Daves Highway Mississippi Music Magic!

Erika Zachary Delaney

Daves Highway

A few months ago while chatting on Facebook, my pastor’s wife shared a link with me, exclaiming that I just had to listen to this singing group she had found! Being the music lover that I am, I immediately followed the link. What I found totally amazed me and captured my undivided attention. I have heard hundreds, maybe thousands, of groups sing, but it will be a long time before I find another that will match the talent exhibited by Brandon, Mississippi’s Daves Highway! This sibling group of youngsters, Delaney, Zachary, and Erika Daves blends their voices together as if they were born to, (Well In Fact They Were). Brother and Sisters together they form Daves Highway which brings some if not

“the best harmony of any youngsters I have ever heard!”

Recently I was privledged to conduct an interview with the group. Below is the complete, unedited content of this interview:

Daves Highway Interview Jan 7, 2010 When did you first realize that you could harmonize so beautifully together? (Erika) We’ve all been singing since we were little kids. We started singing together in the van driving to school. We just started singing the songs on the radio together and one thing led to another. We won a bunch of talent contests and people seemed to like us, so we learned some songs together and here we are! Some young people lose their focus when fame comes as fast as it did in your case. What do you feel helps keep you motivated, grounded, focused and yet remaining humble? (Delaney) It’s nice to have fans following us on the internet (I’m not sure about the fame part of it…are we famous?). We work a lot on our music instead of all of the other stuff like sports, cheerleading, etc. We’re grounded by our faith and our family. We just want to do our best. How do your parents feel about you working as a group and how did they react to your sudden popularity on You-Tube? (Zachary) Our parents help us a lot. They think it’s neat to see us on the internet. They’re our biggest fans. We never knew so many people would check us out on YouTube, Facebook, etc. There are a lot of nice people following Daves Highway! How have your friends reacted to your success, and how has life changed since that first YouTube video? (Erika) It hasn’t changed much. Sometimes people we don’t really know recognize us. It’s kind of fun meeting new people. We get a lot more e-mail and stuff on Facebook. Our friends are still the same and so are we. We just keep doing what we do. I realize that you are stair-step in age, but who takes the lead position for your group? (Erika) It depends. We each lead in different areas. Zachary talks on stage the most. I (Erika) talk more off the stage. Delaney is the oldest, so she likes to be the leader, too. Sometimes it depends on who’s the closest to the microphone and what’s the subject. One time we had everything planned and Zachary was going to do the talking and the TV person asked Delaney all of the questions! It was funny to me and Zachary, but Delaney did a great job. So now, we all try to be ready for the questions. Aside from your parents, who are the people that have inspired you and encouraged you the most and what famous musical artists has had the greatest influence on you? (All) Our Grandparents are our biggest fans, too. They come to everything and have helped us along. Mr. Mike Elledge in Southaven, MS is a great musical influence of ours. He’s the best musician we’ve ever known. He taught us a lot about music. Our former preacher, Steve Bennett has believed in us from the start. Many people have helped us along. As for famous musicians, two of us (Delaney and Erika) are named after Eric Clapton (we’re not sure about Zachary). But, we all love the Martins, the Eagles, the Beatles, Chris Tomlin, Little Big Town, and Lady Antebellum. We perform some of their songs. Zachary is a guitar man. He likes Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Styx. Zachary also loves lots of Christian musicians like Mark Scultz and Third Day. Erika is into Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Third Day, and Steven Curtis Chapman. Delaney loves Faith Hill, Little Big Town, the Martins and Martina McBride. Who does your arrangements and decides who is going to sing the lead and what harmony parts? (Delaney) We do our own arranging and figure out our songs and find our parts. Our mom helps us a lot and our dad helps sometimes, too. We do all of this by ear and don’t write down anything. We feel it and hear it. In all families, there is always some rivalry. Do you all get along as harmoniously in sibling life as you sing together? (Erika) We are laughing out loud! We can get some good singing harmony, but the rest of the time, we are just like normal brothers and sisters. We have our share of differences, but we usually stick together in the end. What hobbies do you have outside of music and performing? What are your favorite foods, school subjects? (Erika) I am the picky eater of the family. I eat basic, kid food like pizza and chicken nuggets. I love all animals, pets and puppies. And, I love to play sports. I’ll play any sport any time! Math is my favorite subject. Zachary eats a lot of everything. He likes Chinese food a lot. He loves video games, technical stuff and football. He’s a big-time New Orleans Saints fan. He is good at English. (Delaney) I like Mexican food a lot, but will eat most anything. I like to cook and love to create things like scrapbooks, sewing, etc. I’m the organized one. I love cheerleading, driving the car. My favorite subject is Math. We all cook a lot with Mom and Dad and like to watch movies together. What motivated you to make your first CD and are you already planning a second one now that the first one was so successful?

(Delaney) We’ve actually recorded 3 CD’s, but “Just For You” is the first one we’ve offered to the public. We were asked for a CD by so many fans, and things just fell into place for us. Mr. Charlie Peacock, our friend and producer, invited us to Nashville to visit and we ended up recording the CD with him. It was a great experience.

Yes, we are planning another CD. We’re writing some more songs and are looking for other original songs to record.

Are there plans to make a secular cd, and will you continue to sing a mix genre?

(Zachary) We especially like Country, Christian and Classic Rock music. We sing it all and like mixing it together. All songs by Daves Highway are positive, fun, and hopefully are good for all ages.

What is the most favorite of all the songs you do together?

(Zachary) That’s a hard question. We like all of our songs and we each have different favorites. Right now, What God’s Gonna Do is at the top. But, Free Ride is way up there for our live performance. Boondocks is also a favorite. And, Jesus Messiah is an awesome song too.!

What is the furthest you have traveled to perform and what single event was the most memorable for you?

(Delaney) We’ve done TV shows in Tampa and Atlanta. They were very cool. We enjoyed playing at Star Baptist Church where Faith Hill grew up. One of our favorite songs is the Star Spangled Banner. We’ve sung it in lots of places, but FedEx Forum at the NBA Memphis Grizzlies basketball game is lots of fun. One day, we hope to sing it for the NFL New Orleans Saints!

What are your goals and plans for the future as a group? Does anyone have a solo singing career in mind for the future?

(Delaney) We plan to make a big splash in the music world as Daves Highway! We have a message to share with the world. We want to sing songs of hope, love, and fun.

We’re planning our next CD, but we’re also focusing on our live performance (it’s a lot more fun and much better than a recording on CD).

As for a solo….we can each sing a solo as part of Daves Highway most anytime. Our strength is in our group and our family. We plan to stick together.

Is there anything else you want to share with the audience?

(Zachary) Yes. We want to thank every person who has ever visited our website www.DavesHighway.com for taking the time to check us out. And, thanks to the folks who visited us on Facebook, Youtube and other sites too. We’d love to hear from you. We hope you’ll become a fan, come see us, or leave a comment. Thanks!

What’s the best way for someone to contact Daves Highway?

(Erika) The best way is through our website www.DavesHighway.com. Our Facebook fan page is good too.

I understand that Daves Highway does many live performances. What do you like best about performing live?

We do lots of shows. We’re doing a few dates in January 2010 in Memphis, Little Rock and Jackson, MS. The dates are all on our website. We do love performing live! It’s so much fun to see all of the people. and, we get to do the songs we want to do. and, our show has a lot of energy and excitement. And now , we have a CD and when people ask us “Do you have a CD?, Can we buy a CD?” we can say “yes” to both questions! That is so cool for us!

This past holiday season, Daves Highway released their first CD to the public entitled “Just for You”. I have my signed copy already framed and hanging on my collectors wall for safe keeping. One of the best songs on this cd is entitled “Boondocks” which offers Zachary and opportunity to shine as a soloist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APiGAsvzYM

If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit their website, do so now. You can also read more about them on http://rivenmaster.com. I also encourage you to sign up to their fan site on Facebook for instant updates with the latest information for their concerts, television events, and other appearances.

I will promise you that you can travel all over the world looking for musical talent, and it can be found on every corner of the glob. However, Daves Highway isn’t just musical talent. They are nothing less than Mississippi Music Magic!

I encourage you to visit their ON-LINE STORE where you can purchase their CD’s and other Daves Highway items.

Rivenmaster

Daves Highway Audio Inroduction

Emanuel Zekic

Emanuel Zekic- The megastar of Serbia

If you have been listening to theskykid.com radio – you may have heard two songs of the talented Serbian folk singer Emanuel Zekic. (His Facebook profile lists Bosnia y Herzegovina and the country he lives in).

I was introduced to him approximately two years ago by a friend of mine and have been following his career ever since. As his music is quite specific, he has been unable to gain the worldwide popularity that many English speaking singers do. He has already sung on stage with a band and was even on television in December, 2005. Now-a-days, with the spread of the social networking tools and services such as MySpace, YouTube, Facebook , blogs and the like, he is getting a chance to spread his music throughout the world and I am more then willing to help by introducing his songs at theskykid.com. Thanks to his recording label, Grand Zvezdica, he has already released an album and keeps working on new projects. (His father has a studio named after him StudioBojanZekic – in which the young Emanuel records his songs) .

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwScI9Z1co

I can manage some basic Serbian – but even that did not help me to find a lot of information about himon the Internet, other than occasional commentaries that his fans have left on his YouTube clips. One thing I was about to learn is that few years ago a rumor spread in Serbia that he had died in a car crash – which turned out to be far from the truth. He is currently working on his second album and I hope that this post will help him spread his music around the globe.

One of his songs is called Forgive Me and you can watch a clip of it below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23PF5yaQZ1A

For most of you, Emanuel’s songs must be quite exotic.

Don’t forget to leave me comments and tell me what you think of Emanuel and his music.

Emanuel Zekich – My Space, Facebook

Zoomerne

Zoomerne – coming of age movie review

Hello, dear readers of theskykid.com! Maybe you have already heard of me – I am a guest author on this blog. Today I would like to present you with a newer coming-of-age release, called Zoomerne, or Zoomers – which is the international title.

Zoomerne is a film which is quite up-to-date, not only referring to the date of release, but also to the topic that the film is dealing with. Just let me briefly sum up the content. It is about two boys, Tim (Frederik Ludvig Mansa) and Alexander (Sophus Emil Løkkegaard), who are just on the edge of puberty. They are best friends and have at least one thing in common: they are looking out for pretty girls. Alexander, however, seems to be the guy who already knows a lot about getting in contact with girls. Tim acts rather shy and “nerdy”, as his schoolmates would say. One day Tim‘s mother goes on a business trip, leaving the key to her security store behind. The boys are making a plan. They will be trying to spy on almost everybody in the school to get to know the results of one important test that would come up soon. And, of course, Alexander is at the same time trying to help Tim, with the help of the professional equipment they are using for their “big brother” project. Will he be able to get to know a possible girlfriend, not messing it up for the first time?

Well, this film is just smooth to watch. Actually, the topic is not too exclusive or brilliant at all – but there is one thing that makes it better than many other films with an almost similiar topic. It is simple: it has been produced in Denmark! It may just be a “prejudice” – but generally films that are made for children, or have children as main actors – have some kind of bonus when they are coming from the northern hemisphere. And, in “Zoomerne“, we can also taste this special mood coming from the authentic portrait of childhood. Now, as I mentioned above – this film definitely does not rank at the top of my coming-of-age film list – there are other “northern” titles far better than this one. I am thinking about “Drommen“, for example. Of course, the topic is very different: “Zoomerne” is a rather “feelgood” movie that should not be taken too seriously. But I had some fun watching it, resulting mainly from the relationship between the two boys – and how they are trying to help each other.

Of course, it is not all about befriending the desired girl from school – the focus is also drawn to the use of “spying equipment”. And, that is what makes the film suitable for a younger audience: it has some messages about the consequences that can occur when one is “spying” on other people (mainly with cameras). Even the friendship of the two boys is put to the test, as Tim gets to know some facts about his best friend that should have remained private. The relationship of the two boys is nicely portrayed – thanks to the director and the two young actors, who are rather unknown outside of Denmark. But they do a good job in the film, considering the roles they are playing, and in my opinion the roles could not have been played much better.

So, what about the other aspects of this film? The camera-work looks very nice, as does the cutting. There are some nice scene setups – but unfortunately not too many to differentiate. Again, nothing too extraordinary here – but at the same time nothing will “bother” you. The soundtrack is rather thin – there is no “real” score, just some (mostly “exciting”) tunes to underline the situations in the film.

Once again I’d like to highlight the most important thing, and then I will sum this one up. Naturally, I am talking about the story and the messages. Well, it is an entertaining movie, especially for kids. But if you are watching it with the whole family – the adults will not be bored either. And, the most important thing: they most likely will not complain about this or that little nuisance in the film, because it basically makes everything right. But, if I had to fully rate it – which is what I am going to do now – I have to cut back here, in terms of missing originality, inspiration and emotionality (at least a little). This is why I would only rate the story and conclusion with 2 points (out of 4). It still has some good, funny and exciting elements. Adding 1.7 (out of 2) for the actors, 1.2 (out of 2) for the optics, 0.5 (out of 1) for the music and sound, and 0.6 (out of 1) for my own taste – I rate Zoomerne at 6 out of 10 points, which comes very close to the average rating of the international IMDB-members. Try to form your own opinion and watch the trailer:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzaY0qNQjMU

Cheers,

Ikarus

Den sidste viking

“He who has a ship, can do what he wants. The ship sets him free. Losing his ship condemns him to thraiidom…”

I have always been interested in history. Native Americans, Knights, Pirates and Vikings were the frequent heroes in the books I used to read as a kid. When I was about ten, my dad drew a poster for me with big Viking ships on it and for quite a while it had a central place on the walls of my room. Those memories became the reason I felt a familiar tingling when seeing the DVD cover of the Danish film The Last Viking. I realized that tingling was an eagerness for adventure.

The film focuses on the coming of age experience of Harald – a young Viking boy (Holger Thaarup) who dreams of becoming a warrior and merchant just like his father, not realizing that in life :

“Axes and swords treat old warriors and green boys alike”

This is an excellent metaphor which is as valid nowadays as it was in the time of the Vikings. Harald’s carefree life is transformed into a drama of life and death when the mentally unstable king of the country decides to confiscate the ships along the coast for his army. The importance which ships had in the Vikings culture is clearly shown when Harold’s dad refuses to give up his ship. Instead, he takes off to get reinforcements from a group of insurgents, leaving Harald, his mentally retarded brother, his mother and the rest of the village as easy victims, because the king, as revenge, sends a group of warriors to punish their disobedience. Having read my fair share of Viking books (both for pleasure and at school) maybe here is the place to say that the film is not historically correct. But the excellent cinematography and the attention to detail such as the costumes and the Viking ships and habitat contribute to the educational value of Den sidste viking .

When the king’s soldiers come to the village, Harald’s dad is already gone, along with his ship, and the villagers offer to build another ship for the king if they are spared by the warriors. Harald is not happy about the new situation as, being a free spirited boy, he can’t stand being ordered around n

or bear the changes that occur in the village. Soon he learns an important life lesson:

“Things in life are not always what they seem”

Harald tries to resist the invaders, hoping that his dad will return and save them all. When this doesn’t happen, the boy embarks on a journey whose goal changes in the process. It becomes the most important goal a person can have in his life – to find his own self.

The cast did a good job of portraying their characters, especially the young protagonist Holger Thaarup, whose performance was especially convincing. You may see him in another Danish film called Drengen der gik baglæns where he also delivers an outstanding performance.

The Last Viking was released in 1997 and is directed by Jesper W. Nielsen. It’s Nielsen’s feature film debut. Nielsen attended the Danish Film School and his work has earned him accolades for his distinctive and personal style in directing films for children and adolescents (Fans of coming of age movies should write down his name).

The moviecan be categorized as an adventure/drama about freedom, love, oppression and hardship in an uncertain and cruel world. It is a serious, dark movie packed with intense scenes and valuable life lessons. I do not hesitate to name it a masterpiece of the coming of age genre.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiN5R4MdT9c

“When a man fights, he becomes another person.Runs round and round. the screams.
Hears himself scream.Feels the blood on his face.Tastes it.He forgets why..”

Title : The Last Viking (Den sidste viking)

Director: Jesper W. Nielsen

Release year: 1997, Danmarks Radio

Cast: Holger Thaarup, Rene Hansen,Moa Lagercrantz, Marika Lagercrantz, Bjorn Floberg, Kim Bodnia, Erik Wedersoe, Per Oscarsson, Ricky Danielsson, Bjarne Henriksen, Troels Trier, Elo Sjogren and others

Janus Dissing Rathke

One day in the past year I was watching some television and suddenly I was in the middle of this really touching and kind of emotional film Drømmen. Since the 2006 movie’s debut, in which he plays Frits, 18-year-old Janus Dissing Rathke has appeared in two other movies: Der var engang en dreng, in the role of Kalle and Julefrokosten, in the role of Allan. Overall, the cast in these movies do a great job, but credit goes out especially to this talented young actor.

Drømmen (We Shall Overcome) is a Danish movie from 2006, directed by Niels Arden Opley, who also wrote the screenplay with Steen Bille. The film reflects the youth rebellion of the time and young people’s struggle against authority. The movie won several awards, inter alia Robert award for the Danish films in 2006 and 2007.

Story: it is a drama about a boy who’s inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and challenges repressive school authority in the Denmark of 1969. When he hears a tape of King, young Frits begins to dream about a school without any fear, as he is the victim of brutal headmaster Lindum-Svendsen. But his faith in justice falters. His fervent admiration for Martin Luther King is in the power to rebel against the seemingly unassailable authority. Not only his courage is put to the test, but also his parents, classmates and teachers are forced to take a stand. Furthermore he is enthusiastic about rock and roll, his new hippie teacher and the optimism of a generation.

http://youtu.be/jo4n1qoUn3k

Der var engang en dreng is a Danish movie from 2006 directed by Steen Rasmussen and Michael Wikke. The complete English title is: There once was a boy – who had a sister with wings. The film is a modern fairy tale with music and it targets the whole family.

Story: life becomes troublesome when 10-year-old Kalle’s newborn sister has a birth defect on her back resembling wings. Only he sees the true miracle of his sister’s odd appendages. When she is sent to the renowned Plastic Palace Clinic of cosmetic surgery for an amputation, Kalle sets out on a rescue mission. On the road, he meets Alf, a reclusive mechanic, who agrees to help. Together, they take off in Alf’s vintage Cadillac in a race against time through an autumn-colored world of song and dance.

Julefrokosten is a hilarious Danish comedy, by the director of the 2008 Danish film Blå mænd (Blue Men), Rasmus Heide. The authors are Heide and Thomas Glud. The film continues in the comedic style of the earlier Blue Men and several of the actors are in both films, inter alia, Mick Øgendahl, Søren Malling and Thure Lindhardt. The film premiered in Danish cinemas on November 6th, 2009.

Filmography :

1. Julefrokosten (2009) …. Allan
2. Der var engang en dreng (2006) (as Janus Rathke) …. Kalle
… aka Skymaster (International: English title)
… aka Skymaster: A Flying Family Fairytale (Europe: English title)
3. Drømmen (2006) …. Frits
… aka We Shall Overcome (International: English title)

Self:

1. Drømmen – en instruktørs rejse (2006) (TV) …. Himself/Actor

Source: imdb.com and wikipedia.com

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The article above is guest contribution of :

Jonas — http://twitter.com/electrrricity

Alyssa Shouse

Alyssa Shouse has the perfect pop voice. I was truly amazed at how well it fits into this style of music. I have listened to her sing various songs and she fits right in with some of the rising stars of pop. In the video, above, she sings Here We Go Again by Demi Lovato. She does a remarkable job with it and has the potential to easily follow in Demi’s foot steps.

Alyssa has been singing for quite some time. She says she started when she was two years old, when she would be pushed around in her stroller in stores and start singing Man I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain, “very loudly” she adds. Alyssa did her first talent show at her school when she was eight. She won her first talent contest in 2007 at the local Teen Idol, then went on to win another Teen Idol in 2008. In 2009, she was the winner at the county fair talent show where she lives. In February of 2009, she began playing the guitar, thus adding another dimension to her incredible talent.

I am not the only one who believes in her. For the short time her YouTube channel has been up, she has already racked up over a quarter million views and her fan base is growing rapidly (of which I am now a part). She says her favorite two singers are Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey. She likes their unique voices, saying whenever they sing you know who it is.

Not only is she working to make her dreams come true, but now she is helping others with theirs. She does a contest called Winter Contest in which her fans can put together a video, singing songs to see their talent as well. Some want to do one, but are scared she says. But she takes the time to work with them to overcome their fears. This was very impressive to me. Anyone who helps another person, whatever the reason, has already gained success in my eyes. I have no doubt that she will achieve everything she dreams of in life.

Hope and Glory (1987)

Hope and Glory is a British and American made film, written and directed by John Boorman. It was based on his own life experiences growing up in Blitz, London during WWII.

The film tells the story of the Rowan family: 10 year old Billy (Sebastian Rice Edwards), his younger sister Sue, older sister Dawn and his parents, Grace and Clive. Billy is a very imaginitive and adventurous boy who often imagines himself in the war. In the story, Clive goes off to war leaving Grace to take care of everything back home (and she has her hands full). Just as the first bombs start to fall, Billy and family run outside, acting as if it was a big fireworks show — laughing and pointing, especially Billy who was completely amazed.

Billy, like the rest of the kids, loved finding shrapnel. One day while Billy was searching for some, he ran into a group of boys. They didn’t hit it off at first, but soon they invite him into their little gang. To them, a bombed house is a playground. Finding shrapnel and destroying whatever is left is like a game to them — that is, until Billy finds them at his house after it had burned. Then it became personal for Billy. He let the head of the gang know, real quick. Billy’s mom and sisters watched, not caring how much Billy punched the other boy.

As for the rest of Billy’s family — his older sister, Dawn, had a habit of sneaking out at night to meet up with a soldier boy she had met, while his little sister, Sue, often tagged along on Billy’s adventures. And then there is Grandpa, a drunken, hateful old coot who doesn’t seem to have any friends. Most of the family doesn’t like him, but Billy finds a way to connect with him through the game of cricket .

This film was a true joy to see as it has a little bit of everything in it. There’s lots of “boys will be boys” fights and adventurous, but harmless, peeping. It has humor, bonding, and yes, even heartbreak — when Dawn falls for a soldier who has to leave for war. I’ve never seen a film quite like this before. Oh, I’ve seen many films depicting life during the war, but none quite as adventurous. I have to take my hat off to the director on this one. It was a brilliant idea, very creative. The cast did a great job. I couldn’t pull myself away and hated when it ended. I wanted to keep watching. There is so much in this film that I can’t begin to tell it all here. If I had to describe it in one word it would be –DELIGHTFUL. I highly recommend it.

Leo Howard

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvHQdK-UC6M

Leo Howard, age 12 , was born in Newport Beach , CA. Leo is a remarkable young actor, one you’re really going to have to keep an eye on. Leo is making a name for himself. He has his own show on the Disney Channel called Leo Little’s Big Show — doing interviews and DVD reviews.

He has four films under his belt: Aussie and Ted’s Great Adventure (Eric Brooks), Shorts (Laser Short), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra playing the part of young Snake Eyes and a new one, Logan, in which he plays the lead role (Logan Hoffman). It is currently in post-production. Playing the role of young Snake Eyes, he got to show off all of his skills, not only his acting abilities, but he even did his own stunts as well. Training for the role wasn’t hard for this young man.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iN2NPHSHDc

Leo holds a black belt in Shorin Ryu style karate. By the time he was 8 years old, he had won three world championships. Then he moved into extreme martial arts. If you would like to see him in action you can. He belongs to a group called Sideswipe. They put on performances around the country a few times per year. They have not yet put up their schedule for 2010, but you can watch for when they’ll be appearing on their website www.sideswipepro.com

This is a remarkable young man. Check him out.

Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi

Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi -a young treble from India

I am absolutely astonished by the young talents that exist in this world, sharing their talent with devotion, passion and determination – that one could only appreciate. A few days ago, in an e-mail sent via the contact form of this blog, I found out about Yatharth Ratnum Rastodi . At the tender age of 12 – he is a big star in India (I won’t hesitate comparing him with what Declan Galbraith was in Europe), having thousands of devoted fans.

Yatharth, who is from the holy city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges in the north-east of India, was a contestant on a TV show from Mumbai called “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs”. A children’s version of a cross between (“<your country here>’s Got Talent” and “<your country here> Idol”). The Grand Finale was held last October 29 in a huge sports arena in Mumbai. Yatharth only came in second place out of the remaining three contestants, which greatly surprised his many Indian fans.

Here is a clip from his participation in the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs 2009″

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rRpquVqu3U

The singers in the competition all sang well known songs from famous Bollywood movies and are judged by professional adult singers and guest adult singers. My correspondent is endeavoring to have Yatharth honored at the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards in 2010.

In an e-mail to theskykid.com, in which he provided the majority of information about Yatharth, he also states that :

“India has, and is, producing some surprisingly great young talent. I think, in part, most of it is due to a very high standard of education, not only in the arts, but in all fields.”

The music performed by Yatharth has an exotic sound to me. Yet, I am impressed by his vocal abilities and the way the music seems to be flowing through him. He sings with his soul and I am not surprised that his fans adore him for that. I would like to quote part of an article about him which I found in ” The Sur Family” blog while researching for more information about Yatharth. In it Abhi writes :

” ….In the 2009 series of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs” – one singer has simply held me spellbound in every performance – Yatharth Ratnum Rastogi !! I cannot watch Yathart perform while sitting still. I am too excited for that. It’s like watching Ronaldo possessing the soccer ball – you know some magic is bound to happen – don’t know what!! Same with Yatharth – I know for sure that I am going to experience the pure magic of music for the next few minutes. He has mesmerized audiences and accomplished judges with his vocal renditions. I am not trained in music to evaluate anyone; however, what has appealed to me is his control over his tonal quality. He knows exactly what to do with his notes – when to “throw” them, when to stretch tahem and how to land them. ..|

…to read the entire article by Abhi follow this link to the Sur Family Blog

For those of you who are hearing about Yatharth for the very first time, I hope that my introduction was interesting to you. If you do a search about him on Google, or any other search engine, you are sure to find a lot more information about him in forums, video sharing sites and the like. Feel free to use the rating system of this blog and share your opinion, about either Yatharth or this introduction, in the comments section below. To complete this article I would like to share with you my favorite performance of Yatharth:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA9roK-kVCA

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Da obichash na inat / Stubborn Love (Europe: English title)

Although I have seen the movie many times, to write this review I have watched it once again and I must say that again I found it interesting. I generally do not like watching movies a few times, but this is one of the few movies I can watch again and again.

In general, the story of the movie is about 14 year old Plamen (Ivan Velkov) and his father Rado (Velko Kynev). Rado Peshev is 40 years old, and has worked as a truck driver delivering fruits and vegetables. He has a 14 year-old son,Plamen, and a good wife. Plamen accidentally learns that his father is involved in illegal transactions. An incident at school confronts the family with the issues of fairness and compromise and causes Plamen to run away from home. Because of this, Rado decides to withdraw from his illegal operations. But it turns out that it is not so easy to get out of the “game”.

At the beginning of the film, the father gives his son a lesson: “if you are right, keep faith til the end”. This is the main idea of the film. You must, at any cost, defend the truth regardless of consequences. Is it normal to require that you be honest if all others around you are not?

The main conclusion of the film is that the truth is most important and you must have faith in it because, in the end, it is all you have. You may not make compromises with it to serve an individual or authority. Defending the truth is a sign of both civic and personal courage.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QHKh5tfeCw

The actors in the movie bring their roles to life at an incredibly good level. The same applies to the direction of the film and work with the camera.

The movie has won various awards for cinematography, the Critics Award, an award for best director, and the best actor prize. But maybe the most prestigious of all awards is the Special Jury Prize and the prize “Don Quixote” of the International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, 1986 .

In the end, this is and will remain one of my favorite movies. It is one of the proofs showing that, although communism inflicted enormous damage to the whole of Bulgaria and Eastern Europe, this region (Eastern Europe and Bulgaria in particular) had, and still has, something to show to the world.

According to the film`s IMDB page Da obichash na Inat was also released in Finland and Sweeden under the titles :

Att älska motvilligt and Rakastaa tahtomattaan

This is a guest review by Spooky. Read his author`s note below :

This is my first movie review. In it I present to you one of my favorite coming of age films — one that perhaps few people know about because it was filmed in 1986, in then communist Bulgaria. I asked SkyKid to publish this review in his blog and he gladly agreed. If you liked this review, I will write others about various unfamiliar but noteworthy Bulgarian and East Europe movies in the future.

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus: Great Film For The Season

Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus is a great film for Xmas starring Dominic Scott Kay as Jake. The story is about Santa’s son Nick finding a wife. Well Jake has just the right person for the job — his mom Beth. Beth dosent believe in Santa, but of course Jake does. This makes for a big problem,as she has to believe in order to be Mrs. Claus. Jake and Nick have their hands full making Beth believe in Santa. While Jake doesnt know that Nick is Santa’s son, he soon learns there is something different about him, something magical.

Dominic does a wonderful job in this film (as well as in many others he appears in). He can make you laugh, and then steal your heart . This film, along with Meet The Santas, are great holiday films. Dominic has many films to choose from — 21 so far. He also has starred in six TV shows. That is a big accomplishment for someone who is now only 13 years old. He has done voice overs in Santa Buddies and Air Buddies as the voice of Buddha, as well playing Adam in Snow Buddies.

As amazing as all this is for a young man, Dominic also directed,wrote and starred in Saving Angelo, which is based on a true story about a dog he and his family found on the side of the road. Unfortunately, this film got caught up in a legal battle. Dominic did come out on top, but the release date is unclear. It should be a good film when it is.

Looking for some good films to watch? Check out some of Dominic’s films and you will not be disappointed.

Kirill Ermakov

A young treble from Belarus – Kirill Ermakov

Yesterday I discovered a young singer from Belarus – Kirill Ermakov . I haven’t stopped listening to his songs since. Energy just pops out of Kirill’s songs. I especially like a song of his titled “Я твой герой” (I’m Your Hero). You can also listen to him sing in Italian doing his cover of Adriano Celentano’s classic hit “Italiano”.

Kirill was born in the city of Minsk on 09 July 1996. He goes to the middle school in the same city and to a music school where he studies violin and piano. He’s had performances in a variety of venues in his country and abroad (including New Year theatrical performances in New York). His repertoire includes many songs of his own composition ( “Shall We Dance?”,”Dream”, “In Heaven”,”I’m Your Hero”, “I Sing For You”, “Our Programs W blakitnymi vachami”, etc.). Kirill also enjoys shooting and editing video clips. He assembled the clips in his songs: “Our Programs W blakitnymi vachami” and “Dream.”

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

Visit the official site of Kirill Ermakov ( most of his songs can be downloaded from there )

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com