Posts Tagged "Germany"

The finale of The Voice of Germany is here. Many people know by now the many emotional phases the I’ve gone through regarding this show, but for all the ups and downs I’ve experienced, I’m filled with a sense of pride that one of my best friends and musical twin sister, Kim Sanders, has made it to the place I once hoped to be. For me, Kim embodies what the “Voice of Germany” is (or should have been) all about. Here’s why. I’ve known Kim since 1995, when we were both active in the Eurodance scene. We met one night at a Sony label party in Krefeld (we were label mates at that time); I was with my project The Free, she was performing her first solo single. As most lasting friendships go, we did not hit it off immediately, but...

[DISCLAIMER: these are my personal views and do not reflect any insider information about "The Voice of Germany".] “I thought it was a singing competition, but in the end it’s just a television show”, Butch Williams proclaimed after his departure from “The Voice of Germany”. Back then I thought his statement was just a case of sour grapes; only later did I realize the wisdom of his words. His opinion resonates with the majority of the pro and semi-pro musicians who were a part of the show who, like me, asked the question: is this finally a talent show “for us”, or are we pawns in a game designed to boost the credibility of yet another new casting show? As many who watched the show in the beginning recognized, a little less...

[EDITED: Repost for Facebook] It took every bit of strength I had in me to contain myself. Knowing about it has been killing me since the beginning of the summer. Now I can finally come out with it: I’m a contestant on the German version of the most successful new music competition in the world: The Voice! How did it come to this: me taking part in a television format that I’m actually not such a big fan of (to be blunt: I HATE casting shows!)? The short version of the story: I was convinced by a very good friend of mine who is also in the competition. She was asked if she knew anyone who might be interested in trying out for the show, and the first person she thought about was me. We talked about it for a while , and it was when she said to me,...

The Eurovision Song Contest, the world’s largest music competition, is now over. The hype in Germany surrounding Lena’s performance is now died down, the amazement surrounding the choice of Azerbajan as the winner will continue for a while (I still don’t get that one…) As an American, I’ve always been fascinated by the spectacle of the ESC; the drama, the politics, the overall cheesiness of the whole thing. This year though, I was “lucky” enough to get a free ticket to see the show live. I’d always refused to watch it on TV and it’s not every day that one gets such expensive tickets for free, so I said, “what the hell” and I went. I must admit, though; I really enjoyed myself. No kidding. Here are...