MY MOM LISTENS TO 15 YEAR OLD EMMA KOK SINGS VOILÀ André Rieu, Maastricht 2023 FOR THE FIRST TIME!

I love you guys ;)

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[Steinstra-vjwl]

Here comes a tiny young lady, relatively unknown before a huge crowd. A giant world famous conductor beside you and a world class orchestra behind you. A small black figure, hardly visible from the crowd. She takes her bow, starts to sing and literally commands the stage! She just makes you transfixed, jaws dropped and leaves you in wonder of what you've just witnessed. She smiles, gives a hug, says 'thank you' in the cutest way and disappears. But André knows when an artist deserves a second round if applause.

[RobertDeMartin]

What a pleasure listening to the both of you! Btw, she specifically learned the French lyrics to the song because the story of the song identified a lot with what she has been going through in her life. Mom, I watched this to the end and I have a strong feeling you cried as soon as the video was turned off. My dear, many of us have seen this video very often and, personally, I cry every time. What I would like to add to your beautiful comments is that she instantly has become an inspiration to so many people around the world encouraging those with handicaps to not give in and work to do things they thought were impossible. Not only people with physical limitations but also for those who are IN A RUT psychologically, as well. Andre (and, isn't he the greatest!) not only gave Emma the opportunity to sing to the world at Maastricht but he asked her if she would like to go on tour with him. (As you know, Andre travels the world with his orchestra and sells out wherever he goes.) The answer was a resounding, "YES!" Emma can travel and her mom will travel with her and she can administer handling all the equipment required for Emma to survive. We can hope and pray that the Foundation she has created will find a cure for the disease so that she and people like her can rid themselves of the tubes and lead a normal life. Love to both of you. Take care.

[boz]

It's impossible for me to listen through this entire performance without choking up, her emotive voice is so overwhelming. When she walks out on the stage, she appears as a very fragile, yet very lovely child. But when she finishes, not so much a child, or fragile, but a very determined young lady with an amazing voice who is a natural when it comes to performing. Really enjoyed your detailed analysis. I really enjoyed your reaction to this lovely little munchkin, and that of your very lovely mother. Emma doesn't speak French, she learned the song phonetically, and she did win the Voice Kids of the Netherlands, one or two years ago.

[roeloftooms]

The girl mom is talking about is Amira Willighagen and she also did perform on this same stage after she won Holland Got Talent. If you never have seen that you should also react to that one.

[ulokirt]

Absolutely wonderful and angelic, one of a kind, I've watched it dozens of times and it always brings a tear to my eye. This wonderful presentation touches the soul deeply and makes the 12, 500 spectators cry. Voila is Emma's personal and soulful presentation that brings out goodness and warmth in people.

[stevecgarry]

Very much enjoyed that reaction, it was clearly hearfelt, and genuine. The first time we heard this performance was as part of the cinema broadcast of Andre's summer concerts, and to make it even more effective, the cinema sound was surround sound, and a fraction of a decibel below the pain threshold, so this song hit us hard, and went incredibly deep, for both me and my wife, we've followed Andre for close on 15 years, and know how good he is at finding young talent, but this was exceptional, we just didn't know it at the time, it was only when I went looking in a lot more detail a few weeks later I discovered just how incredible Emma is.

She was born with the condition, gastroparesis, and was put on feeding tubes at 9 MONTHS, and had a hard time for many reasons, she wasn't properly diagnosed till she was 10, so effectively, she probably has no memories of a normal life, she's been tied to the equivalent of a boat anchor for 22 hours a day since that time, and there are other complications that mean as well as the social isolation she has to live with by being unable to do things like share a meal with friends, she also has to be so careful to ensure that the stoma interface that has her 'Mickey button', the attachment point for her tubes is kept clean and hygenic, and she has to endure significant pain on a regular basis when the button has to be changed, as she refuses anaesthetic to ensure that her voice is not damaged.

Even more amazing is that while she'd been performing Voila for a while, having learnt it phonetically as she doesn't speak French, as well as winning Voice Kids in 2021, (videos on youtube), she also won Ministars in early 2023, singing Voila, a version much closer to Barbara Pravi's version that was the 2021 Eurovision entry for France, and came second.

Andre's son Pierre saw it, and made his dad aware, which resulted in a visit for Emma to Andre's studio in Maastricht, 'they clicked', and the decision was made that Emma would perform in the summer concerts in Maastricht on Andre's stage in the Vrijthof, in 2023, they did 12 performances, all full capacity crowds of 12, 500, and even more significant, the video of Voila was recorded on the first night of the series, so what we saw was the first ever live performande of this new version, and it was a very different version to what Emma had been used to, Andre and his team worked with Emma and changed it dramatically, they slowed it down, changed the tempo, added the key change and the repeat of the third verse, and the result of all of those changes meant it gave Emma the time and space she needed to LIVE Voila on the stage, she learned it originally because the words meant so much to her, with only 2 hours a day off the feeding tubes, singing is her therapy, her release, so she's selective about what she learns, the deep emotion of the words was so evident on her face and in her expressions as she sang.

Equally important and significant, Andre's long and excellent showman's experience allowed him to very gently help Emma to make the difficult transition from being the capable and competent girl singer to becoming the new Emma that came out onto that stage and soared, she walked out on to that stage visibly and emotionally a beautiful, strong, powerful, serene, composed, competent, driven and dedicated young woman, her dream that was so beautifully expressed in her first single, LAAT MIJ EEN VLINDER ZIJN, let me be a butterfly, it's on Youtube, it's in Dutch, so you will absolutely understand the deep emotions in it, especially between 2:02 to 2:30, 'if only for a day, or even for a count of ten, I'd just like to live as another', and you will then see a gentle shake of her head, the pain in her eyes, the recognition of the awful daily grinding pain and reality of her situation, and then her head goes down to silence for a moment.

Then she rises, physically and in the song she soars to an even greater height, as much as to say, 'This is NOT going to beat me, or define me, I WILL rise above it', an incredibly emotional moment, it was written just for her, an incredibly deep expression of her dream, she so much wants to be free of the tie and limits of the pumps and all they mean for her day by day life, but she's reached a place where she knows that's not going to happen soon, so if she wants to live, and she does, then she has to rise above the issues that affect her, and find a way to live a life that has meaning, and with what she's achieved with winning Voice Kids, and then Ministars, and now guest starring with Andre RIeu in over 75 concerts during 2024, her life has changed, and has meaning, she has said she feels free for the 2 hours that she's off the pumps and is free to sing, and that's exactly what she's now doing, singing her heart out, and at the same time, exposing her vulnerability, not for sympathy, but to say so clearly, 'Voila, Here I am, as I am, with my weakness and faults, I need you to accept me and take me as I am, THIS IS ME'.


The reality is that with only 2 hours a day available off the pumps, Andre's show appearances are the best option for now to allow her to reach a much wider audience without over taxing her very limited stamina, more than 2 flights of stairs carrying the pumps are a challenge, and so is walking more than short distances, Andre is very close to Emma and her family, so is very much aware of her limits, and also her capabilities, and we can absolutely trust him to act in her best interests, he has a history of helping up and coming talent, by giving them a chance on his stage, and also supporting them financially, I'd like to hope she will stay with Andre and the orchestra for a lot longer than this year, but she may have other ideas.


A closing heartfelt plea to everyone reading these comments.

Emma's foundation can be found at gastrostars.nl

If at all possible, please join me in making a (regular) donation to her foundation, to enable them to help patients like Emma, and research this awful disease, and hopefully find a cure.

One of their main people is a surgeon who has a lot of experience in dealing with gastroparesis, and she is not only a surgeon, but also suffers from the same disease herself, to the extent that as a result of her condition worsening, she's had to leave her role in the hospital, and she is now dedicated to the foundation, and working to help find possible new treatments, or even better the cure that will free people like Emma to live a more normal life, rather than be tied to the feeding pumps for so many hours every day.

It would be wonderful news to hear that they have been able to change the outlook for Emma and others, it would be tragic if Emma were unable to continue to sing like she does, while she looks stunning on stage, her stamina is not good, so it is a very delicate balance to maintain her health, it would be so good to hear that the situation has been changed by the work the foundation are doing, Emma would then be free to spend more time doing what she loves so dearly.

[johnbattles]

I couldn’t help but keep noticing your Mom’s eyes throughout the video. They have such a rare and unmistakable combination, in my opinion, of knowledge, wisdom, kindness, tenderness, and depth that I’ve seen in few others over the years. Great reaction from you both! Subscribed!

[merrimcarthur]

The first time I heard this piece was without the intro. I knew nothing of her situation. Also, my college French is really (REALLY) rusty, so I was exceedingly fuzzy on the meaning of the lyrics. I still fell apart. THEN I started on the reactions bandwagon. THEN I learned of her condition. THEN I took the time to find the English translation. And here I am today, still watching a combo of reactions and the original, and still crying.

[fredschepers]

Always listen to your mama! 😉

Andre Rieu captivates audiences all over the world an in all age groups.
His target group isn't the elderly. His target group is those who like classical music or those who were or are not familiar with it..

Clever mum you've got.. 😁

Awesome performance, innit?

Nice, cool and genuine reaction... Thanks...
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🌷

[robinakins]

Wait till you hear her rendition of Hallelujah! Beautiful and again mesmerizing!

[hanhenderikse]

OMG your mom is gorgeous, pls keep her in your next streams. I think she was remembering Amira Willighagen, also a great voice who sang with Andre's orkest.

[marcospauloss]

Yeah, you mom feel the all emotion like ALL! Emma is the power.

[jeffreydeeds]

Emmatotally dominatedthat stage. And Andrei Rieu conducted theorchestra so well, following her lead and tempo. So well done. Bravo!

[priscilliayard]

Groetjes uit nederland trots op haar❤❤❤🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🇳🇱🙏🙏

[koreangapak]

This little, tiny angel , will make you cry

[incroyableMec]

Elle chante avec le coeur et à chaque fois que je l’entends mes larmes coulent.😅🥲🙏🏻

[ChristopherDavey-iv]

She looks and sounds like a angel.♥️🌹🌹🌹💐💐

[auroraborealis]

This performance gets me, ALWAYS. Magnificent!❤❤❤

[andyturner]

Great reaction.

I, like everyone else, wants to see her live out her dream fully. Gastroparesis maybe a reason for her being so tiny (definitely not her voice), and is often known to decrease lifespan. Very sad. But she put her winnings from the Voice Kids into a foundation for the possibility of a cure. She's got a lovely personality and is now on world tour with Andre Rieu atm.

Long may she continue x

[michaelc]

I like that your mom is on the reaction. She adds a interesting perspective to your channel.👍

Note, she is the one on The Voice.