Dec 18, 2009

Good Songs to Share -- Blue Christmas




While everyone is singing “White Christmas”, Elvis Presley is singing “Blue Christmas”, which is not an ordinary Christmas song.

Last year, Joseph Hall, a young man, imitating his idol, Elvis Presley, “The King of Rock 'N' Roll”, performed in the “American Got Talent” show in the United States. He sang Elvis’ “Hound Dog”, a 1956 hot hit, as his debut song. It’s quite interesting to see a dynamic handsome man singing a pop song, which can be dated back more than 50 years, a lot older than him. Just in his performance, he was carrying away all the audience, especially the females, in hoorays and ecstasy, and even the three judges were moved by the hot wave on the spot. In addition to Joseph’s outstanding performance, it is him deliberately imitating Elvis’ explosive stage charisma and the emotion of “Hound Dog” that have produced great impact on the audience. It also proves that Elvis’ influence has lasted for decades and continues to do so...

In my opinion, if a singer has great talents in voice, presentation, technique, he is almost perfect regardless of regions or eras, and if he has a knack for songs in different styles, then he is a rare phenomenon, and moreover, if he can create his own style, initiate and drive the trend, then it’s really fabulous, and he must be a superstar, and the early Elvis Presley is the one who did it; he himself is a white man, but he is able to mix country music, the Soul of the black and some other elements into a unique personal style. His performance on stage is much different from the trend of that time, but his charisma strikes crazy all the young people around the world. There are many wonderful pieces of his early works, for instance, those dynamic songs like “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, etc... or those with slow rhythm like “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “Love Me Tender”, “Crying in the Chapel”, etc... Numerous... Inexhaustible. So, he has got a nickname, the King, which he deserves very much.

That’s a Christmas gift of celebration at the bottom: a fragment of “Hound Dog” Joseph Hall sang in the “American Got Talent” in 2008, song and dancing stirs the audience so much, you can imagine that Elvis made a similar TV show in the fifties or sixties, definitely a big shock on the society at that time.




From Simon.del.mondo
Translated by Tameer

Dec 17, 2009

Just Talk - David Beckham

A few months ago, I read a report about David Beckham, which was just published in a public opinion poll by The Children’s Society in the UK. David is chosen as “the most appropriate role model for children”: 19% of respondents rated him the “best”, and 36% rated “good”. I am quite happy to hear this good news of him.

Even when Beckham was still a trainee, his good appearance and great progress in the game brought him numerous followers. During the World Cup 1998, he was against Argentina on behalf of England, but due to his lack of experience, he was so stupid to create much friction with the opponent players that he was given a red card by the referee and dismissed from the pitch. After the competition, a lot of people in England blamed him for the team not qualified for the next stage out of his unwise impulsive behavior. They regarded him as the sinner responsible for the bad results of the national team. On returning his motherland, he was bitterly pulled down from high and suffered much humiliation under universal condemnation. As time went on after the incident, nevertheless, he was constantly rectifying his own behavior, improving techniques, exerting many efforts and finally taking his fellowmen by surprise – able to regain his glory and become everybody's favorite once again.
In 2003, Beckham switched from Manchester United to Real Madrid, the Spanish famous team, but most media and his team-mates ridiculed him as a star, who only shows off, rather than a football athlete. It seemed to suggest his performance not to be in the same rank as that of his team-mates and other top players in the world. However, he has paid much effort and managed his character to overcome difficulties and establish good relationships with the local media and his team-mates.

Beckham felt quite frustrated in 2006, when Fabio Capello played the role of Real Madrid's manager, who did not confide much in him. In the same year, when Steve McClaren was the manager of the national team, it was said that they had small grudges against each other; it was the good opportunity for McClaren to find fault and take revenge. Once Beckham said, “I am not happy every day!" But later on, to show his sincerity by action and effort, he proved his importance in all aspects inside or outside the team. So once again, he overcame all the adversities and returned to the national team and his club as a select player.

Those who like Beckham might appreciate his free kicks or fulfillment of mission by fabulous skills in the pitch. Or some girls might appreciate him for his handsome appearance or whatever. But personally, I appreciate his excellent EQ, continuous efforts, perseverance, working on his own self quietly, and all the more, he gains people’s respect by results, performs so well as to let his critics shut up, and survives disasters and unpleasant events again and again ─ all these prove his determination and spirit. Not only should children learn from his merits … .

From Simon.del.mondo
Translated by Tameer