What many don't know is that starting school, to be independant, she pushed a walker to move the 2 large pumps with her. Other kids bullied her called her 'Grandma'. Due to her small size, often kids called her a 'garden gnome'. This had a bad effect on her. What the fools didn't know was 1) She has a God gifted talent 2) She is as strong as a LIon 3) She really is the sweetest person you could possibly meet. To see her performing is a joy for the heart. Happy New Year from the UK.
This was indeed a very good reaction, Voice Kids, she was 12/13 when that happened, Emma's first move towards being recognised, and since then, she has absolutely blossomed, and become an absolutely stunning performer, having won Ministars in 2023 singing Voila, that brought her to the attention of Andre Rieu, and he met her, 'they clicked', massively, and the result was a much changed version of the song she'd already learnt (phonetically, she doesn't speak French as such) and started to perform, Voila. Andre and his team worked with Emma, they changed the song, slowed it down, changed the tempo, and added subtle touches like the key change and the repeat of the third verse, leading to that wonderful top note climax, and the result was the incredible performance that we saw on Andre's stage in July. More significant was how Andre helped Emma make the transition from being a good girl singer into the incredible young woman that walked out on to the stage at the Vrijthof, and completely cold, launched into the performance of her life, this was the first ever live performance of the new version of Voila, but you'd not know it, despite being in front of 12,500 people, Emma absolutely nailed it, there wasn't a single missed note, she started all the verses a capella, and did the same with the key change, with the stunning black dress Andre had made for her, she was able to become so much more than just a singer, she LIVED that song on the stage, laid everything absolutely open, exposed her vulnerability, but not in a way to look for sympathy, but in a way that effectively said, "This is me, as I am, and this is what you get, Look at me, I am here', and she did it so powerfully, the only people not shedding tears were the orchestra, they'd shed more than enough in rehearsals, and had to steel themselves not to shed tears during the performance. At the end, the cheeky smile, she knew she'd absolutely nailed it, then she let the 15 year old girl back out for a moment, and looked to her mentor Andre, as much as to say 'How was that?' His eyes, his smile, the embrace, the one word, 'Fantastic', the standing ovation from the orchestra and the audience, the recall to the stage to take more of the ovation, they were all evidence of a very special event happening, Emma's dream that she sang about a year earlier came true, the song, LAAT MIJ EEN VLINDER ZIJN , let me be a butterfly czcams.com/video/gYu86yIM8i4/video.html It has an Dutch to English subtitle translation, which you need to understand the depth of this song, it's her heartfelt desire for freedom, her honest and open reaction to having to live with the awful reality of being tied to effectively a boat anchor for 22 hours a day, and only being truly free for 2 hours, the section, 2:04 to 2:30, 'if only for a day, or even for a count of ten, I'd just like to live as another', and you will then see a gentle shake of her head, the pain in her eyes, the recognition of the awful daily grinding pain and reality of her situation, and then her head goes down to silence for a moment. Then she rises, physically and in the song she soars to an even greater height, as much as to say, 'This is NOT going to beat me, or define me, I WILL rise above it', an incredibly emotional moment, it was written just for her, an incredibly deep expression of her dream. I can't begin to understand how Emma has managed to hold on to such a wonderful open personality, she radiates love and happiness whenever I see her, and the depth of emotion she is able to portray in all she does is beyond powerful. That dream of soaring like the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis after so much painful change, mentally, it happened for her, physically she walked on to Andre's stage, mentally, she soared to the heights, and was totally able to captivate and dominate the stage, the orchestra and the audience, she's only beginning to realise it fully now, her dream is happening, hugely, she is so much more than a singer, she's even more than a performer who can sing, she has the ability to rise even higher than just being a performer, the way that she brings her own personal dreams, fears, pain and emotions into the performance, her whole body, her movements, her eyes, and her life becomes the fulfillment of the performance, it's beyond acting, and I don't know a word or phrase that adequately describes how she's doing what she does, and it happens every time she is on a stage and performing Voila, she owns this version, while others can and do sing it, with these changes that they made, she is truly living it and has made it her own. To do what she did that night on the Vrijthof, someone said she must have ice in her veins, and my comment was 'To do what she does, and the way she does it, she has ice and fire in her veins, the two are not supposed to be able to mix, but she is very much the exception, and they mix in ways that are truly unique, and I'm so glad that we're the ones who get to enjoy this sublime talent, long may it continue to enthral us', and the more I think about it, and watch what she does, the more I am convinced that there's a great deal of truth in that impossible statement, somehow, she is ice and fire embodied, you can see it in her eyes, and that's what makes her so unique, and yes, it's beyond beautiful. In recent months, she released 4 different videos, all of them have gone viral, with at least 1 million views on CZcams alone, an orchestral version of Hallelujah, she did a duet with one of her idols, Helene Fischer for the Christmas show in Germany, singing Voila, (that's gone over 2 million views) and in Andre Rieu's Christmas show, she did two songs, a sublime performance of 'White Christmas', including a whole verse a capella with no guide note or introduction, and a complete contrast, a lovely performance of 'All I want for Christmas is you', she's very different now to how she was at the start of 2023, the success of the 12 concerts in Maastricht, every one of them to full house audiences, they gave her the confidence boost she needed to know that she can do this, she truly is a singer, so much more than a singer, and she's now effectively starring with Andre for over 70 concerts over the rest of this year, that is a huge lift on to the ladder that will take her to places she could only dream of reaching, now, she's more than reaching them already, and with the talent, skill, drive and determination she has, the sky literally is the limit, the only thing that could hold her back will be her health, and that's something she's not going to give in to easily, which is why I am going to close with a very clear plea to everyone reading this. Please, if you can, join me in making a (regular) donation to Emma's foundation, gastrostars.nl They are a possible source of treatment or even a cure for people like Emma, it would be a tragedy if Emma had to stop singing because her gastroparesis had become worse, and her foundation may be the way that new treatments or a cure can be found, one of the key members of the team is a surgeon who worked at the Maastricht hospital, she also has gastroparesis herself, and she has been forced to give up her work at the hospital because of a deterioration of her health, so her focus now is the foundation, and with her knowledge, her input will be vital. It would be so good to hear that they have made some breakthrough that will enable Emma to be free to do what she is so good at, it would mean that her other dream could also become reality, with all she's been through in her short life, that would be so good.
Thank you for speaking in English as well as in French !! I have many Dutch friends and am trying to learn the language but unfortunately I don't know enough to understand it all but I can understand how amazing Emma is to be able to live her life with tubes stuck in her 22 hours a day. To have that stage confidence and that amazing voice I am so looking forward to see her progress.
Lyrics in English: I see you in front of me with my eyes closed Can you feel with my heart locked I hear you talking, but you're not there No, you're not there And I feel lost when I have to lose you And you can't die yet, because I can't miss you I can't miss you Through the wind, through the rain Cutting through everything Through the storm, even though everything is against me Because of you, I'm never alone I feel you next to me when I want to forget on the street at night What's written in my eyes If only you knew And I want to lose myself in the daze of a winner And I'd like to scream, but I can only sing I can only sing Through the wind, through the rain Cutting through everything Through the storm, even though everything is against me Because of you, I'm never alone Through a sea of distance Through a wall of emptiness Through a land of silence Throughout my life Through the wind, through the rain Cutting through everything Through the storm, even though everything is against me I'm never alone with you et en français: Je te vois devant moi, les yeux fermés Peux-tu sentir avec mon cœur serré Je t’entends parler, mais tu n’es pas là Non, vous n’êtes pas là Et je me sens perdue quand je dois te perdre Et tu ne peux pas encore mourir, parce que tu ne peux pas me manquer Tu ne peux pas me manquer À travers le vent, à travers la pluie Couper à travers tout À travers la tempête, même si tout est contre moi Grâce à toi, je ne suis jamais seule Je te sens à côté de moi quand je veux oublier dans la rue la nuit Ce qui est écrit dans mes yeux Si seulement tu savais Et je veux me perdre dans l’hébétude d’un gagnant Et j’aimerais crier, mais je ne peux que chanter Je ne sais que chanter À travers le vent, à travers la pluie Couper à travers tout À travers la tempête, même si tout est contre moi Grâce à toi, je ne suis jamais seule À travers une mer de distance À travers un mur de vide À travers une terre de silence Tout au long de ma vie À travers le vent, à travers la pluie Couper à travers tout À travers la tempête, même si tout est contre moi Je ne suis jamais seul avec toi
There are also versions on CZcams with subtitles in Dutch and English, there's a link above in my recent post to the second one, and some very relevant comments about how much it means to her, really deep emotions, due to her illness and the trauma of dealing with it. The link to Strijder with subtitles is czcams.com/video/DUgFUwem_t4/video.html
Ali B, singing with Emma in the final scene on the park bench, was the author of their song. I saw a comment somewhere saying the song had something to do with parent/child relations. Ali B is certainly big enough to act the parent to Emma's child, but the song doesn't sound like two people arguing. In fact, they act like they had a really good connection for this event.
Ho Esther, thanks for this review. Such a sweet power-girl! I think she was 13 here, during Covid lockup. She is small for her age caused by her medical situation. I have a question for you to: do you have a link to the Voice recordings you viewed? They are all taken from CZcams but i would like to see recordings in full.
She is the only one that wins. "Door de wind" se traduit a "A travers le vant" It is allowed to sing the song of the blind audition again. She is 13 here. She is small because she did not grow due to het health condition.
Yes, she always seems so confident on stage. I don’t hear any nervousness in her voice. She has the most natural vibrato I’ve heard in a child. This adds a richness to her voice that the other contestants couldn’t match. I like Ryan’s clear voice, too; he and Zehra are on pitch, but there is no vibrato - still a kid’s voice.
Better you find information about the lyrics of the songs instead of cutting them off and cutting pieces out and asking all the time what the song is about. So hard to listen to this...... It's perfectly fine to pause a song to discuss the song, but cutting it all the time is annoying.
What many don't know is that starting school, to be independant, she pushed a walker to move the 2 large pumps with her. Other kids bullied her called her 'Grandma'. Due to her small size, often kids called her a 'garden gnome'. This had a bad effect on her. What the fools didn't know was 1) She has a God gifted talent 2) She is as strong as a LIon 3) She really is the sweetest person you could possibly meet. To see her performing is a joy for the heart. Happy New Year from the UK.
This was indeed a very good reaction, Voice Kids, she was 12/13 when that happened, Emma's first move towards being recognised, and since then, she has absolutely blossomed, and become an absolutely stunning performer, having won Ministars in 2023 singing Voila, that brought her to the attention of Andre Rieu, and he met her, 'they clicked', massively, and the result was a much changed version of the song she'd already learnt (phonetically, she doesn't speak French as such) and started to perform, Voila.
Andre and his team worked with Emma, they changed the song, slowed it down, changed the tempo, and added subtle touches like the key change and the repeat of the third verse, leading to that wonderful top note climax, and the result was the incredible performance that we saw on Andre's stage in July.
More significant was how Andre helped Emma make the transition from being a good girl singer into the incredible young woman that walked out on to the stage at the Vrijthof, and completely cold, launched into the performance of her life, this was the first ever live performance of the new version of Voila, but you'd not know it, despite being in front of 12,500 people, Emma absolutely nailed it, there wasn't a single missed note, she started all the verses a capella, and did the same with the key change, with the stunning black dress Andre had made for her, she was able to become so much more than just a singer, she LIVED that song on the stage, laid everything absolutely open, exposed her vulnerability, but not in a way to look for sympathy, but in a way that effectively said, "This is me, as I am, and this is what you get, Look at me, I am here', and she did it so powerfully, the only people not shedding tears were the orchestra, they'd shed more than enough in rehearsals, and had to steel themselves not to shed tears during the performance.
At the end, the cheeky smile, she knew she'd absolutely nailed it, then she let the 15 year old girl back out for a moment, and looked to her mentor Andre, as much as to say 'How was that?'
His eyes, his smile, the embrace, the one word, 'Fantastic', the standing ovation from the orchestra and the audience, the recall to the stage to take more of the ovation, they were all evidence of a very special event happening, Emma's dream that she sang about a year earlier came true, the song, LAAT MIJ EEN VLINDER ZIJN , let me be a butterfly czcams.com/video/gYu86yIM8i4/video.html
It has an Dutch to English subtitle translation, which you need to understand the depth of this song, it's her heartfelt desire for freedom, her honest and open reaction to having to live with the awful reality of being tied to effectively a boat anchor for 22 hours a day, and only being truly free for 2 hours, the section, 2:04 to 2:30, 'if only for a day, or even for a count of ten, I'd just like to live as another', and you will then see a gentle shake of her head, the pain in her eyes, the recognition of the awful daily grinding pain and reality of her situation, and then her head goes down to silence for a moment.
Then she rises, physically and in the song she soars to an even greater height, as much as to say, 'This is NOT going to beat me, or define me, I WILL rise above it', an incredibly emotional moment, it was written just for her, an incredibly deep expression of her dream.
I can't begin to understand how Emma has managed to hold on to such a wonderful open personality, she radiates love and happiness whenever I see her, and the depth of emotion she is able to portray in all she does is beyond powerful.
That dream of soaring like the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis after so much painful change, mentally, it happened for her, physically she walked on to Andre's stage, mentally, she soared to the heights, and was totally able to captivate and dominate the stage, the orchestra and the audience, she's only beginning to realise it fully now, her dream is happening, hugely, she is so much more than a singer, she's even more than a performer who can sing, she has the ability to rise even higher than just being a performer, the way that she brings her own personal dreams, fears, pain and emotions into the performance, her whole body, her movements, her eyes, and her life becomes the fulfillment of the performance, it's beyond acting, and I don't know a word or phrase that adequately describes how she's doing what she does, and it happens every time she is on a stage and performing Voila, she owns this version, while others can and do sing it, with these changes that they made, she is truly living it and has made it her own.
To do what she did that night on the Vrijthof, someone said she must have ice in her veins, and my comment was 'To do what she does, and the way she does it, she has ice and fire in her veins, the two are not supposed to be able to mix, but she is very much the exception, and they mix in ways that are truly unique, and I'm so glad that we're the ones who get to enjoy this sublime talent, long may it continue to enthral us', and the more I think about it, and watch what she does, the more I am convinced that there's a great deal of truth in that impossible statement, somehow, she is ice and fire embodied, you can see it in her eyes, and that's what makes her so unique, and yes, it's beyond beautiful.
In recent months, she released 4 different videos, all of them have gone viral, with at least 1 million views on CZcams alone, an orchestral version of Hallelujah, she did a duet with one of her idols, Helene Fischer for the Christmas show in Germany, singing Voila, (that's gone over 2 million views) and in Andre Rieu's Christmas show, she did two songs, a sublime performance of 'White Christmas', including a whole verse a capella with no guide note or introduction, and a complete contrast, a lovely performance of 'All I want for Christmas is you', she's very different now to how she was at the start of 2023, the success of the 12 concerts in Maastricht, every one of them to full house audiences, they gave her the confidence boost she needed to know that she can do this, she truly is a singer, so much more than a singer, and she's now effectively starring with Andre for over 70 concerts over the rest of this year, that is a huge lift on to the ladder that will take her to places she could only dream of reaching, now, she's more than reaching them already, and with the talent, skill, drive and determination she has, the sky literally is the limit, the only thing that could hold her back will be her health, and that's something she's not going to give in to easily, which is why I am going to close with a very clear plea to everyone reading this.
Please, if you can, join me in making a (regular) donation to Emma's foundation, gastrostars.nl
They are a possible source of treatment or even a cure for people like Emma, it would be a tragedy if Emma had to stop singing because her gastroparesis had become worse, and her foundation may be the way that new treatments or a cure can be found, one of the key members of the team is a surgeon who worked at the Maastricht hospital, she also has gastroparesis herself, and she has been forced to give up her work at the hospital because of a deterioration of her health, so her focus now is the foundation, and with her knowledge, her input will be vital.
It would be so good to hear that they have made some breakthrough that will enable Emma to be free to do what she is so good at, it would mean that her other dream could also become reality, with all she's been through in her short life, that would be so good.
Please see Emma in duet with Helene Fischer singing 'Viola'. Sent out on German TV, Christmas day. Left me SPEECHLESS !!!
It was absolutely amazing - stunning performance.
Very good reactions to the talent . U speak beautifully. I like the mix of English and French .
You have to hear her performance " Voila" of Barbara Pravi with Andre Rieu and his orchestra at the Vrijthof in Maastricht 2023 .
She was 12 at the beginning of the Voice, 13 at the end (birthday in March)
Thank you for speaking in English as well as in French !! I have many Dutch friends and am trying to learn the language but unfortunately I don't know enough to understand it all but I can understand how amazing Emma is to be able to live her life with tubes stuck in her 22 hours a day. To have that stage confidence and that amazing voice I am so looking forward to see her progress.
Lyrics in English:
I see you in front of me with my eyes closed
Can you feel with my heart locked
I hear you talking, but you're not there
No, you're not there
And I feel lost when I have to lose you
And you can't die yet, because I can't miss you
I can't miss you
Through the wind, through the rain
Cutting through everything
Through the storm, even though everything is against me
Because of you, I'm never alone
I feel you next to me when I want to forget on the street at night
What's written in my eyes
If only you knew
And I want to lose myself in the daze of a winner
And I'd like to scream, but I can only sing
I can only sing
Through the wind, through the rain
Cutting through everything
Through the storm, even though everything is against me
Because of you, I'm never alone
Through a sea of distance
Through a wall of emptiness
Through a land of silence
Throughout my life
Through the wind, through the rain
Cutting through everything
Through the storm, even though everything is against me
I'm never alone with you
et en français:
Je te vois devant moi, les yeux fermés
Peux-tu sentir avec mon cœur serré
Je t’entends parler, mais tu n’es pas là
Non, vous n’êtes pas là
Et je me sens perdue quand je dois te perdre
Et tu ne peux pas encore mourir, parce que tu ne peux pas me manquer
Tu ne peux pas me manquer
À travers le vent, à travers la pluie
Couper à travers tout
À travers la tempête, même si tout est contre moi
Grâce à toi, je ne suis jamais seule
Je te sens à côté de moi quand je veux oublier dans la rue la nuit
Ce qui est écrit dans mes yeux
Si seulement tu savais
Et je veux me perdre dans l’hébétude d’un gagnant
Et j’aimerais crier, mais je ne peux que chanter
Je ne sais que chanter
À travers le vent, à travers la pluie
Couper à travers tout
À travers la tempête, même si tout est contre moi
Grâce à toi, je ne suis jamais seule
À travers une mer de distance
À travers un mur de vide
À travers une terre de silence
Tout au long de ma vie
À travers le vent, à travers la pluie
Couper à travers tout
À travers la tempête, même si tout est contre moi
Je ne suis jamais seul avec toi
My sincere thanks, for taking the time, to translate this song. Others can now appreciate it's beauty.
Happy New year from the UK.
Emma’s two singles are called Strijder (Warrior) and Laat Mij Een Vlinder Zijn (Let Me Be a Butterfly). They are in Dutch and are on CZcams.
There are also versions on CZcams with subtitles in Dutch and English, there's a link above in my recent post to the second one, and some very relevant comments about how much it means to her, really deep emotions, due to her illness and the trauma of dealing with it. The link to Strijder with subtitles is czcams.com/video/DUgFUwem_t4/video.html
Ali B, singing with Emma in the final scene on the park bench, was the author of their song. I saw a comment somewhere saying the song had something to do with parent/child relations. Ali B is certainly big enough to act the parent to Emma's child, but the song doesn't sound like two people arguing. In fact, they act like they had a really good connection for this event.
Ho Esther, thanks for this review. Such a sweet power-girl! I think she was 13 here, during Covid lockup. She is small for her age caused by her medical situation. I have a question for you to: do you have a link to the Voice recordings you viewed? They are all taken from CZcams but i would like to see recordings in full.
they come from a video on youtube. czcams.com/video/20gXikNRjbo/video.html @pieterdewildt3124
She is the only one that wins. "Door de wind" se traduit a "A travers le vant"
It is allowed to sing the song of the blind audition again.
She is 13 here. She is small because she did not grow due to het health condition.
Thank you for the info!
Door de wind …. À travers le vent et la pluie
Another Voice Kids winner you might want to check out is 11 year old Georgia Balke from the 2022 season.
Check out her singing Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) in the Christmas show van MAX (Dutch tv)
It was in 2021. In 2023 she performed with Andre Rieu's orchestra with the song "Voila" in Maastricht
Check it out.
Thats the reason why she watch this video
songtitel translation : while you're still with me . Sung with her coag Ali B . ( a rapper and producer)
Yes, she always seems so confident on stage. I don’t hear any nervousness in her voice. She has the most natural vibrato I’ve heard in a child. This adds a richness to her voice that the other contestants couldn’t match. I like Ryan’s clear voice, too; he and Zehra are on pitch, but there is no vibrato - still a kid’s voice.
Here she was 12 years old
beau commentaire
12 jaar
Better you find information about the lyrics of the songs instead of cutting them off and cutting pieces out and asking all the time what the song is about. So hard to listen to this...... It's perfectly fine to pause a song to discuss the song, but cutting it all the time is annoying.
terwijl jullie nog bij mij zijn = while you all are still with me
17:00 the song is goud and goud is translated from dutch to gold
5:00 door de wind translated through the wind
12:01 terwijl jullie nog bijmij zijn is translated while you are still with me
there are 2 more songs from emma kok a cover APPLAUSE @sofiacarson and starry starry night she sings with her sister Sofie?/Sophie?