Choosing the David Bowie and Queen collab "Under Pressure" dead sober in an empty Moe's Southwest Grill in the middle of the day? Don't do that! Dueting "Summer Nights" from Grease after one too many tequila shots and screaming over loud music all night? Don't do that either! The best way to avoid utter catastrophe during your karaoke night in or out (someday!) is to feel out which vocalists are most compatible with your singing range and picking a song firmly within that comfort zone.īut where does a casual singer with little or no voice training even start? How should you prepare? What if you think you can't even hold a tune? I fielded these questions, and others, to a panel of experienced, worldly vocal coaches, who generously shared their learned wisdom. Oh, Jessie, you can always sell any dream to me.Take it from me, someone who has bombed at karaoke so many times it's a minor miracle I still willingly do it at all: Choosing a song that best fits your voice is crucial to whether you have a great time or want to curl up in a corner and die of embarrassment. ‘Jessie, you can always sell any dream to me. Maybe he can perform his beloved Hotel California again. Bustamante is in any case coming back in two weeks’ time: he and his mentor group have agreed to meet at Roxy’s. Some sing along louder than others, but the general effect is pretty good. ‘I love you in the sunshine, lay you down in the warm white sand.’Īlthough the musical tastes of the four internationals vary from Punk to R&B and tragic ballads, they all have one common denominator: ABBA! So when finally it’s the international crowd’s turn to take the podium, Mamma Mia is the obvious choice. When she’d had a bit too much to drink, she sometimes grabbed the microphone herself. After hanging up, she explains that her mother used to go to the karaoke bar every week, mainly to watch other people sing. “How are you? Good! Listen, a bit of an odd question, but did you use to be a karaoke fan?” She waits for the answer and burst into loud laughter. “Hello? Mum, is it you?” Kiefer finally manages to reach her mother. By now I should know better, your dreams are never free.’ ‘Jessie, paint your pictures ‘bout how it’s gonna be. They only play local songs, much too loud, so the surrounding villages can enjoy the music too.” Karaoke in Zimbabwe “I guess that’s also a form of karaoke.” Soemakno responds enthusiastically: “In Indonesia, people often organise karaoke sessions outdoors, usually in small villages. While Kiefer makes her call, Hellweg talks about huge sing-along sessions on a square in Munster. She wants to call her home in Harare, Zimbabwe, to find out. She’s not quite sure, but she seems to remember her mother being a big karaoke fan. I say, Moses, he’s just fine, but he used to think about you all the time.’Īs the others sip their drinks, Karla Kiefer (20, Arts and Culture Studies) listens with a big smile on her face. There are also Spanish versions of Hotel California, but I prefer to sing it in English.” “Spanish songs were very much in demand there. At home in Costa Rica he often went to the karaoke bar to sing his favourite song: the Eagles’ evergreen Hotel California. The younger generation switched to YouTube, they don’t need a machine anymore.” Mauricio Bustamante (23, Business Administration) laughs. “These days, it’s mostly older people using those machines.
At her parents’ home, the karaoke machine stood in the living room. How different from Selena Soemakno’s (19, Arts and Culture Studies) experience in Jakarta, Indonesia. Jessie, you can always sell any dream to me.’ ‘But tell me all about our little trailer by the sea. That wasn’t something cool kids did, ha ha.” “In Munster we often played Sing Star, but no karaoke. But this is her first time at Roxy’s, she explains. “Karaoke was very popular during Introduction Week,” says Marlene Hellweg (21, Arts and Culture Studies) from Germany. We’ll drink tequila and look for seashells.’Īt a high table sit four international students.
‘We could go to Mexico, you, the cat and me. The fact is that most of the customers are internationals. The reason? Maybe being so far away from home makes them less easily embarrassed. Karaoke bar Roxy’s, which opened its doors last June, is a big hit with international students. His audience sits on long benches along the wall. In his left hand, he holds a microphone, in his right, a glass of beer that he sips from during instrumental intermezzos. With a blissful expression and his eyes fixed on the screen, a bearded young man sings along to Joshua Kadisons’ Jessie. ‘From a phone booth in Vegas, Jessie calls at five am to tell me how she’s tired of all of them.’ The karaoke bar in the Platenmakersstraat is also a big hit with international students. Roxy’s recently became the first Nijmegen location to reverberate to the sounds of The Eagles and Grease.
0 kommentar(er)
