, where novelty tends to usurp quality. A prediction: this trend will grow and grow over the next few years.
Mario Frangoulis with Justin Hayward: "Nights in White Satin"
