Et Si Tu N'existais Pas │ Ştefan Roşcovan

In this edition of Angel Watchers we are featuring a wonderful singer by the name of Ştefan Roşcovan.  Ştefan was born on March 26, 1999, in Chișinău, which is the capital, and largest municipality of the Republic of Moldova.  His parents Angela and Anatol Cabari Roşcovan, are well known in the Moldavian music scene.  In addition to Ştefan's highly charged emotional performance, we were impressed by his excellent selection of song.  "Et Si Tu N'existais Pas (And If You Did Not Exist)" was composed by the late American singer/composer Joe Dassin.  My Dear Aunt Martha and I had not heard that song is such a long, long time.  You see, Joe Dassin passed away on August 20, 1980 while on vacation in Tahiti, and as far as the entertainment business is concerned, that is ancient history, so it was very surprising to hear Ştefan singing a terrific cover version of "Et Si Tu N'existais Pas".  Please click on the video widget below to watch a very moving musical performance of "Et Si Tu N'existais Pas" by Ştefan Roşcovan.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Kinderlach קינדרלך - Cherubim From Israel

Kinderlach קינדרלך (Smiling Children), is an amazing vocal group from Israel.  Their singing sounds so spiritual, which is not surprising as they have performed in synagogues all over the world.  The song that is being presented here is called "Ana B'Koach (We Beg Thee)", which is a Kabbalistic prayer of unknown authorship.  It is a plea for Israel's redemption from exile.  The "Ana B'koach" prayer is recited on Friday evenings during the Kabbalat Shabbbat Service, just prior to the singing of L'cha Dod.  For a very special musical experience, please join me, in listening to the beautiful, and spiritual, "Ana B'Koach".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Crank That (Soulja Boy) │ Brennen Maniaci

I am completely fascinated by Brennen Maniaci's performance of "Crank That (Soulja Boy)".  I saw a short video of it about six months ago.  In that video, he was doing the dance as part of an ensemble, but his dancing skills outshone the other dancers.  I was very happy to find a video of him doing a solo version of "Soulja Boy".  Incidentally,  "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was composed and performed by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way.  In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring Brennen's amazing and hypnotic performance of "Crank That (Soulja Boy)".  Brennen is very athletic and does some cool body flips.  By-the-way, I really like his facial expressions when he is barreling-down-the-groove!  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Only Time │ The Vienna Choir Boys' Goes Pop

In this edition of Angel Watchers we are featuring the Vienna Choir Boys' in their new pop incarnation.  This is quite a departure from their usual musical fare, but surprisingly, it works quite well.  In the video widget below they sing Enya's mega-hit "Only Time", and it is very beautifully done.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Guust Vandenbussche │ Ik Mis Je Zo

In this edition of Angel Watchers we are featuring Guust (August) Vandenbussche.  Guust was born in Belgium on November 6, 1998 and is making quite a name for himself in Europe.  In the video widget below he sings an incredibly heartfelt version of "Ik Mis Je Zo (I Miss You So)".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Ik Mis Je Zo
(Originele Lyrics In het Nederlands)

 
De regen stroomt als tranen langs de ruit.
Het is of de ganse hemel om je huilt.
Ik voel me zo mistroostig als het weer .
Ik mis je zo ik mis je meer en meer.

Refrain

Ik mis je zo, ik mis je meer en meer,
Ik zie je in men dromen keer op keer.
Wie zegt me hoe en waar zie ik je weer.
Ik mis je zo ik mis je meer en meer.


Ik weet niet wat er mij toen heeft bezielt.
Te denken dat ik minder van je hield.
Ik besef nu dat het lang niet over is,
Omdat ik jou nog alle dagen mis.

Refrain

Ik mis je zo, ik mis je meer en meer,
Ik zie je in men dromen keer op keer.
Wie zegt me hoe en waar zie ik je weer.
Ik mis je zo ik mis je meer en meer. 

I Miss You So

(English Translation)

The rain flows like tears across the window.
It is as if the whole sky around me is crying.
I feel as gloomy as the weather.
I miss you, I miss you more, and more.

Refrain

I miss you, I miss you more and more,
I see you in dreams again and again.
Who tells me how and where I'll see you again.
I miss you, I miss you more, and more.


I do not know what had gotten into me,
To make me think that I loved you less.
I realize now that it is far from over,
Because I miss you more every day.

Refrain

I miss you, I miss you more and more,
I see you in dreams again and again.
Who tells me how and where I'll see you again.
I miss you, I miss you more, and more.

Henley │ Hale Lytle

"Henley", a film short by multi-talented writer/director Craig Macneill, won the Grand Jury Prize for BEST SHORT FILM at the 2011 Carmel Film and Arts Festival.  "Henley" also  has been invited to be screened as an official selection at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.  It is a remarkable film, and Hale Lytle, the young actor who plays the part of Ted Henley is so believable and natural.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

La Révolte des Enfants │ The Revolt Of The Children

"La Révolte des Enfants (The Revolt Of The Children)" is an extremely evocative movie that was directed by Gérard Poitou-Weber.  As usual, my Dear Aunt Martha and I were searching the net for something interesting to share with all of the fans of Angel Watchers, when we stumbled, and I do mean stumbled, upon this hauntingly beautiful video.  The song that is played in the video below is called "La chanson de Grande-Ile (The Song Of The Big Island)", that was written by French composer René Aubry.  René is well known for blending classical harmonies with modern instrumentation.  This song is so wonderful, my Dear Aunt Martha and I wept as we listened to it, and we repeated it over and over again.  To briefly summarize the plot, the movie is about children who are sent to a French penal colony.  They stage a revolt that ends rather badly.  Please click on the video widget below for a very moving experience.   Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Ed Sanders (Toby) - The Avenging Angel

 

Ed Sanders, who was born in England, is a remarkable talent who seemed to have dropped off of the entertainment radar screen.  Which is a shame because he had such a beautiful voice.  When Ed auditioned for the role of Tobias Ragg (Toby) in Tim Burton's magnificent "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", he competed, literally, against hundreds of other boys to win that much coveted role.  It was a well deserved win, as I cannot imagine any one else playing that part.  Stephen Sondheim, the American composer who wrote  "Sweeny Todd" for Broadway, is considered to be a genius of the American musical theater.  Some of you may remember him as being the lyricist of "West Side Story", and the composer of the very special and enigmatic,  "Send In The Clowns" from the Broadway play "A Little Night Music".  Sondheim had the good fortune as a very young teenager, to be tutored personally, in the fine arts and craft of musical theater writing by the great Oscar Hammerstein II, who is also an iconic, American genius of the American musical stage, and screen.  "Sweeny Todd" is an incredibly violent movie, so that when Ed Sanders (Toby) sings "Not While I'm Around" to Nellie Lovett, played so excellently by Helena Bonham Carter, it is a brief, but well welcomed respite from all the killings that have transpired in the film.  It is a very difficult song to sing, as all of  Sondheim's songs are, because of its atonal nature and chords, that make it a challenge to ferret out the correct notes to sing.  To add to that difficulty, Ed sings "Not While I'm Around" in two key signatures, first in a high registry, than in a low.  Because of the extreme range of the melody, this is no small feat to accomplish.  The modulation that separates these two keys is very subtle, as a good modulation should be, so that one really does not notice it.  To put this in plain language, when Ed starts to sing the song, it sounds really high.  When he repeats it after Nellie Lovett's solo, it sounds low.  What a performance it is.  Ed's voice is so sweet, poignant, innocent, deeply moving, and so sensitive, that it is irresistible to the heart.  Whenever I listen to it, and I listen to it a lot, it puts me into a wistful, but deliciously melancholy mood.  I love this song.  I find it surprising though, that "Not While I'm Around" has not been discovered by more people.  It is a Twenty-First Century classic.  There are good reasons why I call this post "Ed Sanders (Toby) - The Avenging Angel", but it would spoil the plot for those of you who have not seen the movie as of yet, so I will not elucidate on it in this post.  "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a must see movie.  Let's bring out the popcorn, drinks, and candy, and enjoy Ed Sanders wonderful performance of "Not While I'm Around".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Buleria │ Canelita

Canelita (Jonatan Vera), was born in the barrio La Bajadilla, in Algeciras, Cadiz, a port city in the south of Spain.  This is also the hometown of flamenco guitar master Paco de Lucia.  Canelita had a hard life with no frills, but this has only deepened his singing, which is why his voice has such an innate sound of pain, maturity, and anguish.  It is a wonderful voice, and it resonates deep in my heart.  My mother's father was born in Malaga, Spain, the heartland of flamenco, so this kind of music is very special to me.  I had a very difficult time finding a video suitable enough to present on Angel Watchers, because most of them were of poor technical quality, as they were recorded, documentary style, on the streets, and around various locations in Spain.  Canelita sings a Buleria in the video below, which is a very dramatic type of flamenco song, as it gives the singer the most freedom for improvisation, and expression.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

The Galway Girl │ The Wee Amigos

The Wee Amigos are a refreshing new Irish Country Music Band.  The members of the group are, Simon Peters, Ben Troy, and Gerald Ahern.  Let me say this:  The Wee Amigos are fantastic!  They hail from towns of Donegal, Cork and Monaghan in Ireland.  In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring the The Wee Amigos singing that Irish classic, "The Galway Girl".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Faces of Children (Visages d'enfants) │ Jean Forest

Jean Forest

"Faces Of Children (Visages d'enfants) 1925" is a haunting film about a troubled child.  Even though it was released eighty-six years ago, it is still very powerful and moving.  Jean Forest plays the part of Jean Amsler, who is mourning the death of his mother, and is not quite able to come to terms with his personal loss.  In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring a very beautiful edit of "Faces Of Children" that was put together by MikeLesMiserables.  He was able to distill the essence of the movie from two hours down to seven minutes, and that is quite an artistic feat.  Please click on the video widget below for a very emotional experience.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Smile

  Smile

 Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll see the sun come shinning through for you.

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near

That's the time  you must keep on trying

Smile what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

if you just smile.  

~ Charlie Chaplin ~

 Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

 

Victor Santos │ An Extraordinary Singer Guitarist From Brazil

Victor Santos is the son of the famous Brazilian singer/composer Louro Santos.   In my estimation Victor is every bit as talented as his father.  What sets Victor apart from the pack though, is that he sings beautifully, and also plays guitar really well.  There are so many videos of young singers playing the guitar on YouTube, but most of them do not play well at all.  Victor is the exception.  He knows how to handle a guitar.  In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring Victor, and his younger brother Gabriel in an extraordinary unplugged video.  It is very refreshing to listen and watch videos that are not filled with all of that junk electronic noise.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Amós Lora │ Entre Dos Aguas

In this edition of Angel Watchers we are featuring flamenco guitarist Amós Lora, who was born in Madrid, Spain on September 9, 1999.  Amós is a wonderful guitarist, and he has a very bright future ahead of him in the entertainment world.  In the video widget below he plays the incredibly difficult "Entre Dos Aguas (In Mid-Water)" that was composed by the great Paco de Lucia.  I could not help but notice Amós' very disciplined right hand.  It is so good that he make playing fast notes look so easy.  Amós is obviously having a very good time playing his guitar.  By-the-way, I really like his beatific smile.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Léo Rispal │ Perhaps and Somewhere Over The Rainbow

In this edition of Angel Watchers I just had to do a double-play featuring the amazing Léo Rispal from France.  Who can resist Léo Rispal's sassy rendition of that old Doris Day classic "Perhaps".  Notice the real mojo in his walk as he struts confidently around the stage.  When I first viewed this video, I almost fell on the floor because it was so cool, and charming.  And that hat Léo is wearing. What a perfect touch to his ensemble.  It also adds a lot to his musical performance.  I never get tired of watching this video.  Léo has a lot of videos on YouTube, but this one is the best by far.  It's so much fun to watch.  But the icing on the cake is Léo's haunting performance of Judy Garland's timeless classic, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow.  In a sense, Léo does a daring rendition, as he only has a solo piano accompanying him.  That is about as  unplugged as can you get.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Street Magic │ Zvezdi Molchat

The music of  Vlad Krutskikh and Street Magic are totally irresistible.  If you are feeling rather low, and down and out today, click on the video widget below to hear a rollicking, jovial, happy, and exuberant rendition of "Zvezdi Molchat (The Stars Are Silent)".  This video is as cute, as cute can be.  It will put a big smile on your face.  I really can't hear enough of Street Magic.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Rajem - Kyrie Eleison - Lord Have Mercy │ Mordechai Shapiro

 

Rajem, Kyrie Eleison, Lord Have Mercy, they all mean the same thing no matter what language you are using.    Twelve-year old Mordechai Shapiro's plaintive call to God in "Rajem" is a great prayer, that will not go unanswered, or unheeded.  He is joined on stage by Yaakov Shewkey.  In these deeply troubled times, where the world could go up in flames at anytime, we need to be reassured that God is still in control, listening to us, and has a grip on things.  Mordechai is a member of the prestigious Miami Boys Choir.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Johnny Hammer │ Hands To The Sky

Check out Johnny Hammer's cool new video.  Happy New Year to all of the fans of Angel Watchers.