Space Oddity │ Commander Chris Hadfield

All I can say about this video is WOW!  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

With Love From Hawaii │ Taimane Gardner

In this edition of Angel Watchers it gives me great pleasure to feature the very talented Taimane Gardner.  Taimane is one of Hawaii's musical diamonds.  She plays all styles of music on her ukulele from Mozart to Kui Lui.  Now that is talent.  Taimane is the new face of music in Hawaii.  Most of you know that I was born and raised in Hawaii, and I have lived here all of my life.  As I mentioned in my Angel Watchers' profile, "I can't imagine living anywhere else."  Hawaii is truly a magical place with wonderful people.  Just this afternoon, as I was walking from the Queen's Hospital (to visit my dear Aunt Martha), toward the Hawaii State Library, I could not help but notice all the beautiful island people who passed by me.  Need I mention that it was also a gorgeous afternoon with the air redolent of flowers, and a sky so blue that it almost made me cry?  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Skaterdater

In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring "Skaterdater".  This is the classic film-short from 1965 that the won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.  It was also nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Short Subject category, and won First prizes in international film festivals including Moscow and Venice.  This is a great coming-of-age film.  One thing that is really unique about this movie is that it has no dialogue, but to compensate for that, the visuals are astonishing and it has a terrific soundtrack.  Incidentally this was the first skateboard movie ever made, and it is probably still the best of the genre.  By-the-way, Carroll Ballard, the director of "The Black Stallion" was one of the camera-persons on this project.  I must say that watching "Skaterdater" made me feel so young and nostalgic for days gone by.  There are parts of "Skaterdater" that captures the mystical and carefree nature of youth perfectly.  "Skaterdater" is really about the Zen of skateboarding.  You can watch the complete movie by clicking on the video widget below.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Koyaanisqatsi

In the Hopi language, the word Koyaanisqatsi means "unbalanced life".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Ender's Game

The trailer for the forthcoming "Ender's Game" movie was finally released today and it is great.  I have been waiting a long time for this film.  "Ender's Game" will start to show in theaters on November 1, 2013.  I first read "Ender's Game", written by Orson Scott Card in 1992, and it has been my most favorite book in the world ever since.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Yura Demidovich │ Юра Демидович

Yura Demidovich, the twelve-year old singing sensation from Belarus, has been generating a fair amount of controversy on the internet because of the hit song that he composed called, "Volshebnyi Krolik", or Волшебный Кролик ("Magic Rabbit", also known colloquially as "Etis Atis Animatis").  When I first heard this song, it sent shivers repeatedly, up and down my spine.  It is that good.  Yura is the best young singer that I have heard in a long, long time.  He is in the same rarefied class of vocalists as Valentin Vierling, and Afanasy Prokhorov.  By-the-way, Yura and Afanasy, are both from Russia.  One thing that is so unusual about Yura's voice is that his high notes sound so full and rich, it is almost as if he is using his spirit body for added resonance.  Yura sings with such passion, that I get the feeling that he is a very old soul in a young body.  It appears though, that some Bible thumpers in America, and elsewhere, are accusing him, and his song, of  promoting Satanism.  That is an accusation that I find very laughable.  Let me give you some examples of how far these kinds of people will go with their malicious accusations and gossip.  They allege that the phrase "Etis Atis Animatis" translates from the Latin as "Pale horror comes to life, pale horror craves you".  Well that shows their ignorance, as "Etis Atis" is the equivalent of singing "la, la, la" in a song, it is basically meaningless.  It is not Latin at all.  "Animatis" could possibly be translated as "breath" or "soul".  Other fundamentalist naysayers, claim that "Etis Atis Animatis" is nothing more than a disguised form of the word "Satan".  Another allegation is that the five performers of "Etis Atis Animatus" are performing on a pentagram that is drawn on the stage floor.  I have personally viewed over ten video versions of this song, and in none of them is there a pentagram visible anywhere on the stage.  That is all rubbish.  As Yura tells it, he was inspired to write this song by the rabbit in Louis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland".  Yura says that the words "Etis Atis Animatis" are literary "improvisations of the rabbit when he invents the poem."  Now, how innocuous is that?  In Yura's own words, "My song tells the story of a boy, who seriously studies music for many hours, plays an instrument, sings chorals in Latin, but sometimes he wishes to play football with other kids, and he misses his mother."  As you can see, the song is largely autobiographical in nature.  Furthermore, Yura is a member of  an Evangelical Christian church called "Divine Grace".  Fortunately, though, Yura is taking all of this controversy with style, and grace as he has said, "Even the bad reviews have helped, because I've tried to sing better, so that everyone likes the song."  "Volshebnyi Krolik" is an interesting mix of Rap, Classical Music, and High Opera.  It is very reminiscent of "O Fortuna" from Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana".  In this edition of Angel Watchers, I am very proud to feature, the extremely talented Yura Demidovich.  For those of you who are interested, here is the complete English translation of "Volshebnyi Krolik".  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.

Magic Rabbit
Composed by Yura Demidovich

Somewhere in a deep forest
through the firs which are blue,
magic flowers and plants,
he simply lives, sadly songs he sings,

Who do you think?
Of who do you think?

The magic rabbit!

The magic rabbit breaks the habit,
he wears glasses, he writes with chalk pluses.
The magic rabbit, he's a poet,
he studies Latin and plays the violin.
The magic rabbit breaks the habit,
he wears glasses, he writes with chalk pluses.
The magic rabbit, he loves others,
he lives in a forest and misses his mother!

Etis Atis Animatis,
Etis Atis Animatis,
Etis Atis Animatis,
Etis Atis Animatis!

The Magic Bunny!
The Magic Bunny!
The Magic Bunny!

The Transcendental Vyacheslav Marchuk (В'ячеслав Марчук)

 

 

Vyacheslav Marchuk (В'ячеслав Марчук) is from the Ukraine, that is about the only information that I could find out about him, which is really a shame, as he is a fantastic singer.  I have "auditioned" many singers for Angel Watchers, but Vyacheslav is in a class of his own.  His voice is pure and sweet.  In this edition of Angel Watchers I am featuring Vyacheslav performing a hauntingly beautiful Ukrainian song called "Take Me Across The Square".  Take note of Vyacheslav's bare feet and the traditional Ukrainian clothes that he is wearing.  They are a perfect touch to a classy performance.   I was moved by Vyacheslav's daring a capella singing.  Click on the video widget below for a transcendental musical experience.  Safe journeys to all the fans of Angel Watchers, wherever you may be.