Tag Archives: singer

Wedding in Malta: How to get started

Daniel and I are both planners, which I’d say is of an advantage when it comes to organizing our wedding plan. We have heard about so many stories, where couples are stressed beyond compare, fighting every minute they get, that we were a bit paranoid. Truth be told, none of this has happened. Three months into the preparation, we have been very respectful towards each other, and we have managed to compromise on everything so far, be it budget, and choosing our providers.

We believe, that the hardest thing that we had to come up with was our budget. The main reason being that we had absolutely no idea on how much a wedding should cost.  We heard of weddings which costed 10,000 and others which were 30,000 and more! This confused us further, as we were unsure how two weddings which had roughly the same items (sizable venue and guest-list, food, DJ, open bar) could differentiate so much in terms of cost!

wedding to do list

So how did we come up with a budget? In reality, we did not! Wait, what? We decided on what we can afford. We decided on the guests we wanted to invite. I come from a large family, and we had to draw a line somewhere. We made the guest list, and we asked vendors for quotations based on these numbers. Then by priority, we started to add additional costs – listing the must haves and the nice to haves.

This is the must-have list we came up with:

– Gather an approximate Guest list and request quotations for food and drinks
Chapel & Venue – booked on the same day
Food tasting from top 2 or 3 caterers (based on price, reputation and wedding date availability)
Photographer – A beautiful memory to cherish in the years to come
DJ – a wedding reception without music, is not really a celebration. In Malta, DJ is the most common form of entertainment for weddings. Some choose to have a live-band or singer
Cars – Bare necessity is a bridal car and taxi for groom and our respective family
Hair & Makeup – We all want to look at our best for our big day
Rings – The symbol for our marriage
Invitations – Compulsory
Souvenirs – A small thank you gift for our guests
Clothes – Bride, Groom, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen
Bride’s flower bouquet

Nice to have list:

Flowers (for the church)
Church Singer
– Themed Decor (for the venue)
Lighting
– Videographer
– Red Carpet (for the church)

Musicians who have left us in 2016

What a year it has been – So many musicians and singers I hold close to my heart have passed away. It is, hard to believe – From this perspective, 2016 has been an awful year.

Finger crossed that I won’t have to update this list before year ends… 6 days to go.

David Bowie:

1-david-bowieAt the age of 69, David Bowie has left us after an 18 month battle with cancer. He has left this private from a lot of people, including a number of his close friends. Just before passing away, Bowie has just released his 25th studio album. Many fans have discovered a lot of hints about his illness and death in songs from his new album. It feels like he was ready to die, and let the world know what he was going through and struggling with in secret.

This particular announcement has shocked me to my core, considering that I have always had a wish to experience David Bowie in a concert. Although he was no longer younger, it never crossed my mind that my dream would never happen.

Prince:

Prince Rogers Nelson has been taken to hospital after his plane had to make an emergency landing. According to the reporters, this was due to the singer suffering from flu. Prince died in his recording studio at 57 years old; known for classic songs such as Purple Rain, Kiss and Little Red Corvette.

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Pete Burns:

Although in the last couple of years he has become more renowned due to his extreme plastic surgeries, Pete Burns, the singer of Dead or Alive has given us a music hit who everyone, young or old has heard and enjoyed; You Spin Me Round. Pete died at 57 after suffering a “massive cardiac arrest”.

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I will always remember watching a snippet from his interview on Channel 5, and he says: “The number of surgeries I’ve had is probably 300. I hope when I’m 80 and I get to heaven God doesn’t recognise me.”
Although he was so vain, and I would never dare touch up my face like this, I always thought that he has a great sense of humour!

Rick Parfitt

If you are into rock music, you would have heard of Status Quo – Rick is a guitar legend and has done the band proud. If you do not know who I am talking about, have a listen at “In the army now” or “Rockin’ All Over the World”. Although he has not been performing with the band due to his age, he will be missed sorely by the band members and fans. He was in a Spanish hospital after he fell ill from a serious infection.

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George Michael

The youngest of them all, at the age of 53, has died peacefully at his home on Christmas day. After massive success with his band WHAM!, he has managed to continue his solo career for a long time, and it is estimated that he sold more than 80 million records worldwide.

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That day when my name made it on a billboard in London!

I never thought I’d see the day that my name would be on a billboard in London… I know it is not going to make a difference in my life or yours, but it is still a rather cool moment to treasure.

A few weeks back (or was it months? Gosh, time flies…), Lauren Aquilina who is an England based singer (with Maltese descendants) made a competition and I was actually one of the 2,000 fans which made it on the billboard.

Thankfully the designer was wise enough and wrote the names in alphabetical order, and so it didn’t take me long until I found my name on there.

Here is me making history, right next to Shepard’s Bush underground station, London.. hahaha…

Lauren Aquilina BillBoard Sheperd Bush London

And here is one of Lauren’s songs, because she deserves the promotion:

Inspirational BlogPost: Meet Otu, a guy of many talents

Sometimes, there is no better way in getting inspiration than watching a couple of YouTube videos to help you feel better, man up and keep moving forward in life.

Today, I will share with you the person who made me smile yesterday, and who has made me realise that I should keep persisting in getting what I want, and make my dreams come true.

 Meet Otu, a guy of many talents
Credit: Youtube/ Otu Channel

The name is Olli Suurmunne from Finland. He owns his own YouTube channel by the name ‘Otu Channel’. This guy has a disability; He was born with a deformed left hand.. yet he is able to do more than an average person does or achieves in a lifetime.

Why?

Because he never saw his defected hand as an obstacle. He works hard, and he has positive results.

He can play the keyboard, guitar, he sings, solves the rubic’s cube in under a minute… he makes amazing digital artwork… He designs, composes and makes games.

Without further ado, this video is what made my heart pounding, what inspired me:

And this is a fun video of the guy singing and impersonating various well known singers:

One of his bands, where he does guitars, vocals (clean, throat singing):


Ending this blog post with Otu’s own words: “Keep your head high and keep chasing those dreams of yours because I’m sure as hell, will be chasing mine.”

More info on his blog: Olli Suurmunne

I’m not dead, just been busy

I’m not dead, just been busy… and I am struggling with a massive writer block… A lot has been happening, but instead of writing about it, I am just enjoying the ride…. ….Except that this week has been the feast week in the town I’m living in. Usually the feast week lasts 7 days… but the Siggiewi people have decided on a 10 day long celebration. So every day, I have been struggling and annoyed at:

  • Lack of parking
  • Closing off the town during feast hours
  • Lots of loud music; be it orchestra-like or singers singing at the main square. This, I can hear from my house, even with all windows and doors closed.
  • Fireworks
  • Lots of rubbish left in my street

I am not a fan of feasts… Never was, never will be… So, I just can’t wait until tomorrow is over. Maybe then, I can get a goodnight sleep and even better, park my car close to home.

Tribute to Christopher Lee

I do not go ape-shit crazy over every famous legend, that passes away… But, Christopher Lee deserves a mention.

christopher leeWho is Christopher Lee?
– He is one of a kind.
He was born in 1922, in England and has died due to heart failure at the age of 93.
– He has been given credit for 281 acting jobs (movies and series).
– Out of all these films around 90% of the time he acted as a villain.
– He participated during World War II, where he served his country in the Royal Air Force and in British Intelligence.
– He is a very tall man; 1.96m.
– One of his movies is still to be released next year.

What is he mostly known for?
– Christopher Lee, is Saruman in Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit.
– Christopher Lee has portrayed three different characters in the Sherlock Holmes Series: Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft – Holmes and Sir Henry Baskerville.
– Christopher Lee has been Dracula several times.
– Christopher Lee is the voice of Count Dooku in Star Wars.
– Christopher Lee is also a singer and he has released his last mini-album at the age of 92.

Memories I will treasure forever:

From the Hobbit: The Battle of 5 Armies
Saruman: “Leave Sauron to me”



Christopher Lee singing “My Way”. Elvis’ cover version turned into heavy metal

Lip Syncing

What are your thoughts about lip syncing?

Lip syncing, is very similar to miming. In the sense that one would sing or talk ‘soundless’ and right on time with the audio. Artists do this when they are not confident singing live or perhaps when they are feeling poorly.

I despise this trait that singers nowadays seem to be doing on TV as well as in some concerts. This has happened to me last Friday when I went to Festa Palazz.

There was a medium sized crowd watching in front of the stage, and one particular singer who this year has been quite famous in Malta, for reasons I won’t write here to keep the anonymity, who was lip-syncing. It was so obvious that it was making me annoyed. If I could spot it, so could the rest of the audience. Maybe I care too much about the music, to not let it bother me. But why on earth would you go on stage, and not make a live performance? Especially considering that artists before you have done this, even with live instruments!! The sound was excellent, there was no excuse.

I would love to know your point of view, as to know if I am overreacting… But shouldn’t the live music be live in such events?

Alternative Gig tonight at Razzett l-Ahmar

If you have no plans for tonight, consider an alternative evening featuring 4 local bands. The headliners are For Strings Inn, who are quite well known on the island especially after their latest album last year.

Bands participating are:

for strings

Doors open at 20:30 and the entrance fee is 5 Euro.
Location: Razzett L-Ahmar (Triq id-Durumblat, Mosta/Attard)

Razzett l-Ahmar Limits of Mosta

Rock the South Malta: Day 1 Review

Bands start quite early which means that I had to unfortunately miss the first three bands, and this was not out of choice. For us people who work office hours, it is a bit tough to make it to the fest at 6:40PM. One has to go home, have a bath or quick shower, rest a bit from a busy working day and have some quick dinner. I had to add a 30mins drive to that, which make me arrive at St Thomas Bay at around 8:15PM.

This was my first time at this festival, and also the first time at St Thomas Bay and Zion itself. I expected the outside area to be bigger, and perhaps I can blame this on the map I found online. I thought that the distance between the two stages was more than you 20 seconds walk 😉 But I am not complaining! Especially considering that no bands were playing at the same time, so there was no sound interference, and one could watch all bands if they wanted to.

The only suggestion I would make at this point is about the 20150410_105003wristbands. I have bought a 4 day ticket, and I have a green paper-made wrist band. I already know it will be a challenge for it to survive 4 days on my arm! I think that at least for those who are attending the 4 days, we should have been given a plastic/rubber wristband which is more durable and can be removed while we are at work, having a shower or doing chores.

With regards to the bands, I think all have been amazing in their own style, but I would like to give a special shout out to The Cosmic Erotic, which were the biggest surprise to me. I loved the music and all of the songs they performed. Yews was also awesome especially during her first part of her performance. Keep it up girl, and I hope to see you live again sometime soon. Violent Violets never disappoint with their metal guitar riffs.

Photos will be added during the weekend as I’d rather get ready for day 2 now 😉

Kurt Cobain – ‘Montage of Heck’ – The Documentary

Kurt Cobain has left us just over 20 years ago, and still he is a musician which is to this day talked about and not at all forgotten.

The singer’s anger, frustration and depression was very well documented, cobainand it is finally time for it to be made public in a documentary. This will capture his life on the road and success with Nirvana, his his life as a family man as well as his beautiful daughter who was just two when he passed away. It will contain several unseen home movies as well as more of Kurt’s art whilst growing up.

There’s also a rumour about about the fact that  the soundtrack of ‘Kurt Cobain – Montage of Heck’  is actually an unreleased acoustic song by yours truly.

Have a look at the trailer below:

Courtney Love has cooperated during this montage and his daughter, Frances Bean is one of the executive producers for the film. This documentary has already aired on Sundance Festival and been reviewed as the best film in the festival by Entertainment Weekly. It is expected to be aired on HBO on May 4th.

I can’t wait for this… Can you?