Top 5 Coming of Age Films for Girls

Coming of Age films frequently focus on boyhood. The definition of the genre does not exclude the coming of age experience of girls. A coming of age film is “A film that focuses on the psychosocial development of a youth and it often involves great conflict and transformation”, as Mark put it, in my article titled Coming of age films – definition. All reviews in theskykid.com are of films that belong to the coming of age genre, yet I recognize the fact that most of the films reviewed here have a male character as a lead. The reasons for this are outlined in another article I wrote in 2008 titled Coming of age films – boy’s or girl’s thing. But I feel that a blog that focuses on the coming of age genre is not complete without also featuring articles about films in which the lead character is a girl or woman. If you’re a girl who is interested in coming of age films, you can find many of them wherever movies are rented or sold. They will give you the information you need regarding growing up, and taking on new challenges. In this post, I would like to present five films that are considered to be classic coming of age films which focus on girlhood rather than boyhood in the period of life we know as the Rite of Passage.

Audio version of Top 5 Coming of Age Films for Girls

1. Ghost World

In a different sort of manner, Ghost World is a Coming of Age film, though not typical of the genre. One critic called it “… a movie about teens, but not a teen movie”. The critic meant that in the best possible way. So many of the so-called “teen” movies cast the young protagonists as sort of silly, unintelligent and/or naive to the ways of the world. Not Ghost World. The viewer meets Enid, an intelligent, cynical and thoughtful girl, just graduated from high school, and her friend Rebecca.

The main plotline has these two friends coming together, and falling apart, in the course of the movie. It also has a sub-plot involving a sort of “girl meets boy” scenario or, more accurately, “girl meets older man”. That happens when the girls play a mean prank on an older Seymour, a nerdy man who is a collector of the old vinyl records. As things progress, Enid and Seymour find they are kindred souls and a friendship gradually evolves which helps Enid to mature and develop a different outlook on life.

This was once a comic book story, written into a movie script, and it rings heartbreakingly true. One of the friends ruins another’s life while trying to get the friendship back. This is one of the most sought after films about friendship and coming of age due to the painful truths revealed and the heartbreak prevalent throughout the scenes. While a “dark” film, it also has its comedic moments.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OmvPT5aXzI

2. Juno

Juno MacGuff is in a tough spot. She’s 16, in high school and… pregnant. This film is about what she does about it.

The father of Juno’s baby is her best friend, Bleaker. While the relationship has been strictly platonic, a one-time encounter between them, in a chair, results in Juno becoming pregnant. Bleaker leaves all the decisions for her to make on the baby, and she initially decides to have an abortion. While waiting for the appointment, Juno decides she would much rather give the baby up for adoption. She looks in the Pennysaver ads to find adoptive parents and finds a yuppie couple who live in the suburbs. She decides to have a closed adoption, meaning she won’t ever get to see the child once the adoption is complete. Due to the marital problems of the yuppie couple, the adoption doesn’t work out. Eventually, she does put the baby up for adoption, but finds herself growing ever closer to Bleaker as time goes on, while learning some of life’s lessons the hard way.

The movie is well done and presents the viewer with several unexpected plot twists and well developed characters. Juno, in particular, is a character who starts out as perhaps a little naive to the ways of the world but ends up, by film’s end, having a much better grasp of who she is and what she wants from life than many people twice her age.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuN0Z65sp5c

3. Now and Then

Four girls, close friends through childhood, make a pact to be there for each other whenever the need arises. They gather, later in their lives, to celebrate the birth of one of their children, and relive one of the greatest summers they have ever had. It was the year they were all 12-years-old and growing up in a typical small town of 1970.

There have been many comparisons of Now and Then to the more popular and more economically successful film Stand by Me. The reasons for the comparison are obvious. Both are in the Coming of Age genre, though one is about young girls and the other about boys. Both have a central plotline featuring an event in which the protagonists find a dead body. And both films starred young actors who were very popular at the time of the respective film’s release.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxhiuNQPuj0

4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Four girls who have been friends for almost all of their lives are separated for the first time over the summer vacation from school. Lena goes to visit her family in Greece, and meets a boy. Tibby stays home, starts filming a movie, and makes a new friend. Bridget is sent to a camp in Mexico, and ends up in love with one of the coaches. Carmen spends time with her father in S. Carolina, and finds out a most shocking secret.

This film is a laid back type of Coming of Age movie about four young friends who, in an effort to stay in touch during that long hot summer, form an affiliation that they call The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It’s called that because the symbolic bond that holds the sisterhood together is a pair of magical jeans. Despite the girls being of differing shapes and sizes, they can all fit into the jeans which they pass on, one to the next, while at the same time passing on the adventures that each of them experiences on their vacations.

Packed with humor, sadness, and heart rending tales throughout, this was one of the most loved movies of 2005, the year this film was released.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE7F87xP-fo

5. Thirteen

On the brink of adolescence, Tracy is a straight A student, but a naive one. She cuts classes and smokes to alleviate the emotional pain that is suffered at home. She befriends the most popular and prettiest girl in school. Evie leads Tracy into a life of petty crimes and misbehavior. Once Tracy chooses this path, her world gets flipped upside down. It creates tension between her family, friends, and teachers to whom she was once close. Everyone tries telling her about how she is acting, but she would rather not hear it, listening instead to her new friend Evie.

This film has a sense of realism about it, which is not surprising given the fact that the screenplay was written by Nikki Reed, who was just 13 when she wrote it. Nikki was helped in her effort by an older lady friend of her father, director Catherine Hardwicke. The movie is about growing up in an era when children are so influenced by TV, internet and films which foster the desire in them to be popular and “in”.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yxrc2W-czA

I hope that you have found this article interesting and informative. If you know other coming of age films that did not make it in this list, please tell us about them by leaving a comment on this article.

Barbariki

Barbariki – from Russia

I have been listening to the songs of Barbariki a lot lately and even if their music is classified as “children music”, I like it because of the energy it holds and the uplifting vibes that can make you smile even if the weather is gray and rainy. Barbariki is not your typical children’s group. Its five members – three boys (Nikita, Oleg, Ruslan) and two girls (Dasha and Sofia) were chosen by the artistic director of Street Magic (Volshebniki Dvora), Vitaliy Ososhnik, back in 2007.

In three years, thanks to their creativity and talent, they have become one of the best known modern children’s groups in Russia. It all started when children from studio Street Magic were needed to do voice overs and music for the Russian-Canadian animated series Lelik and Barbarik. Now the group has released a CD with 10 songs, most of which become hits, liked by both children and by adults who relive their childhood through the group’s music. All songs were originally written for the series but, thanks to the wonderful sincere texts and exceptional melodies, they are perceived as independent pieces of music. Barbariki’s songs are full of healthy humor and a bit of nostalgia. The group sings about all the wonderful things in life – such as true friendship, solidarity, love of family, taking care of our smaller brethren…etc

http://youtu.be/MdbgR1DY4RY

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Coming of age movie awards 2010

The coming of age movie awards nominations for 2010 :

Each genre deserves to have its awards. The coming of age category is no exception. For a second year, we at theskykid.com are launching nominations for various categories related to the coming of age genre. There are some differences from the way things were organized last year but, since this is only the second edition of the awards, we still have a lot to learn when it comes to organizing such awards. Maybe in a year or two we will have something like a ceremony that will take place somewhere offline, like an officially announced event. This year, the awards will again be only online, but this should not undervalue them. You are the ones who are going to vote for a certain film and/or an actor, so you are the ones who really matter. These films were all made for you and voting on them will give the directors, actors, and other viewers like you some insights into what the community considers valuable in the field.

I believe that most of the titles included in the nominations will be familiar to you. If you are not sure about a certain title, feel free to use the search engine at this blog or any other such search engine to learn more about the film in question. Most of you know what films can be classified as coming of age, but for all the newbies to the genre, and for those who would like to refresh their knowledge, I recommend that you read the article entitled Coming of age films – definition.

The voting will be open until 29th of May 2010. In the meantime, you may use the form available at the very end of the nominations to nominate your own titles and actors that originally did not make it into the nominations. As soon as the official voting is closed – we will open another one powered by your user submissions for an additional viewers award.

Special Soundtrack Award

Emilio Aragón.- Carlitos y el campo de los sueños

Fatter’n - Gutta Boys

Emilio Aragón.

Carlitos y el campo de los sueños

Fatter’n

Gutta Boys

Apollo 3

Vorstadtkrokodile

[poll id=”27″]

Best Newcomer


Troye Sivan

Men OriginsMaxime Godart

Le petit NicolasMax Records

Where the Wild Things AreGuillermo Campra

Carlitos y el campo de los sueños

[poll id=”28″]

Best Acting Award


Asa Butterfield – The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas	Robbie Kay -Pinocchio	Max Records in “Where The Wild Things Are”	Jake T. Austin – Hotels For Dogs

Guillermo Campra – Carlitos y el campo de los sueños	Julien Amate – Cartouches gauloises	Nicholas McAnulty & George MacKay in “The Boys Are Back”

[poll id=”29″]

Best Performance in TV Film


Guillermo Campra

Aquila RojaBill Millner

Skellig

[poll id=”30″]

Coming Of Age Value Award


Den sidste viking	The Boys Are Back	La Lengua de las Mariposas	The Leaving of Liverpool	The White Ribbon

[poll id=”31″]

Best Cinematography Award


Let the right one in	The Boys Are Back

[poll id=”32″]

Best Short Film Award


Ahmed	James	Min far er bokser	Mixtape

[poll id=”33″]

Le Monde des Choristes

Le Monde des Choristes is a DVD released in 2004 which features three films of Philippe Reypens: L’Or des Anges, Un peu de Fièvre and Rejoice

L’Or des Anges focuses on treble music

L’Or des Anges is a fictional documentary which focuses on treble music, since its creation in medieval times until nowadays. It’s a documentary because the film is based on a lot of careful research that gives the viewer an idea of the development of musical culture across Europe. But it’s also fictional because the directors had to use young actors to recreate the events which were depicted in the film. I have always been fond of treble music, but I admit that many of the facts revealed by this film were unknown to me. Facts such as in the very early days, the choirs were supposed to sing without musical accompaniment as the church considered all instruments to be pagan tools, even if the harp in the Old Testament is considered to be the acting soul.

In those early days, should a boy want to praise God through singing he was required to present a legitimate birth certificate, be auditioned by the music master and then, if his voice promised enchantment, he was required to obtain permission from his parents to become a choir boy and then serve the church for as long as it shall please her. Next, the film focuses on the impact of choral music on the Industrial Revolution. During this period,the new capitalistic dogma of productivity, the new family code of ethics and the demographic obsession affected the development of the choral music. Most valuable for industry were the singers of light opera,which was at the time in quite heavy demand. Often poorly paid children were recruited for the performances. Among the many beautiful performances on the DVD, there is an opera scene from which it is obvious that often boys were recruited for both the male and female roles in this art form.

My opinion is that the L’Or des Anges is invaluable for any young singer regardless of the genre in which he chooses to perform, as it covers the basics of vocal training and musical history which would prove beneficial for anyone with a serious interest in music – treble or not.

Even though I have no doubts that many of you would enjoy the choir and solo performance in L’Or des Anges, I highly recommend that after seeing the film you go out and try to attend a choir concert in your locality. The magic of the voices can be fully felt only in such a live performance. I have been fortunate to attend more than 20 concerts of the choirs in the city in which I was living few years ago. During those concerts, I got to know some of the choristers and the choirmasters and they never ceased to surpass my expectations at every single concert I attended. Most recently, I attended a concert of the Vienna Boys Choir in Madrid and the feeling of being there and listening to their repertoire is indescribable with words….

To stay informed about the recent happenings around the world and to read more about the choirs and events in your country, I recommend the The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory, which is an amazing resource that features information about choirs, boy sopranos, young singers, and international choral events.

Un peu de Fièvre

Un peu de ievre ( A Slight Fever)is a short film included as an extra in the Le Monde des Choristes DVD

It’s a short film that is going to be a beloved film for anyone who has an interest in music. It tells the story of a boy who is worried that his voice is changing and that he won’t be able to perform the parts in the choir that he loves to sing. The film is beautifully shot with a lot of long exposures and close-up scenes, but most importantly the piano music and the treble performances in it are breathtaking. I was overwhelmed with memories while watching the story because there is a soloist in one of my favorite choirs who is bound to go through similar experiences as he grows older and his voice changes. Unavoidably, I started thinking of his performances and of myself attending the concerts of the choir expecting to hear his solo. It’s two years since I moved from that town, but a friend of mine who keeps attending the concerts recently let me know that the boy is still the main soloist of the choir. One day, when his voice changes, I hope he will be able to accept it and deal with that even if I suppose that it won’t be as easy for him as I would like it to be. (he attends a musical school in the city where he lives, majoring in piano, and I hope that he, as did the character of the film, will find comfort in perfecting his instrumental skills as an alternative to his singing).

One of the blog’s guest authors, Bestpi, wrote a very intriguing article on voice change entitled “My voice broke! I can’t sing anymore. Will it ever come back? ” I encourage all young singers and their parents to read it and share their experiences with the readers of the blog. In the final words of the film’s director in the bonus feature of the DVD – Making of A Slight Fever – were that he hoped that his film would touch both the hearts and the minds of its viewers. It, indeed, did that for me…

Rejoice

Rejoice is a documentary of the 7th international Boys’ Choir Festival in Poznan.

Rejoice is the third film featured on the Le Monde des Choristes DVD. It’s an insightful documentary about the 7th International Boys’ Choir Festival in Poznan. Seeing the documentary made me desire to attend some of the future festivals, especially after finding out that Poland is one of the few countries, along with Great Britain, that has managed to maintain the treble choral tradition since the Middle Ages. Quoting the film director: ” Rejoice is, as its name implies, the “joy” of a voice that reaches its fullness; A slight fever is the moment, the flower fades. “

Some of the choirs featured on the DVD : the Knabenchor Hannover, Les Petits Chanteurs à la Croix de Bois, Polskie Slowiki, the Wiener Sängerknaben, and the Worcester Cathedral Choir.Music in the flim includes “Nunc Dimittis” (Parsons), “An die Musik” (Schubert), “Balualow” (A Ceremony of Carols by Britten), “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (Bach), “Bastien und Bastienne” (Mozart), “Le Duo des chats” (Rossini), “Brundibar” (Krasa), and “Pie Jesu” (Requiem by Faure). There are also excerpts from music by Pergolesi, Bach, Allegri, and Tchaikovski.

A Japanese fan site featuring a photo-gallery and exclusive clips from the DVD *

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This review would not have been possible without the valuable support of CVMC.net, which provided the DVD of Le Monde des Choristes for review at theskykid.com. I would like to express my thankfulness for their continuous support of the blog.

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The Lazarus Child

[quote_center]It’s not over, it’s never over ![/quote_center]

Would you do everything for your child? How would you react if there is an accident and someone tells you that the treatment of your child is outside the budget? Who has the right to decide what is in your child’s best interest? Do you believe that a world beyond consciousness exists?

.

The Lazarus Child (also known as The Last Door)is a psychological drama, filmed in an exceptional way, which tells the story of the personal tragedy of a family whose daughter falls into coma after a severe accident on the way to school. Surprisingly, I only found out about the film today after watching its trailer on another DVD of mine. A quick look up on the Internet revealed that Harry Eden starred in the film (other films in which he has a major appearance that I was aware of were Real Man, Peter Pan and Oliver Twist) which, combined with the impression that the trailer left me, determined my decision to see the film. The trailer of the film is a bit misleading as it almost convinced me that I was about to see a ghost-like story in the style of The Sixth Sense or The Orphanage – yet even if that is not the case I am glad that it convinced me to see the movie.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the well composed soundtrack – piano that sets the mood for the film. I have noted that in several films – if the opening credits have a certain mood then the viewer sets some expectations before seeing a single scene from the movie itself. Slow motion camera techniques put an emphasis on certain scenes or a feeling of the actors. In a small hospital room, Frankie Heywood lies in a deep coma, so deep that no one can reach it. Her 12-year-old brother Ben witnesses the accident and his behavior changes – not only internally, but also externally as the colour of his hair changes from brown to blond overnight. The most logical explanation for these changes is that he feels responsible for the accident – for not looking after his litter sister more closely – and tries to overcome a feeling of guilt so strong that it causes him to become emotionally distant from his family.

The medics responsible for the Frankie’s recovery are telling her parents there is no hope for her and they can only do so much as to keep her alive. In its desperation, Frankie’s family turns to Dr. Elizabeth Chase, a neurologist who operates an experimental clinic for comas. Anyone interested in psychology and the way the human brain works will find The Lazarus Child quite intriguing. I myself learned a lot from it. If you search the net for other reviews of the film and the book by Robert Mawson on which it’s based you will note that while some reviewers praise the film, other call it cliched and unconvincing. I am willing to join the first group and recommend the film to you as I found the story touching and emotional. The excellent cinematography and the performance of the cast, as well as the moral dilemmas raised by the the story make The Lazarus Child a film that I had to feature on this blog.

To finish my review I would like to quote the plot summary released by the book’s publisher ( picked that instead of the film`s plot summary as it better describes what the story is about ) :

A neurologist defies society and the law to bring a child coma patient back to life using an experimental treatment, in this novel of hope and despair, of healing and resurrection.

Robinzon

On more than one occasion, every fan of both treble music and nice rocking vibes has probably heard about the Russian group Robinzon.

The group’s official website is in Russian only, but a visit there is well worth your while, even if you have to use a translation mechanism like Google Translate. There is now also a western fan website that provides abundant information in both French and English. It’s definitely a must-visit for the amount of information that can be found there.

Robinzon -A group with a tradition

The group itself has quite a history since it was established more than 20 years ago (in 1986) in Ishim, Siberia. The group has had several generations by now, as members leave and are replaced by new, younger members. Today, the group is composed of talented members who are 8-18 and who write and compose their own songs and then perform them in such a manner that usually it does not take more than one listen to convert people, who have never heard of them before, to devoted fans. Robinzon‘s music repertoire is quite rich and includes pop, rock, jazz, children’s songs, uplifting vibes, touching ballads, and even classical music. They sometimes adopt classical music composed by Mozart and Beethoven. Nowadays, the band is innovative and progressive – they’ve had concerts that were streamed live on the Internet as they were happening. In addition to that, their newest compositions include modern dance beats ( for example, their song Голуби ^pigeons ). At the time of the writing of this post, the group’s discography includes 27 albums.

Robinzon -Wave

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lFY_BgzmvQ

The purpose of this article is to introduce the group to the audience of theskykid.com. I hope that what you’ve read so far will make you want to look for more information about them, which you will find on the websites linked at the bottom of this post. Any feedback, comments and suggestions are welcome, regardless if you were familiar with the group before reading about them here or this is the first time you’ve stumbled upon their music (lucky you = so many things to explore from now on, so many good vibes to listen to).

_Note:Picking only a few video clips to showcase in this post, out of the immense collection of Robinzon music, turned out to be an arduous task. The main issue was that I liked too many clips, and as soon I picked a few, I saw another one that made me want to include it. So, in the end, I picked the first couple I found – leaving it for you to check their YouTube channel and the related videos.

Robinzon official web site (RU) ******Robinzon western web site (EN)(FR)

Official YouTube channel******BCSD profile

Those of you who know Russian = check out Robinzon`s topic at the Kidsmusic.net.ru forum.

Каждый поклонник и музыки требл и рокового драйва, наверное, слышал, и не один раз, о русской группе “Робинзон”. Официальный сайт группы пока есть только на русском языке, но побывать там стоит, даже если вам придется использовать переводчик, такой как Google Translate. Существует также западный фан-сайт, на котором есть много информация на французском и английском языках. Его определенно нужно посетить – там можно найти очень много информации

Сама группа имеет достаточно длинную историю, поскольку она была основана более 20 лет назад (в 1986) в городе Ишиме, в Сибири. К этому моменту в группе сменилось несколько поколений, так как ребята уходят и их заменяют новые, более молодые участники. На сегодняшний день группа состоит из талантливых ребят 8-18 лет, которые пишут свои собственные песни, а затем исполняют их так, что обычно после первого же прослушивания люди, которые никогда не слышали о них ранее, становятся преданными поклонниками. Репертуар Робиков достаточно богат и включает в себя поп, рок, джаз, песни для детей, драйвовые композиции, трогательные баллады, и даже классическую музыку, так как они иногда адаптируют произведения Моцарта и Бетховена. Сейчас группа прогрессирует – у ребят были концерты, которые транслировались в прямом интернет-эфире. К тому же в их новых композициях есть современный танцевальный бит (например, песня “Голуби”). На момент написания этого поста, дискография группы включает в себя 27 альбомов.

Робинзон – Телефон

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6eY8VeE8nQ

Целью данной статьи было представить группу аудитории theskykid.com. Я надеюсь, что то, что вы сейчас прочитали, заставит вас захотеть посмотреть дополнительную информацию о Робиках. Её вы сможете найти на сайтах, линки на которые я дал в нижней части этого поста. Любые отзывы, предложения и замечания приветствуются, независимо от того, были ли вы знакомы с группой, перед тем, как прочитать о них здесь, или в первый раз наткнулись на их музыку (вам повезло = вам так много ещё предстоит узнать, столько прослушать).

Примечание: Выбрать лишь несколько видеоклипов из огромной коллекцией музыки Робинзон оказалось чрезвычайно трудной задачей. Главный вопрос в том, что я люблю слишком много клипов, и как только я выбрал несколько, я увидел другие, и мне захотелось включить и их. Таким образом, в конце концов, я выбрал первую попавшуюся пару – оставляю на вас проверку их YouTube-канала и связанных с ними видео.

Робинзон– Oтпусти

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzzrrpgDAM4

Те из вас, кто знает русский, следите за темой Робинзонов на форуме Kidsmusic.net.ru

Jordan Jansen – He’s got the look!

Jordan Jansen – One of the things about mentoring and supporting young talent is that you get to see them grow and emerge into lives that hold untold dreams. After a while you are able to spot the winners and the ones that will likely breech the barrier of voice change and go on to continue on stage or in film. They have a certain charisma. A certain attitude about how they approach life. One of the most noticeable qualities about those kids is their ability to embrace change. Unlike the rest of the world that seeks complacency, these special youngsters thrive on the excitement of the next change, the next thrill, the next hurtle to jump. They actually thrive on the possibility of the unexpected and the achievement of milestones.

And that description describes Jordan Jansen perfectly. Just when you think you have seen his best, he shows you a new level of talent, a new level of quality, a new persona to present to the world. Like some morphed out human version of an onion, Jordan peels off layer upon layer. Each producing a greater, more refined version of human stardom.

From the very beginning to the current layer of professionalism, Jordan has treated his performances with the same determined professionalism. Another quality found only in the successful. And Jordan began keeping his books in crayon and his first savings account was in a Sponge Bob Square Pants lunch box. Today, he stands proudly before a bank teller, depositing his seed money for the future. All of the equipment he has in his home studio was purchased from his own resources. He has earned his money by working hard to get better, to be better. And then performing at markets, clubs and charity events. Some paid, some just a sharpening stone for his cutting edge talent.

Jordan accepts input and suggestions for the songs he chooses but generally listens to what is popular and then makes it his own. He sees what works and then incorporates that quality in his own stage persona. He also is able to separate the chaff from the wheat. Negative comments roll off his back like water off a duck. He listens to the quality or constructive criticism and is able to discern, which is which.

But he’s not all business. He budget’s time for his school work as well as time just to be a kid. He enjoys all the things a twelve-year-old kid enjoys. The beach, soccer, video games and of course music.

My predictions for the newly twelve-year-old Jordan Jansen have not changed since day one. He will exceed all expectations and traverse the voice break when it comes in a few years and go on to redefine the term superstar. I will be very surprised if he is not signed to a label or other long term project within the next six months or so.

All I have to say is this; I’m buying front row seats when he tours my section of the U.S.

Visit the official site of Jordan Jansen

Jordan Jansen`s profile at BCSD

Back in time: Jordan Jansen at 10, Already an Aussie Legend

J1&J2 – The youngest German rappers

Meet the youngest German rappers I’ve ever encountered: J1&J2. I just stumbled on their MySpace account when doing my research for the review of the new Apollo 3 album. I bookmarked their site and 30 minutes later went back to it to see if the kids could really rap. And can they – oh yeah. They are brilliant. Listening to their songs makes me wanna rap with them even if, with my limited German, the end result would be more funny than cool. The best way to introduce them is to show you clip of them singing:

_{Heute mochte ich Ihnen die wohl jungsten deutschen Rapper vorstellen, denen ich je begegnet bin: “J1 & J2”. Ich entdeckte gerade zufallig ihre MySpace-Seite, als ich Nachforschungen zum neuen “Apollo 3”-Album anstellte. Ich fugte Ihre Seite sogleich zu meinen Lesezeichen hinzu, und 30 Minuten spater wollte ich dann wirklich wissen ob diese Jungs rappen konnen. Und das konnen sie – oh ja. Sie sind brillant ! Wenn ich ihre Songs so hore, mochte ich am liebsten mitrappen – obwohl mein deutsch dafur nicht ausreichen wurde. Das wurde sich dann wohl eher lustig als “cool” anhoren… aber der beste Weg sie hier ausfuhrlich vorzustellen, ist wohl ein Clip der beiden:}

J1&J2 Feat.King Striker wir sind so weit

Finding information about them, especially in English, is a really harsh task. Currently they maintain their online presence mainly on their MySpace channel and are working on their official web site (now under construction). From there, I found out that they have already released a debut album titled “Wir sind Soweit” on 01.12.2009 and that they are quickly gaining popularity in Germany (and they will abroad as soon as someone presents them properly in English). They also have a Vimeo account where most of their videos are available : http://vimeo.com/j1j2

_{Nun, das Suchen und Finden von Informationen über die beiden (vor allem auf englisch !), ist wirklich nicht einfach. Im Moment haben sie ihre Anlaufstellen im Internet vor allem auf ihrer Myspace-Seite, sowie ihrer offiziellen Page (derzeit noch im Aufbau). Dort habe ich auch herausgefunden, dass sie bereits ein Debütalbum veröffentlicht haben. Es trägt den Titel “Wir sind soweit” und wurde am 01.12.2009 herausgebracht. Es scheint, als würden sie immer bekannter werden, vor allem in Deutschland – und das könnten sie auch international – wenn sie mal jemand vernünftig auf englisch vorstellt. Desweiteren haben sie auch einen Vimeo Account, wo viele ihrer Videos verfügbar sind: http://vimeo.com/j1j2}

Thankfully, their twitter account has links to some sites that provide more information about them (especially keeping in mind that the text on their MySpace site is in a format that makes automatic translation harder). I watched an interview with them on YouTube, but did not understand much from it other than J2 like the phrase “Ya Man” which, after watching the interview is totally stuck into my mind. If my German isn’t that rusty, in that interview J1 said that he is 11 years old, while J2 said he was 7. Those are really young ages to start singing Rap – but it’s not so weird for Germany. Just remember Lil’O (later known as Othenic O) and even Apollo 3 rap in some of their songs. From another video I found out that their father is a big support for them, helping with their online presence and fully supporting his talented sons. In fact, it was the father who introduced them to rap music in the first place.

_{Glücklicherweise sind auf ihrem Twitter-Account einige Links zu Seiten, die mehr Informationen über die beiden bieten (besonders wenn ich daran denke, dass die MySpace-Seiten ein bestimmtes Format haben welches die automatische Übersetzung schwieriger macht). Ich habe mir daraufhin ein Interview mit den beiden angesehen – allerdings konnte ich nicht viel mehr als den Ausdruck “Ja Mann” von J2 verstehen. Dieser Ausdruck ist mir auch sehr im Gedächtnis hängengeblieben. Wenn mein deutsch nicht völlig miserabel ist, sagte J1 in diesem Interview dass er 11 Jahre alt ist, und J2 7. Das ist mal ein wirklich junges Alter, um mit dem rappen zu beginnen ! Aber es ist wohl gar nicht mal so ungewöhnlich für Deutschland. Ich denke da z.B. an Lil’O (später als Othentic O bekannt), und sogar die Jungs von Apollo 3 rappen in einigen ihrer Songs. Aus einem anderen Video konnte ich heraushören, dass der Vater der beiden sie unterstützt, zum Beispiel in Sachen Online-Präsenz und Förderung ihrer Talente. Tatsächlich war es wohl auch der Vater der die beiden, der sie überhaupt zur Rapmusik brachte.}

Besides singing Rap, J1 and J2, like all boys, are involved in various activities. J1 goes to swimming classes, football practices and likes to hang out with friends. And J2 loves the play football as well.

_{Neben dem Rappen haben J1 und J2 natürlich noch andere Hobbies, wie alle Jungen ihres Alters. J1 besucht den Schwimmunterricht, spielt Fussball und mag es, mit seinen Freunden abzuhängen. J2 liebt es ebenfalls, Fussball zu spielen.}

I am really fond of their music and will end up having their album in the near future. In the meantime, if any of you speaks German better than me (and I’m sure many of you do) do not hestitate to leave comments with things about J1 and J2 and their music which I have missed.

_{Ich bin wirklich beeindruckt von der Musik der beiden, und es wird wohl darauf hinauslaufen dass ich mir ihr Album kaufen werde. In der Zwischenzeit, falls jemand hier besser als ich deutsch spricht (da bin ich mir sicher) – zögern Sie bitte nicht Kommentare zu hinterlassen ! Sei es mit weiteren Informationen, Meinungen… Grüße, Skykid}

“YAAA MAN”

Heute mochte ich Ihnen die wohl jungsten deutschen Rapper vorstellen, denen ich je begegnet bin: “J1 & J2”. Ich entdeckte gerade zufallig ihre MySpace-Seite, als ich Nachforschungen zum neuen “Apollo 3”-Album anstellte. Ich fugte Ihre Seite sogleich zu meinen Lesezeichen hinzu, und 30 Minuten spater wollte ich dann wirklich wissen ob diese Jungs rappen konnen. Und das konnen sie – oh ja. Sie sind brillant ! Wenn ich ihre Songs so hore, mochte ich am liebsten mitrappen – obwohl mein deutsch dafur nicht ausreichen wurde. Das wurde sich dann wohl eher lustig als “cool” anhoren… aber der beste Weg sie hier ausfuhrlich vorzustellen, ist wohl ein Clip der beiden:

Apollo 3 “2010”

Apollo 3 “2010” – Album review

About a year ago, when I first found out about Apollo 3, I wrote a post about them in which I assured you that their music “will rock your world”. The article (which also came with a Russian translation thanks to their Russian fan club) was wildly successful and received more than 70 comments from their fans from all over the world. Back then, I wrote that I am addicted to their music and things haven’t changed much today. I prefer their music for bike stunts on the city streets or hanging out at the skate park (I am just a novice there – so keep to my bike mostly). I could not resist reviewing their first album, nor can I resist announcing and reviewing their newest album “2010” ( Thanks to the Bill Milner fan who left me a comment on my first review letting me know that the second album is out there).

The boys seem quite confident in themselves as one can clearly note from the promo statement included in the release notes of their second album :

“”No power on earth can stop us now! We are here to rock this world! With this “battle” of our energetic first hit “Diabolisch” from our second album titled “2010”, we ring in the new decade. “Diabolik” is the title of the song. On 11.03.2010, in all cinemas,a film will be released calld “TEUFELSKICKER” in which we will play the lead roles “

The album which hit the stores on Mar-12-2010 is on the Sony label (Sony Music was the label of their first album as well) includes 15 tracks with a total playing time of 52:21. As some of the songs included are the same as on their first album (9 of them) I will keep the scope of this mini review to the new six songs.

TRACK 1. “2010” – one can clearly note that the boys voices changed during the year, but the re-verbs, the electronic sound at times, and the supporting backing vocal resulted in a real cool sound, even if not as good as in their second track of the album:

TRACK 2. “Chaos” I loved the intro of the song and the way they sing “Chaos” . Of course, the hit single of the album as they emphasize in the release notes is:

TRACK 3.” Diabolisch” – its really the most energetic song from the album and their voices blend wonderfully together. Can’t wait it to do some stunts with my bike while listening to it.

Skipping to TRACK 13. “Vamoir ” I consider this to be the ballad song of their new album. It starts with some nice bass and then the song gets rhythmic – a rocky ballad as they say.

TRACK 14. “Unverwundbar” is quite melodic as well. I know that Apollo 3 is a rock band, but I really got to like their slower songs as well as the wild ones. It gives you a different feel of the spirit of the band.

TRACK 15. “Adrenalin” – a remix from the song that was included in their first album. It really rocks. But to describe it, I would just remind you what I said about it one year ago — my favorite song on the album. It’s so full of energy that I can’t believe that someone could listen to it calmly – perfect to accompany all kinds of extreme sports”

It’s a pity that the majority of information about Apollo 3 is still only available in German. However, various fan clubs have been formed around the world and, thanks to them, the music of this incredible German band is spreading across the globe. I hope that Sony will recognize the need for more information about Apollo 3 and will invest more in promotional activities (including, but not limited to, translating their official site into English)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWFDSo65kNA

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Esperame mucho (1983)

“the bonds of friendship were stronger than political differences”

Espérame mucho (Keep Waiting For Me) is an Argentinian film released in 1983 and based on a short story by Isidoro Blaisten. The action takes place in 1950 and the viewer is able to get a feel for the time from the very first scenes, which consist of TV reporting typical for countries under a centralized economy. The story is told in the first person, in a memoir fashion, with a neat transition between the introductory words of the narrator” I am 41 years old. In 1950, I was in fourth grade” and the actual story observed through his eyes as a child.

Juancito (played by the eleven year old Federico Olivera) is the main protagonist of the story. He is a regular boy who does his lessons under his mother’s supervision while awaiting impatiently for six o’clock so he can hear the story of his favorite hero on the radio – Tarzan. A lot of political turmoil is happening in Argentina at that time and it causes the young boy to wonder why his mother is referring to his uncle as “A Quixote” instead of ” A revolutionary”, as he sees him. In the later scenes, it becomes clear that the boy compares his uncle with his father – admiring his uncle for his courage and disapproving of his father who “never speaks up” and always follows the demands of his wife. And Juancito is not afraid to say that to his father’s face, using the words “everyone bosses you around”. At the same time, he relates more to his uncle who sometimes joined the boys in their football games “We loved it when my uncle Migel got the ball. He’d forget politics and play like a child. We all envied him”

Juansito is in love with a girl and the scene in which he gives her a present made my him is one of the most heart warming scenes I have seen in a film. Yet, he soon finds out how unfair life can be…. Generally speaking, the film has some quite touching scenes which alternately brought tears to my eyes or a smile to my face.

The cast did an incredible job in the film. Throughout the story, told through the eyes of Juancito, the viewer can appreciate the similarities, differences and beliefs of people from various social classes in Argentina during 1950. The abundance of documentary cadres contributes to the educational value of the film. It accurately portrays the history and the epoch in which the action is set. I believe that everyone who sees this film once will have gained a knowledge and a wisdom – because even as the years change, we today still share the same joys and fears as did the people in 1950.

Espérame mucho has some of the most powerful ending phrases that I have seen in any coming of age film. I could not resist quoting them in my review as I believe they represent its core message and will lead to a desire for you to see it:

“looking back on those days, the affection of these people, their faces and smiles, I feel the weight of these 30 years. When I left Tarzan, defender of the meek and justice, a wound opened up, for me and for many others and it hasn’t healed yet. The many things that happened buried the enthusiasm …. I am 41 years old. With time, I discovered why Tarzan wasn’t enough ….and I lost my childhood innocence “

When released in 1983, in the last few months of the military rule in Argentina, Esperame Mucho was subject to severe censorship by the regime. After the regime ended, the film was delivered without cuts in its various television displays.

I would not hesitate to recommend this film – not only to the fans of the coming of age genre, but to anyone who is interested in watching a high quality cinema production. Despite being produced in 1983, Esperame mucho is a film from which many of today’s filmmakers may learn.

Sinopsis en Español :

Sensible documento sobre los recuerdos de infancia ambientado en la epoca del primer gobierno peronista. Un hombre de mediana edad recuerda con nostalgia su vida pasada en un barrio de Argentina. A su mente vienen las imagenes de un mundo muy diferente en el que su inocencia le permitia sonar con un futuro diferente al que vive. Intercaladas en la historia se muestran escenas reales de personajes legendarios de la historia argentina como Eva Peron, Juan Manuel Fangio y Mirtha Legrand

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This review would not have been possible without the valuable support of CVMC.net who provided the DVD of this extremely rare film .

Title: Espérame mucho
Director: Juan José Jusid
Release year: 1983
Cast: Victor Laplace, Alicia Bruzzo, Arturo Bonin, Alberto Segado, Villanueva Cosse, Catalina Speroni, Marzenka Novak, Lucrecia Capello, Mario Luciani, Alberto Clementin and others

Vincent Lintermans

His name is Vincent Lintermans.

But everyone calls him Vince! To make it a bit easier to remember. He is born on March 10th, 1997 and lives in Landen, Belgium. Vince participated in the Junior Euro Song Contest with the song ‘Al Fluitend Door Het Leven’ in 2008. He is now attending the 6th year before heading to college. Vince doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, but he really likes dogs, fish, birds and goats. Now that isn’t heard often. He is a jolly boy.

His nicest memory of the JESC is Disneyland Resort Paris, with MC Louis in the Space Mountain.

Vince has got a love for animals and old(er) people. And hates people who pick their nose and jealousy. He also gets the nerves of waiting. But his heart begins beating faster when he sees a beautiful girl.

Together with his mum, Vince goes jogging six kilometres every week. Such a good workout comes out in handy because he sometimes blows his entire lung capacity on the trumpet, which is great to hear. Vince is part of a youth choir for two years now and does some solos as well.

Vince wants to become a singer, actor or musician. And so his dream is to go far in the entertainment business.

Song: ‘Hoe Mooi De Wereld Is’

If you ask Vince who his best friend is, he doesn’t have to think long. Fhara, his dog. She knows all of his secrets and is always with him when he’s driving his quad at grandpa’s pear plantation. And yes, from time to time, he will pick a pear from the trees.

To finish this little bio, some favourites of Vince:

Book: De Spoken van McHaggis (The Ghosts of McHaggis)

Song: Lollipop, by Mika

Artists: Mika (obviously), Dean and Natalia (2 Belgian singers)

Movie: 10 000 BC

Colour: Purple

Food: Chinese (chicken curry with rice)

In his early 20’s Vince, who is now called by his full name Vincent, opened up a diner together with his family and team, which goes by the name ‘Sikivie.’ They like to welcome you to their renovated home in the heart of Landen, Belgium.

Sikivie is to be found at the Stationsstraat, in a building full of memories. After years of emptiness and an extensive metamorphosis, the diner is now standing as a dynamic meeting place for everyone.

‘With us, you can find a fresh beer at the bar, a tasteful coffee or cocktail, nice food products, unique decoration, original gift boxes, gift certificates and much more.

We also keep your small or great hunger quiet. Our social bites are fresh and homemade. These delicious dishes call for dialogue and bring people closer together. What is the point of eating if you can’t share it with your lover(s)? After All, (food) sharing is caring!’

More information at HTTP://www.sikivie.be.

On Monday, February 8th, 2021, Vincent appeared in a Belgian television show called ‘Stukken van Mensen.’ That show presents 4 buyers who argue with each other to buy the presented item from the seller. Things are sold: vintage, art, furniture, decorative stuff, cars and so on…

Vincent came to sell 6 framed chronographs from Salvador Dali. He sold to one of the buyers for the amount of 1.500 euros and 2 days together with the seller to learn some more insights into the trading business.

The show’s video can be found here, but it is only available in Belgium

https://www.goplay.be/video/stukken-van-mensen/stukken-van-mensen-s6/stukken-van-mensen-s6-aflevering-2#autoplay

Jonas Jan Busselen

about.me/electrrricity

Updated: 23/02/2021

Alex Jr. : Then and Now

Alex Jr. is an amazing young artist, to whom I very much enjoy listening. He never misses — always right on the money.

His voice is clean and clear with no wavering. I never get tired of listening to his wonderful voice.

Alex is from Santa Caterina, Brazil. He entered a competition in 2006 on a show called Jovens Talentos (previously known as Show da Criança) – for the age group under eleven. After his first performance of “Nascemos Pra Cantar” people loved him (including me). He ended up performing three songs while winning the competition. The video, above, is of him in his well deserved win. Shortly after that competition, the age group ‘under eleven’ was canceled. But that wasn’t the end of Alex — by far. Raul Gil hired him as a regular on his show programa Raul Gil na Band . Here he paid homage to other composers and musicians and has done a fabulous job of this. The people to whom he paid homage were all honored by this young man’s performances of their music. Below is one of his performances, in February 2008, in which he pays homage to Ataíde e Alexandre singing “Agenda Rabiscada”. Alex paid homage to many people on that TV show.

Now Alex has a partner, Willian. They are now known as Alex & Willian and the sound is as good as ever. Still doing performances for Rual Gil, Alex and Willian now also perform on other shows and at many places around the country. To find scheduled show information, visit their website at: http://www.alexewillian.com.br/

Alex’s voice and music has been progressing quite well over the past few years and I believe Alex and Willian make a great duo. Their voices fit together very well. I enjoy listening to him as much now as when he was younger. Below, is a video of the duo singing “Te esquecer não consigo”.

Alex has certainly come a long way since that competition in 2006 and has accumulated many videos. I wish I could bring them all to you, I know you would enjoy them. However, he does have plenty to chose from on his channel Alex&Willian so please do stop by there and give them your support. It is a fairly new site and, as yet, has very few supporters. I hope you enjoy listening to Alex as much as I do……

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com