News the Stars Bring Today

He’s no newcomer to the Public, after winning Popstars with the group “Rivals” in 2002, but the band broke up and he decided to try his luck with X Factor, as a soloist. He’s also a songwriter and actor and you can hear some of his songs on his Myspace page. I found his birth date (5/29/78), so I looked at his astrology to see if he might have a chance, and he does: his Moon is in Aquarius, and since Jupiter is transiting in Capricorn, the timing is auspicious for wealth.

Here he is singing “Kiss From a Rose” (Seal):

The Italian X Factor is in its second season and it’s always so exciting and competitive. Like Denmark, each judge (musical producer Mara Maionchi, the singer Morgan and the very popular TV hostess Simona Ventura) is a mentor to certain contestants (groups, and age groups.) Last year, the Aram Quartet, mentored by Morgan, won. This year Matteo Becucci won in April.

Matteo has just finished his X Factor tour, but you can check his upcoming engagements on his Official Myspace. Unbelievably, he is 38 years old, and hails from Livorno, Italy, and I think he looks like Bon Jovi. Here is Matteo singing David Bowie’s song “Starman” (April 1972).

Chiana Pelekai

No one expects a little 8 year old to have a very mature voice, but the judges and the audience at America’s got Talent were in for a big surprise, when tiny 8 yr old Chiana Pelekai came on the stage, showing off her new dress. She is on youtube with her older sister, Teilliana, and has competed in many contests before. Here she is singing Etta James’ R & B song (1961) “At last”.

When she was 7 years old, here she is singing “Listen” Dream Girls in Honolulu. Chiana is often compared to another Asian singer, Charice Pempengco, age 17, from the Philippines.

Mohamed Ali, Denmark

Denmark X Factor is in its second season. Last year, Martin Hoberg Hedegaard, a 15 year old, won the competition. He’s something of a Danish Justin Timberlake, and does a pretty decent Moonwalk. The last three finalists this year, were 15 yr old Mohamed Ali, the Alien Beat Club, and Linda Andrews. I particularly enjoyed Mohamed Ali; both he and last year’s winner, Martin, were coached by the Danish music producer Remee (Mikkel Johan Eemer Sigvardt) (the judge with the hat). Here’s Mohamed singing a famous Michael Jackson song, “I Want You Back” (1969):

Ms. Andrews, 35, was the public’s favorite and went on to win, but I’m sure that the charismatic Mohamed Ali will have an illustrious career. She is actually from the Faroe Islands, which is an autonomous province of the Kingdom of Denmark, halfway between Scotland and Iceland. Here she is, early in the competition, singing one of Duffy’s tunes, “Mercy“(You can see her daughter in the audience.)

Even though Ms Boyle came in the runner-up in Britain’s Got Talent, it seems that every day, some of her musical accomplishments are uncovered. This is beautiful recording, uncovered by The Telegraph. The two songs she recorded are “Cry Me A River” and “Killing Me Softly”, both originally recorded by Ms. Roberta Flack in 1973.

According to the Telegraph: “The recording unearthed by Telegraph.co.uk is an earlier demo tape that Ms Boyle had produced to send to record companies, and to local and national TV and radio talent competitions including Michael Barrymore’s My Kind of People, for which she later auditioned but was rejected.

The recording was made at her own expense with Miss Boyle telling friends at the time that she had “spent all her savings” on it.” According to the Mirror, the album is being rushed off to the States, and they expect it will bring in 6 million pounds.

The Telegraph also reported that welsh born Catherine Zeta Jones was very inspired by Ms Boyle and has asked for the film rights to represent Ms Boyle, if and when her life story is done. She certainly has a compelling story, as “the 48-year-old spinster was born with minor brain damage and has learning difficulties.“(The Mirror)

Will young Birmingham’s Aidan follow in the footsteps of George Sampson, the fourteen yr-old who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2008? According to The Mirror, UK, Aidan was voted through along with 10year old, Hollie Steel, last night for tonight’s final performance.There are now 10 final acts, according to ITV: Susan Boyle (singer); Diversity (dancing): Shaun Smith (singer); Flawless (dancing); Shaheen Jafargholi (singer); Stavros Flatley (comedy dancing); 2 Grand (singers); Julian Smith (saxophonist); Hollie Steel (singer); and Aidan Davis (dancing).

The Mirror took its own poll, and Susan Boyle waltzed into the top position, with Julian Smith on her heels followed by Aidan. We’ll find out later who the winner is.

Well, the results are in, with Diversity taking the first place, and Susan Boyle, the runner-up.

Last Tuesday night, I missed the beginning of American Idol, so I did a search and I was stunned to find this gem from Adam Lambert’s past. He is singing “Come With Me, Bend With Me” from the hit Broadway musical, Brigadoon, that has been a sensation off and on since 1947.

Brigadoon is about an enchanted village that is blessed to be preserved from destruction by only appearing every hundred years, for only a day. Two Americans happen to stumble upon the Scottish village, and one of them falls in love with one of the village’s prettiest unwed lasses. He has to make a fateful, and quick decision.

Across the waters in England, Greg Pritchard, who has a fashion and hair style similar to Adam’s, stunned the audience and the Judges by singing “Nessun Dorma”. Little did I know that on this side of the Atlantic, our own Adam Lambert had delved into the more conventional aspect of music and quite stunningly so, I might add. Unfortunately, for admirers of this genre of music, Adam does not plan to stay with that style of music.

Here is the recording of him singing “live” in Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, in 2004.

According to Woman Honor Thyself, the aria “Nessun Dorma from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot”, is sung by a Prince who has fallen in love with an almost unattainable princess and he has a riddle to figure out, otherwise he will be beheaded. The first winner of Britain’s Got Talent, Paul Potts performed it. It is a very difficult aria, but a young modern looking, stylish, and, I might say, roguish, young man, Greg Pritchard performed it to even higher perfection to the amazement of all. He looks more like a rock star.

According to Patricia at Celebrity Right Pudit  “The 24-year-old Greg Pritchard pictures himself completely outside of the usual classifications of male voices, though acknowledging that his voice would be classified a countertenor in the Baroque era of music…(and) he is from Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales where he is a hotel waiter.”

Greg doesn’t seem to have any professional singing experience, he says he sings around the house. With his unusual high range, some speculate that he’s a transvetite.

Well, this season is evolving to be hotly contested competition, with many newcomers appearing, among them a 10 yr old girl from South London, Natalie Okri, By the way Okri is a Nigerian name. I wonder if she might be related to the award winning London based Nigerian poet, Ben Okri? so many new celebrities and contenders that world sensation Scottish Susan Boyle may have the jitters.

Not only Natalie, but also several other sensations have made this season very interesting, according to Patricia at Celebrity Right Pundit: “the 10-year-old Hollie Steel, singing ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’ and 12-year-old Shaheen Jafargholi singing the Michael Jackson classic, Who’s Loving You. She ranks alongside Shaun Smith whom Simon Cowell called a young Mick Hucknall, and Greg Pritchard, the self-described ‘male soprano’ who sang Nessum Dorma and the 37-year-old pizza delivery man, Jamie Pugh making his remarkable debut singing in public with ‘Bring Him Home’ from Les Miserables. “

Here she is stunning the Judges with her impeccable rendition of Alicia Keyes “No One”. This is one Nigerian that definitely is not a scam.