Paolo, BRAVO, MAGNIFICO, and that's going to be the limit that's not in English, I love the way you dive so deeply into aspects of Emma that most other reactors don't even recognise, let alone comment about. Your comments have so much insight, and bring out aspects of her performance and personality that are so enlightening, and so clear, I wish we could get you to comment more on Emma, she so deserves the recognition of the many qualities that she brings to the performances, it's way more that just that she can sing, we've know that from early on, she also has a superb sense of occasion, and style, and senstivity, and combining all of them into such a beautiful personality has resulted in a star who rises so much higher, and shines so much more brightly than so many of the people that she is named alongside, yet she has managed to retain all the wonderful aspects of her personality that make her so different, and so adorable as a performer, and your reviews always manage to highlight so many subtle facets of her performance that so many other reviewers have completely missed or omitted to comment on. I don't mind admitting it, I'm over 70, but she has well and truly got very deep into my heart, there is an incredible young woman there who has managed to overcome every one of the significant number of obstacles and challenges that she faces, she refused to be defined by them, and the result is what we see every time she walks out on to a stage, and it matters not if it's 20,000 people. as it was recently on every one of the 4 nights she performed in Lisbon, or it it's 600 people in a small town near Maastricht, where she recently sang 4 songs, th-cam.com/video/B26vMtBM3jY/w-d-xo.html Emma puts all of herself into making sure that everyone thoroughtly enjoys what she delivers. I had the joy of being at the concert in Geleen, and it was stunningly good. Emma has changed so much since her first songs on TH-cam, and that is very much the influence of being close to Andre and his orchestra for over 12 months, she has now performed to close on 1 Million people around the world with Andre, and thrilled them all, but at the same time, she has watched, listened and learned so much from the absolute consummate professionals that are the JSO, and Andre is a perfectionist, as is Emma, and they have massively clicked, so much so that she will be performing with Andre and the orchestra for 2025 as well, which will spread her fame even further and wider, and already, she's doing things that none of us expected when we first heard her, the recent songs with such stunning top notes and sustained for so long, I don't know how she finds that strength in her still tiny frame, but she very much does find it, and the result is mind blowing. Im not sure if I have mentioned to you the preview of the DIsney concert she will be guest appearing in next year at the Ziggodome, in Amsterdam, she will perform twice on January 4th, and then, a week later at the same (huge, 17000) venue, she will appear at the first concert of the Andre RIeu world tour, that's some success for a 16 year old, two weekends in a row starring at the same venue with different events, it may well be the first time that's happened there, it was her dream to appear there, her first single was recorded there, and now, she's starring there regularly, I understand she will also be guest appearing in a concert in March for the Dutch Alzheimer charity on the day before her 17th birthday. The Disney concert preview is on TH-cam, th-cam.com/video/rhALa-baZGA/w-d-xo.html I loved how in that event, as with Imagine, she is so much in control, and so confident, and then at the end, she brings her arm down with such authority and power, she is absolutely in control, and the finish is so powerful, so strong, and so indicative for me of the way she has grown physically, and as a singer, and mentally, this last year has been so good for her, and this is still the beginning, and as Roger C below has said, next year, she will be singing at her own concert in Amsterdam to a full house that sold out in only hours, that is going to be a very special and memorable evening, I just hope they are making arrangements to have it professionally recorded in full, as I for one will be wanting to get a copy of that time, while phones can produce good results, they are not the same as a professional recording, and Emma very much deserves that level of recognition, even better would be a DVD release with the profits going to help her foundation. In all of the wonderful things that are happening for her, it's hard sometimes to remember that she is still very much dependent on the tube feeding that ties her to the equivalent of a boat anchor in both size and weight for 22 hours a day, and without that, she cannot live, so my plea to everyone reading, if you enjoy Emma's performances as much as I do, please consider a (regular) donation to her foundation which she set up with the prize money she won in 2023 from Ministars. Emma's foundation can be found at gastrostars.nl They are researching the illness that paralyses her stomach, their aim being to try and find a cure that will free the sufferers from the awful regime of being tied to feeding pumps for almost all of their time. I for one, along with a huge number of people, would be more than happy to see Emma free to sing at more events, able to live a life that's not so restricted and able to do even simple things like share meals with family and friends, she says very little about the negatives of her life, or the pain she has to endure, it would be so good if she could be free to do what she is so good at, singing songs with such power and grace.
Willem van hanegem was sitting behind the table that was interviewed that same evening. He was emotional and surprised because this was his first time hearing her sing.
I always love your in-depth analysis on performances. It teaches me to look in a different way to a performance. From the composition of the song to the fashion choices it's clear to me that an artist overlooks it all. And Emma is the complete package. Her choices are always spot on. When Emma starts to sing she is strength, vulnerability, grace and power in one. And she's got a natural charisma that makes you glued to the screen and truly listen. Like you mentioned 'Imagine' is a difficult song to cover. But Emma instinctively knows how to approach such a song. What strikes me most about this performance is one short moment. Just after the sentence 'Imagine all the people sharing all the world' she extends the sentence with a short cry and a shake with her arm and body which is a just hint of desperation and anger in a song that is mainly soft, sensitive and filled with love and hope. I don't even think that Emma thinks about her gestures. They just come naturally as she 'feels' the song and performs. Another masterpiece from Emma. Greetings from The Netherlands.
Thanks for the comment and compliments. I'm glad you expressed your personal and intelligent perception of this performance. See you in the next videos.
Your Emma reactions are so good. I have to admit I am an Emma addict and consume everything I can find; your insights give me different ways to look at her performances. I agree with the concept of her authoritarian sweetness. Firstly this song... Someone else commented that her parents are there (at 5:30 in your video) and brother Enzo as you point out when stopped the video with him on screen at 8:03. Emma, supported by just Enzo on violin and Tjeerd Oosterhuis (who wrote 'Dancing On The Stars' as well as Emma's two singles) on piano, sang this version of 'Imagine' (with other songs) on the weekend of 11th and 12th October at the 'Fred and Friends' concert at the Ayoy Arena in Rotterdam, 2 concerts, total 33000 people. Here Emma was performing in the clubhouse / bar of a football club; one of the gentlemen shown was a famous Dutch footballer who was helping a youth team there that was featured in an earlier part of the show. Note Tjeerd Oosterhuis did not play piano here on TV but he was in the room. Tjeerd is a successful songwriter/musician/producer from a musical family. His wife is the famous Dutch Singer Edsilia Rombley (who Emma has performed with). Tjeerd's sister, Trintje Oosterhuis, is even more famous having worked professionally with Bert Bacharach among others. Simply saying here that along with Andre Rieu, Emma is in safe hands musically. Emma's appearance on this 'Carrie On Friday' was on the same day that she announced at 5 pm on social media, her first major show in her own right which will be in a year's time on 21st October 2025. It will be at the Royal Concert Hall (Concertgebouw) in Amsterdam. To put into context how prestigious this venue is, Mahler, Richard Strauss and Stravinsky have conducted there, Rachmaninoff, Leonard Bernstein, Yehudi Menuhin, and Ella Fitzgerald have all performed there. Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the world, along with Boston's Symphony Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna. The venue is naturally protective of its reputation so performers have to submit a resume etc to be considered to be allowed to put on an event there. Presumably this appearance on TV was partly to kick-start a year of ticket sales ahead of her concert. However, by the time Emma stood up to sing 'Imagine', after less than 3 hours since her first announcement, Emma's show was already fully sold out! Fortunately I saw her 5 pm announcement so by 5:15 pm I had my tickets. As well as Emma singing 'Imagine' it was preceded by a nice interview; here with English subtitles (auto-subs available) th-cam.com/video/QUOzSj4_wFw/w-d-xo.html Before she stood up to sing, Emma was asked why she chose 'Imagine'. Emma explained how it fits with the way she feels and hopes for the world; "that it's especially bad in the world right now so what is important is that we are just a little bit nicer to each other and that we treat each other better." Emma herself has been treated badly in her life. As is often mentioned, Emma was bullied at school because of her health condition, her feeding pumps, and her small stature. Emma was asked about the bullying in the interview, where Emma described enduring that over several years and sometimes feeling "that somehow it was her fault" and "having a realisation that she did have something that was going to get in the way in her life". 'Carrie' then asked "now, when you are on such a big stage, in front of that enormous crowd, in those beautiful dresses, because you are also very beautiful, and you stand there shining, is it like you are just giving a big middle finger [to the bullies]?" Although Emma has always said she bears her bullies no ill will, she laughed and said absolutely it was like giving the middle finger to them. Still slightly tongue-in-cheek, Emma said "I hope that they will come to see a concert one day and if they ask for a photo, I will say, well, I don't actually know who you are." 😆🤣 Thanks again for your excellent reaction.
I don't think I have ever heard Emma perform a song straight. By that I mean exactly the way of the original artist. This has become ever more apparent as she has gained experience and perfected her vocal techniques. Yes, the musical arrangement is changed, but she is also, on her own, adding little embellishments here and there to give the song her personal touch. She is an artist now in the truest sense of the word. The most amazing thing about Emma is that she is still so young. The thought that she will become even better over the next few years really blows my mind! Brava Emma! Beautifully done! 🌹 Thanks so much for your reaction. I really appreciate your insights. All the best.
Hello Paolo, Thanks for your extensive and heartfelt reacton. I heart from you a lot of aspects which gave me an additional look on the way Emma does this song, which was amazing again..
Hello Paolo, thanks for your lovely comments! Here are 2 more songs by Emma which she recently performed th-cam.com/video/Ll1uR_HUOP8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CWN6mDO4kxH3NPDY
Thanks for the comment, compliments and suggestions. I have already reacted to one of the two songs you suggest. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/hNAbIt_WTM0/w-d-xo.html I will go and see the other Emma performance you suggest as soon as possible. Thank you.
Paolo, BRAVO, MAGNIFICO, and that's going to be the limit that's not in English, I love the way you dive so deeply into aspects of Emma that most other reactors don't even recognise, let alone comment about. Your comments have so much insight, and bring out aspects of her performance and personality that are so enlightening, and so clear, I wish we could get you to comment more on Emma, she so deserves the recognition of the many qualities that she brings to the performances, it's way more that just that she can sing, we've know that from early on, she also has a superb sense of occasion, and style, and senstivity, and combining all of them into such a beautiful personality has resulted in a star who rises so much higher, and shines so much more brightly than so many of the people that she is named alongside, yet she has managed to retain all the wonderful aspects of her personality that make her so different, and so adorable as a performer, and your reviews always manage to highlight so many subtle facets of her performance that so many other reviewers have completely missed or omitted to comment on.
I don't mind admitting it, I'm over 70, but she has well and truly got very deep into my heart, there is an incredible young woman there who has managed to overcome every one of the significant number of obstacles and challenges that she faces, she refused to be defined by them, and the result is what we see every time she walks out on to a stage, and it matters not if it's 20,000 people. as it was recently on every one of the 4 nights she performed in Lisbon, or it it's 600 people in a small town near Maastricht, where she recently sang 4 songs,
th-cam.com/video/B26vMtBM3jY/w-d-xo.html
Emma puts all of herself into making sure that everyone thoroughtly enjoys what she delivers. I had the joy of being at the concert in Geleen, and it was stunningly good.
Emma has changed so much since her first songs on TH-cam, and that is very much the influence of being close to Andre and his orchestra for over 12 months, she has now performed to close on 1 Million people around the world with Andre, and thrilled them all, but at the same time, she has watched, listened and learned so much from the absolute consummate professionals that are the JSO, and Andre is a perfectionist, as is Emma, and they have massively clicked, so much so that she will be performing with Andre and the orchestra for 2025 as well, which will spread her fame even further and wider, and already, she's doing things that none of us expected when we first heard her, the recent songs with such stunning top notes and sustained for so long, I don't know how she finds that strength in her still tiny frame, but she very much does find it, and the result is mind blowing.
Im not sure if I have mentioned to you the preview of the DIsney concert she will be guest appearing in next year at the Ziggodome, in Amsterdam, she will perform twice on January 4th, and then, a week later at the same (huge, 17000) venue, she will appear at the first concert of the Andre RIeu world tour, that's some success for a 16 year old, two weekends in a row starring at the same venue with different events, it may well be the first time that's happened there, it was her dream to appear there, her first single was recorded there, and now, she's starring there regularly, I understand she will also be guest appearing in a concert in March for the Dutch Alzheimer charity on the day before her 17th birthday.
The Disney concert preview is on TH-cam,
th-cam.com/video/rhALa-baZGA/w-d-xo.html
I loved how in that event, as with Imagine, she is so much in control, and so confident, and then at the end, she brings her arm down with such authority and power, she is absolutely in control, and the finish is so powerful, so strong, and so indicative for me of the way she has grown physically, and as a singer, and mentally, this last year has been so good for her, and this is still the beginning, and as Roger C below has said, next year, she will be singing at her own concert in Amsterdam to a full house that sold out in only hours, that is going to be a very special and memorable evening, I just hope they are making arrangements to have it professionally recorded in full, as I for one will be wanting to get a copy of that time, while phones can produce good results, they are not the same as a professional recording, and Emma very much deserves that level of recognition, even better would be a DVD release with the profits going to help her foundation.
In all of the wonderful things that are happening for her, it's hard sometimes to remember that she is still very much dependent on the tube feeding that ties her to the equivalent of a boat anchor in both size and weight for 22 hours a day, and without that, she cannot live, so my plea to everyone reading, if you enjoy Emma's performances as much as I do, please consider a (regular) donation to her foundation which she set up with the prize money she won in 2023 from Ministars.
Emma's foundation can be found at gastrostars.nl
They are researching the illness that paralyses her stomach, their aim being to try and find a cure that will free the sufferers from the awful regime of being tied to feeding pumps for almost all of their time. I for one, along with a huge number of people, would be more than happy to see Emma free to sing at more events, able to live a life that's not so restricted and able to do even simple things like share meals with family and friends, she says very little about the negatives of her life, or the pain she has to endure, it would be so good if she could be free to do what she is so good at, singing songs with such power and grace.
Willem van hanegem was sitting behind the table that was interviewed that same evening.
He was emotional and surprised because this was his first time hearing her sing.
One of the violinists is her brother Enzo Kok. And the couple who look at her so proudly are her parents.
🤗🍒🌹 well done Paola, did you know that her brother played the violin and her parents were in the audience
I always love your in-depth analysis on performances. It teaches me to look in a different way to a performance. From the composition of the song to the fashion choices it's clear to me that an artist overlooks it all. And Emma is the complete package. Her choices are always spot on. When Emma starts to sing she is strength, vulnerability, grace and power in one. And she's got a natural charisma that makes you glued to the screen and truly listen. Like you mentioned 'Imagine' is a difficult song to cover. But Emma instinctively knows how to approach such a song. What strikes me most about this performance is one short moment. Just after the sentence 'Imagine all the people sharing all the world' she extends the sentence with a short cry and a shake with her arm and body which is a just hint of desperation and anger in a song that is mainly soft, sensitive and filled with love and hope. I don't even think that Emma thinks about her gestures. They just come naturally as she 'feels' the song and performs. Another masterpiece from Emma. Greetings from The Netherlands.
Thanks for the comment and compliments. I'm glad you expressed your personal and intelligent perception of this performance. See you in the next videos.
Your Emma reactions are so good. I have to admit I am an Emma addict and consume everything I can find; your insights give me different ways to look at her performances. I agree with the concept of her authoritarian sweetness.
Firstly this song... Someone else commented that her parents are there (at 5:30 in your video) and brother Enzo as you point out when stopped the video with him on screen at 8:03. Emma, supported by just Enzo on violin and Tjeerd Oosterhuis (who wrote 'Dancing On The Stars' as well as Emma's two singles) on piano, sang this version of 'Imagine' (with other songs) on the weekend of 11th and 12th October at the 'Fred and Friends' concert at the Ayoy Arena in Rotterdam, 2 concerts, total 33000 people. Here Emma was performing in the clubhouse / bar of a football club; one of the gentlemen shown was a famous Dutch footballer who was helping a youth team there that was featured in an earlier part of the show. Note Tjeerd Oosterhuis did not play piano here on TV but he was in the room. Tjeerd is a successful songwriter/musician/producer from a musical family. His wife is the famous Dutch Singer Edsilia Rombley (who Emma has performed with). Tjeerd's sister, Trintje Oosterhuis, is even more famous having worked professionally with Bert Bacharach among others. Simply saying here that along with Andre Rieu, Emma is in safe hands musically.
Emma's appearance on this 'Carrie On Friday' was on the same day that she announced at 5 pm on social media, her first major show in her own right which will be in a year's time on 21st October 2025. It will be at the Royal Concert Hall (Concertgebouw) in Amsterdam. To put into context how prestigious this venue is, Mahler, Richard Strauss and Stravinsky have conducted there, Rachmaninoff, Leonard Bernstein, Yehudi Menuhin, and Ella Fitzgerald have all performed there. Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the world, along with Boston's Symphony Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna. The venue is naturally protective of its reputation so performers have to submit a resume etc to be considered to be allowed to put on an event there. Presumably this appearance on TV was partly to kick-start a year of ticket sales ahead of her concert. However, by the time Emma stood up to sing 'Imagine', after less than 3 hours since her first announcement, Emma's show was already fully sold out! Fortunately I saw her 5 pm announcement so by 5:15 pm I had my tickets.
As well as Emma singing 'Imagine' it was preceded by a nice interview; here with English subtitles (auto-subs available) th-cam.com/video/QUOzSj4_wFw/w-d-xo.html Before she stood up to sing, Emma was asked why she chose 'Imagine'. Emma explained how it fits with the way she feels and hopes for the world; "that it's especially bad in the world right now so what is important is that we are just a little bit nicer to each other and that we treat each other better." Emma herself has been treated badly in her life. As is often mentioned, Emma was bullied at school because of her health condition, her feeding pumps, and her small stature. Emma was asked about the bullying in the interview, where Emma described enduring that over several years and sometimes feeling "that somehow it was her fault" and "having a realisation that she did have something that was going to get in the way in her life". 'Carrie' then asked "now, when you are on such a big stage, in front of that enormous crowd, in those beautiful dresses, because you are also very beautiful, and you stand there shining, is it like you are just giving a big middle finger [to the bullies]?" Although Emma has always said she bears her bullies no ill will, she laughed and said absolutely it was like giving the middle finger to them. Still slightly tongue-in-cheek, Emma said "I hope that they will come to see a concert one day and if they ask for a photo, I will say, well, I don't actually know who you are." 😆🤣
Thanks again for your excellent reaction.
Thanks for sharing this with us. I hope that you will review her performance of Dancing on the Stars. Again thank you very much. 😀👍
He already did.
th-cam.com/video/hNAbIt_WTM0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=gu6iMkEwf__VDfn-
Beautiful beautiful ❤❤❤
I don't think I have ever heard Emma perform a song straight. By that I mean exactly the way of the original artist. This has become ever more apparent as she has gained experience and perfected her vocal techniques. Yes, the musical arrangement is changed, but she is also, on her own, adding little embellishments here and there to give the song her personal touch. She is an artist now in the truest sense of the word. The most amazing thing about Emma is that she is still so young. The thought that she will become even better over the next few years really blows my mind!
Brava Emma! Beautifully done! 🌹
Thanks so much for your reaction. I really appreciate your insights. All the best.
Thanks for the comment and observations.
@PaoloBassotto 👍
Hello Paolo,
Thanks for your extensive and heartfelt reacton. I heart from you a lot of aspects which gave me an additional look on the way Emma does this song, which was amazing again..
Thanks for the comment and the compliments.
Hello Paolo, thanks for your lovely comments! Here are 2 more songs by Emma which she recently performed
th-cam.com/video/Ll1uR_HUOP8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CWN6mDO4kxH3NPDY
Thanks for the comment, compliments and suggestions. I have already reacted to one of the two songs you suggest. Here is the link: th-cam.com/video/hNAbIt_WTM0/w-d-xo.html I will go and see the other Emma performance you suggest as soon as possible. Thank you.
The television show is recorded in the canteen of a famous Dutch amateur soccer club.
Thanks for the information.