What Is Your All Time Favorite Song? (compiled)

[mfn.live81]

Did you guys watch the live christmas video of MC singing in front of President Obama? What an honor.

It was recorded last year December when she was still pregnant and her voice was in full power.

Find me a female voice who can overpower a huge choir and yet sound so vibrant and angelic. (no screamers pls)

FYI, the song was composed by MC herself, and although I'm not a christian the song gave me goosebumps.

Me, being a non Christian too am greatly moved by this song! Its the only song that i truly love from the second Christmas album.

"One child can change the world ..." - A very powerful statement indeed!

[Guest Gym Boy]

Coyote Ugly Soundtrack - LeAnn Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight

[Guest Gym Boy]

彭羚&王力宏-讓我取暖

《完全因你》彭羚主唱 電影《和平飯店》主題曲

[derryfawne]

Ann Wilson from Heart. Mad chops.

Totally! My favorite from Heart is Crazy On You and Barracuda.

Ann Wilson is also one of those vocalists who can belt chesty notes (more like mixed, but still chesty) higher than Mariah/Whitney/etc.

[starbright]

Rolling Stone rated Aretha Franklin as No.1 of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time".

Below is the write-up by Mary J Bilge:

Born March 25th, 1942

Key Tracks "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Respect," "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," "Think," "Chain of Fools"

Influenced Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Aaron Neville, Annie Lennox

You know a force from heaven. You know something that God made. And Aretha is a gift from God. When it comes to expressing yourself through song, there is no one who can touch her. She is the reason why women want to sing.

Aretha has everything — the power, the technique. She is honest with everything she says. Everything she's thinking or dealing with is all in the music, from "Chain of Fools" to "Respect" to her live performances. And she has total confidence; she does not waver at all. I think her gospel base brings that confidence, because in gospel they do not play around — they're all about chops, who has the vocal runs. This is no game to her.

As a child, I used to listen to Aretha's music because my mom played "Do Right Woman" and "Ain't No Way" every single day. I would see my mother cry when she listened to those songs, and I'd cry too. Then I discovered her on my own with the Sparkle soundtrack. I must have played "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" 30 times in a row; eventually, I connected the dots to that voice my mom was listening to.

Even the way she pronounces words is amazing: In "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," when she sings, "Many say that I'm too young" — the way she says "I'm," you can almost see her saying it, like she's all in your face, but you're still right with her. You can really visualize her hands when she sings, "You're tying both of my hands," on "Ain't No Way" — it's the powerful way she hits the word "both."

When you watch her work, you can see why Aretha is who she is. When we did the song "Don't Waste Your Time" on my album Mary, she just went in there and ate that record like Pac-Man. She could be doing a church vocal run, and it would turn into some jazz-space thing, something I never encountered before. You'd say, "Where did that come from? Where did she find that note?"

It's beautiful to see, because it helps people with a lack of confidence in their ability, like myself. I look at her and think, "I need a piece of that. Whatever that is."

[Guest Mareshka]

Oh my good lord! The Queen really bring it on home with that soul of hers!

[boybelow]

Just to clarify.

Mariah does hit high notes with chest tones too. As a matter of fact, she has gone a few steps higher than Charice, Whitney, or Beyonce in chest tones. That being said, all these three ladies also have wonderful head tones that can give Mariah a run for her money. Singers who actually hit high chesty notes (that Mariah/Charice/Whitney/Beyonce could only do in head tones, as proven so far) are Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Kelly Clarkson (yes, no kidding!), and some others. (Haven't explored much about the rest that you listed, though I think Barbra and Lara might have gone high enough to be included on the list too.)

In addition, 'lung-powered diva' is probably more of a vague figurative term than to suggest any literal implications. We all know that when singing, your notes should mainly be supportedly from your diaphragm and not as much from your lung. Besides, supporting head notes and whistle notes also require a lot of power, so it's not just about chest notes.

I beg to differ, Mariah reaches the high C's by 'whistling' (head voice). That's her trademark so to speak. The other singers I mention uses sheer lung power or a mix of chest voice with the force generated from the diaphragm in hitting stratospheric notes. But I am not saying in any way that Mariah is not good, she is in fact, great!. I agree with Kelly Clarkson, she belts so well.

[derryfawne]

I beg to differ, Mariah reaches the high C's by 'whistling' (head voice). That's her trademark so to speak. The other singers I mention uses sheer lung power or a mix of chest voice with the force generated from the diaphragm in hitting stratospheric notes. But I am not saying in any way that Mariah is not good, she is in fact, great!. I agree with Kelly Clarkson, she belts so well.

You're right. Mariah has never hit high C (I assume C6 here) in chest/mixed voice. Yes, but neither have... Whitney, Charice, or Beyonce.

Mariah has went as high as A5 in chest/mixed voice. Those other three had only went as high as G5, or G#5 on a good day. Mariah, on her prime, belted countless G5s and G#5s. In the song below itself, she belted eight G5s in one song. (For those who don't read notes, G5 is equivalent to the highest note hit in Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone during the again-and-aGAAAIN climax.)

[derryfawne]

And yes, Kelly Clarkson is amazing. Her voice is connected to her heart, you can feel her when she sings, it's never just about showboating. One of her best live performances is definitely the one below.

[jack off guy]

one word....CHARICE!!!!! yohoooooo!!!!!

Edited August 12, 2011 by jack off guy

[jack off guy]

how to insert vid?

[jack off guy]

who can forget this...go kelly!!!!

Edited August 12, 2011 by jack off guy

[derryfawne]

how to insert vid?

Copy-paste the URL directly.

[jack off guy]

i believe.... in you charice :-)

Edited August 12, 2011 by jack off guy

[jack off guy]

Copy-paste the URL directly.

hahah...so stupid of me....thanks :-)

[jack off guy]

[jack off guy]

but i must say this is my fave..... :-) so pure and innocent :-)

[patisoy]

@derryfawne: are you a music teacher? you seem to know a lot about notes. do you provide private lessons?

[derryfawne]

@derryfawne: are you a music teacher? you seem to know a lot about notes. do you provide private lessons?

Nope, lol. Self-researched, with the help of a virtual keyboard to determine the notes. Some of these notes are widely available on the Internet (i.e. Youtube has many vocal range videos for most divas mentioned on this thread). I'm nothing more than a certified Music Geek.

On a totally unrelated off-topic note, find a well-trained vocalist as a boyfriend and you'll be the happiest man on Earth. :whistle:

In singing, there are these principles of open throat, relaxed jaw, vibrations, etc etc... which would also come in handy for, you know, that other 'oral proficiency'.

[slut]

I beg to differ, Mariah reaches the high C's by 'whistling' (head voice). That's her trademark so to speak. The other singers I mention uses sheer lung power or a mix of chest voice with the force generated from the diaphragm in hitting stratospheric notes. But I am not saying in any way that Mariah is not good, she is in fact, great!. I agree with Kelly Clarkson, she belts so well.

the passagio of the whistle register only begins at E6 or the E above Soprano C. Soprano C itself is accessible with the superhead voice.

I know cos I was able to sing whistle notes before, now I have nodules lol.

[derryfawne]

the passagio of the whistle register only begins at E6 or the E above Soprano C. Soprano C itself is accessible with the superhead voice. I know cos I was able to sing whistle notes before, now I have nodules lol.

You're so blessed. I've never hit a single note in whistle register before, lol.

Some singers have extended their super head voice beyond E6 (e.g. Christina Aguilera), and some have brought down their whistle under E6 (e.g. Mariah Carey). En is the commonly accepted passagio point, although my personal experience tells me that D#n is the real transition point for any register.

D#2 is the lowest note I can go before having to 'fry' the notes.

D#4 is my sweet belting spot, although years of bedroom karaoke with an air guitar has helped me to reach F4 with ease (and dodge up to A#4 on a very good day).

D#4 is also the point whereby my head voice starts. It changes to super head voice squealing pig register somewhere around D#5 and can be extended up to D6 (although my pitch control begins to waver starting from F5).

If I try to push it up again, my voice will simply break to a bunch of horror-film-approved D#7 screaming, lol. If I have the so-called whistle register, perhaps I would be able to reach D#6 and above notes, lol.

Edited August 16, 2011 by derryfawne

[slut]

You're so blessed. I've never hit a single note in whistle register before, lol. Some singers have extended their super head voice beyond E6 (e.g. Christina Aguilera), and some have brought down their whistle under E6 (e.g. Mariah Carey). En is the commonly accepted passagio point, although my personal experience tells me that D#n is the real transition point for any register. D#2 is the lowest note I can go before having to 'fry' the notes. D#4 is my sweet belting spot, although years of bedroom karaoke with an air guitar has helped me to reach G4 (and dodge up to A#4 on a very good day). D#4 is also the point whereby my head voice starts. It changes to super head voice squealing pig register somewhere around D#5 and can be extended up to D6 (although my pitch control begins to waver starting from F5). If I try to push it up again, my voice will simply break to a bunch of horror-film-approved D#7 screaming, lol. If I have the so-called whistle register, perhaps I would be able to reach D#6 and above notes, lol.

LOL! D#7 is my record as well! I've hit higher, but I think those were flukes (like a few A#7-B7s). So yeah E6-A6 used to be really comfortable for me. However, now I've almost completely lost my whistle register cos of all the nodules in my chords. I'd even struggle to hit something like D6, and any higher would probably be impossible.

Edited August 16, 2011 by slut

[slut]

In any case, I mostly sing in mixed so something more comfortable for me would be around 3 keys higher than this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkCMnn44Yo

[derryfawne]

Here's an underdog:

JoJo may not be on the big league yet, but she has HUGE potential... and this song shows why. Impressive low notes in the verses, strong belting in the climax, and some sweet super head voice to top it. And she have all of this mastered at age 16 (!).

[slut]

^ the most interesting part of this entire vid is at 3:21. LOL

[jack off guy]

well.... no one can beat this guy...C# and its off the piano.....not even christina and mariah hehehehe

Edited August 16, 2011 by jack off guy

[derryfawne]

LOL! D#7 is my record as well! I've hit higher, but I think those were flukes (like a few A#7-B7s). So yeah E6-A6 used to be really comfortable for me. However, now I've almost completely lost my whistle register cos of all the nodule in my chords. I'd even struggle to hit something like D6, and any higher would probably be impossible.

LOL yeah. Once I hit a bunch of really high-pitched notes that sound like night insects mating. Must be somewhere on the eight or ninth octave, but it's so non-musical I didn't even bother to measure them. Besides, I'll never be able to replicate that sh!t again, lol.

My record would still be more like D6. I cannot control my D#7 screaming at all, lol.

In any case, I mostly sing in mixed so something more comfortable for me would be around 3 keys higher than this:

I don't mix (more like I don't know how to mix), so I subscribe to the Christina Aguilera School of Belting and Deliberate Break to Falsetto, haha. My comfort range would be comparable to that of Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

[patisoy]

Nope, lol. Self-researched, with the help of a virtual keyboard to determine the notes. Some of these notes are widely available on the Internet (i.e. Youtube has many vocal range videos for most divas mentioned on this thread). I'm nothing more than a certified Music Geek.

On a totally unrelated off-topic note, find a well-trained vocalist as a boyfriend and you'll be the happiest man on Earth. :whistle:

In singing, there are these principles of open throat, relaxed jaw, vibrations, etc etc... which would also come in handy for, you know, that other 'oral proficiency'.

Hahahahah! You are absolutely right. I bumped into one article saying that humming while performing oral sex on someone will send chills to his spine! :-)

[derryfawne]

well.... no one can beat this guy...C# and its off the piano.....not even christina and mariah hehehehe

Georgia Brown reached higher than Adam Lopez, and is the current Guinness holder of the widest vocal range. But her singing voice doesn't sound all that good.

Adam Lopez is better than Georgia Brown, though. He has a pleasant singing tone, and I even own two digital copies of his albums. Totally adore him! Hehe... He definitely has Christina and Mariah beaten in terms of range. But range is not the only aspect of singing, which is why I still prefer Christina and Mariah. Just my two cents. =)

[jack off guy]

Georgia Brown reached higher than Adam Lopez, and is the current Guinness holder of the widest vocal range. But her singing voice doesn't sound all that good. Adam Lopez is better than Georgia Brown, though. He has a pleasant singing tone, and I even own two digital copies of his albums. Totally adore him! Hehe... He definitely has Christina and Mariah beaten in terms of range. But range is not the only aspect of singing, which is why I still prefer Christina and Mariah. Just my two cents. =)

hehehe....for me i still prefer charice...of course love your own...lols

[slut]

LOL yeah. Once I hit a bunch of really high-pitched notes that sound like night insects mating. Must be somewhere on the eight or ninth octave, but it's so non-musical I didn't even bother to measure them. Besides, I'll never be able to replicate that sh!t again, lol. My record would still be more like D6. I cannot control my D#7 screaming at all, lol. I don't mix (more like I don't know how to mix), so I subscribe to the Christina Aguilera School of Belting and Deliberate Break to Falsetto, haha. My comfort range would be comparable to that of Anthony Kiedis from Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Woah, you belt full-on with your chest? Aren't you afraid of wrecking your voice??!

lol I subscribe to the Regine Velasquez School of Belting. And no, she does NOT use her chest voice like everyone thinks, it sounds to me like a well-disguised mixed. more importantly, her diaphragm support is very strong even at very high notes, so they never sound thinned out.

[patisoy]

Woah, you belt full-on with your chest? Aren't you afraid of wrecking your voice??!

lol I subscribe to the Regine Velasquez School of Belting. And no, she does NOT use her chest voice like everyone thinks, it sounds to me like a well-disguised mixed. more importantly, her diaphragm support is very strong even at very high notes, so they never sound thinned out.

Yeah! she seems to have abundant supply of air from her lungs that's why she can sustain those super high notes in full voice (not falsetto). Have you listened to her version of "What Kind of Fool I Am"? and "You'll Never Walk Alone"? You will be blown with her every performance. She truly has the gift that no one can question.

[slut]

Yeah! she seems to have abundant supply of air from her lungs that's why she can sustain those super high notes in full voice (not falsetto). Have you listened to her version of "What Kind of Fool I Am"? and "You'll Never Walk Alone"? You will be blown with her every performance. She truly has the gift that no one can question.

Yeah!! I totally love "What Kind of Fool I Am"!! You should hear Sheryn Regis' version too, pretty spectacular!

Don't really like YNWA though.

Oh does anyone know Rachelle Ann Go, she's one of my favourite singers from the Phillipines. She's just so damn pretty lah. Pics don't do her any justice though, she looks prettier in those ASAP episodes. :)

[derryfawne]

Woah, you belt full-on with your chest? Aren't you afraid of wrecking your voice??!

lol I subscribe to the Regine Velasquez School of Belting. And no, she does NOT use her chest voice like everyone thinks, it sounds to me like a well-disguised mixed. more importantly, her diaphragm support is very strong even at very high notes, so they never sound thinned out.

Yeah, I agree that Regine mixes her voice. Doesn't sound like full chest belting to me.

Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Hudson seem to have the most chesty mix I've encountered so far; whereas on the other end of the spectrum, Celine Dion has a very heady mix.

As for wrecking my voice... dunno leh. I just enjoy singing, got no technique one lol.

I understand the concept of mixing, but not the mechanism of it. Maybe I have unknowingly mixed... not too sure, when I go higher I can feel the air moving slightly closer towards nose, so I try to lift up my soft palate. Sometimes I focus on the forehead to help hit high notes. But not too sure if it's mixing or not, 'coz I can only go a few more notes further up and the falsetto break will always come in, lol.

[patisoy]

Yeah!! I totally love "What Kind of Fool I Am"!! You should hear Sheryn Regis' version too, pretty spectacular!

Don't really like YNWA though.

Oh does anyone know Rachelle Ann Go, she's one of my favourite singers from the Phillipines. She's just so damn pretty lah. Pics don't do her any justice though, she looks prettier in those ASAP episodes. :)

Rachelle Ann Go has subjected herself to surgical knife several times. She had a badly-done nose job before which prompted her to go back to her surgeon to get it fixed. If she was game enough to have her nose enhanced, we wouldn't be suprised if she did other things on her face too. Rachelle had originally very chinese features and she's trying really hard to look mestiza. Don't be fooled by what you see in ASAP. Talentwise, Rachelle has nothing much to offer. She had a a lot of off-key performances while singing complicated songs. Look for her embarrassing performances in youtube.

[slut]

Yeah, I agree that Regine mixes her voice. Doesn't sound like full chest belting to me. Patti LaBelle and Jennifer Hudson seem to have the most chesty mix I've encountered so far; whereas on the other end of the spectrum, Celine Dion has a very heady mix. As for wrecking my voice... dunno leh. I just enjoy singing, got no technique one lol. I understand the concept of mixing, but not the mechanism of it. Maybe I have unknowingly mixed... not too sure, when I go higher I can feel the air moving slightly closer towards nose, so I try to lift up my soft palate. Sometimes I focus on the forehead to help hit high notes. But not too sure if it's mixing or not, 'coz I can only go a few more notes further up and the falsetto break will always come in, lol.

Actually the chestiest belter to me is Christina lol, the rest sound mixed, so that's why I don't know how you do it lol.

One of the best exercises to find your mix is to pretend that you're a squeaky door hinge. Don't aim for volume when you just start, even if only you alone can hear it that's fine. Basically just keep pretending to be a door hinge (lol) around your passagio between your chest and where it splits and ensure proper vocal chord closure at all times.

The main difference between mix and falsetto to me isn't the notes, but the amount of closure between the chords at any particular time. I.e. you can choose to sing the SAME note in falsetto or mix depending on how much you close your chords.

[slut]

Rachelle Ann Go has subjected herself to surgical knife several times. She had a badly-done nose job before which prompted her to go back to her surgeon to get it fixed. If she was game enough to have her nose enhanced, we wouldn't be suprised if she did other things on her face too. Rachelle had originally very chinese features and she's trying really hard to look mestiza. Don't be fooled by what you see in ASAP. Talentwise, Rachelle has nothing much to offer. She had a a lot of off-key performances while singing complicated songs. Look for her embarrassing performances in youtube.

yeah apparently she's been through two rhinoplasties with Dr Ed Yap, but to me she's really elegant looking now!! love her teeth too!

[TheVisitors]

if you ever take a holiday or travel to places like States, New York, LA, London, Paris, and some other Europe places, do visit their music record and bookstores, and speak to people who have been in music business for many years, and they can tell you, singers like Mariah Carey or even Celine and those who falls in te similiar categories, are simply crap.

In the commercial world they are wonders , but in the true music world,, their singing styles are very limited,wth not much variation, sounds so monotonous, such their voices are of not much value.

Because of these factors, their producers have to write and produce songs to tailor to their vocal range, which try to make as much from the limits.

If their vocals are that good, just throw their any songs, or give them any style, and they can give you amazing interpretaion renditions.

True singaing vocals are those who can sing from the soul and the world of feelingsl, n instantand many out there can connect a rapport with their voice almost instantly, as thought that voice understood the human emotions, which could give you a vision for you to feel the vibration and soul of their voice

Rosemary ClooneyBette Milder, Oliver Newton John, Barbara Streisand, Barbara Dickson, and even Melissa Manchester and Maureen McGovern fall into such categories. What about Taiwanese Chi Yu who made it to the New York Broadway in the 70-80s which no one knew about?

If you can sing, you don't have to scream.

People will remember you for your singing and not your screaming.

There are some street singers I have come across, whose voices are so breathtaking, but unfortunately, they are not given the right opportunity to be discovered by the right peopel to futher their talents.

For Mariah, I shall crudely put it this way. The way she screams, its as though, some one just used a plier and pull out her clitoris forcefully,is like how a dentist would extract a tooth ou from your mouth, raw.

A fine example..The late Irene Krall, who died of breast cancer in 1974, an unheard and unnoticed singer.

She don't have to scream, but the voice, is still so immortal, even years after her demsie. .

[Atrapada]

Christina and Mariah are the 2 monster-lunged divas that I have admired most. Their talent and soul speaks beyond boundaries, beyond what words can desbribe and offer.

Mariah Carey

What I have throroughly enjoyed in the course of her career is her frigging awesome songwriting, her magnificent voice and great technique, these elements fusing together to create a powerful force within the vocal trinity - whitney mariah celine. I really enjoy her songs, they do entrap a certain audio/vocal envisionments of a unique fantastical quality within her voice- like a young angel lamenting about the pain, sorrow and beauty of this world.

My All

This song did me in from the 1st day that I got to listen to it, I was a fan of her voice ever since...

Some of her more toned-down vocally songs, lyrics and voice that really speaks to the heart:

Right to Dream

Looking In

The Roof

Christina Aguilera

My all time favourite singer/artist. Her voice and artistry encompasses alot of passion, warmth and pain through those raw vocals she delivers. She has great technique but at the same time she experiments with her vocals, stretches her capacity that some critics bashed her for screaming and shouting and weak technique. But that's what I love about her, a singer with great technique with a spontaneous side to it that sprouts from the deepest core of her heart. I have always felt the rawness of her vocals was the audible representation of the pain and hurts she has gone through that grows into passion for her singing.

There are reports and interviews that states that she has been suffering from depression all throughout her life. A statement taken from her:

Speaking on VH1's Behind The Music, she explained: "I do battle with depression. It's something that is always right below the surface. And it's almost seductive to go to a place of sadness and darkness. I'm truly thankful for the darkest times in my life.

It's the raw strength, the nitty gritty soulful sidethat has truly touched my heart and many others.

My fav song from Christina:

Walk Away

Some beautiful, inspiring and often over-looked songs from her:

I Will Be:

El Beso Del Final

Dreamy Eyes:

[derryfawne]

If you can sing, you don't have to scream.

It's not screaming. It's proper belting from the gospel tradition, and is an integral technique that has been used by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder to every single soul singers that emits warmth and love in their works.

Mariah Carey may have been given (or rather, may have written... she does write and produce her own songs) subpar songs*, but that doesn't take her away from true technical virtuosity that she does possess. A person may be skilled, but may not necessarily be equipped with the right vehicle to demonstrate his/her skill on.

*I don't necessarily agree that her songs are subpar. But for the benefit of this discussion, I'll let you have it because I don't wish to debate too much over taste. Let's emphasize on technical vocal skills that are recognized by vocal pedagogists.

[TheVisitors]

It's not screaming. It's proper belting from the gospel tradition, and is an integral technique that has been used by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder to every single soul singers that emits warmth and love in their works.

Mariah Carey may have been given (or rather, may have written... she does write and produce her own songs) subpar songs*, but that doesn't take her away from true technical virtuosity that she does possess. A person may be skilled, but may not necessarily be equipped with the right vehicle to demonstrate his/her skill on.

*I don't necessarily agree that her songs are subpar. But for the benefit of this discussion, I'll let you have it because I don't wish to debate too much over taste. Let's emphasize on technical vocal skills that are recognized by vocal pedagogists.

It's not screaming. It's proper belting from the gospel tradition, and is an integral technique that has been used by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder to every single soul singers that emits warmth and love in their works.

Mariah Carey may have been given (or rather, may have written... she does write and produce her own songs) subpar songs*, but that doesn't take her away from true technical virtuosity that she does possess. A person may be skilled, but may not necessarily be equipped with the right vehicle to demonstrate his/her skill on.

*I don't necessarily agree that her songs are subpar. But for the benefit of this discussion, I'll let you have it because I don't wish to debate too much over taste. Let's emphasize on technical vocal skills that are recognized by vocal pedagogists.

That technique was very well expressed, handled and controlled by the two great singers you mentioned. Bt Mariah could not handle that well, simply because she doesn't have the soul in her do so.

Besides technique, there are various levels of expression, each artist is naturally equiped with, which you overlooked.

You may have the best singing technique in the world , but if you lack that soul in you, to express it, so what?

You may own a Steinway, but if you can't even express the same piece of music, compared to a guy who owns a simple Yamaha, so what?

We humans are great feeling creatures, and we do know whats a soul, and who has it , even went it comes to art.

I am not going to debate with you regarding this, unless you have some substance in you to know what I am talking about.

I will let you have your way this round, simply because you are just a 20 year old kid, who can talk too much, at times but still lack experience..

When you have enough experience to give some substance in you , then we can talk about whats called really good powerful lung divas, who have soul in their music and voices.

Edited August 16, 2011 by TheVisitors

[tookidooki]

Cilla Black

[derryfawne]

Besides technique, there are various levels of expression, each artist is naturally equiped with, which you overlooked.

You may have the best singing technique in the world , but if you lack that soul in you, to express it, so what?

You may own a Steinway, but if you can't even express the same piece of music, compared to a guy who owns a simple Yamaha, so what?

Ever tried looking at things the other way around? You may have tons of passion in your work, but when you only have a pair of chopsticks to make sounds with, you can only do so much with it. You cannot hope to compete with a well-trained drummer who owns a proper drum and years of technical training behind it.

Let's not put things out of context. I never implied that soul is not important*. Both soul and technical skills are important. If you noticed my argument from the earlier part of the thread, I mentioned that you have to know who to look to for what. A singer is like a showman... you can be a poet and present a declamation that move people to tears, or you can be a magician and do wonders even though everyone knows there's nothing genuine about your work.

Again, you have to know who to look to for what. Why judge a magician with the criteria of judging a poet? Are we expecting to be moved to tears? No. Are we expecting superficial tricks of what he can pull out of his hat? Heck yeah. By constricting yourself into limitations and insist that I only look for this and not that, you will never be able to appreciate the different kinds of music in their own terms. Divas like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion are able to put on a good show if only because their voice can do wonders that very few others can pull.

I'll personally even go as far to say that Mariah Carey's works have soul, or at least, parts of it. One's preexisting judgment of Mariah Carey (and possibly, everything commercial) can deter the said person from exploring her works, and trying to understand them. But that's not the point. When I created this thread, the point is to separate these two variables (soul and technique) and scrutinize deeper into a singer's technique; which is why this thread is called 'Who is your favorite lung-powered divas?' and not 'Who is your favorite soul sisters?'

It doesn't mean that discussion about soul is banned here. What it does mean... technicality is an integral part of this discussion, and attempting to throw technicality out of the window is missing the point of this thread.

[Allegro]

That technique was very well expressed, handled and controlled by the two great singers you mentioned. Bt Mariah could not handle that well, simply because she doesn't have the soul in her do so.

Besides technique, there are various levels of expression, each artist is naturally equiped with, which you overlooked.

You may have the best singing technique in the world , but if you lack that soul in you, to express it, so what?

You may own a Steinway, but if you can't even express the same piece of music, compared to a guy who owns a simple Yamaha, so what?

We humans are great feeling creatures, and we do know whats a soul, and who has it , even went it comes to art.

I am not going to debate with you regarding this, unless you have some substance in you to know what I am talking about.

I will let you have your way this round, simply because you are just a 20 year old kid, who can talk too much, at times but still lack experience..

When you have enough experience to give some substance in you , then we can talk about whats called really good powerful lung divas, who have soul in their music and voices.

I found all your comments extremely hilarious. MC has no soul? And she screams?

Liking to different genres of music is subjective but imposing what YOU think has this "soul" thing that you kept mentioning is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

You may be older, but looking at your choice of yawn inducing singers, I don't find it surprising. Age has nothing to do with choice of music.

Derry, I wouldn't be bothered with someone who thinks he's old and "wise" and so everyone's whose younger have to listen to all his BS and be labelled as "kid". The moment he says MC "screams" all credability is lost :whistle:

Behold the power of the "scream" :thumb:

Edited August 17, 2011 by Allegro

[derryfawne]

Behold the power of the "scream" :thumb:

That one is a non-musical scream, though. LOL, but of course, she's just joking around.

And by the way, that's not even Mariah's highest whistle note.

But yeah, even screaming (I meant real screaming and not this whistle register thing) is a form of expression, and has its place in the world of music. Legions of hard rock and heavy metal lovers will tell you that (I am one too! But I do not foresee creating a thread for heavy music in near future, I'll probably be the only poster in that thread.)

Edited August 17, 2011 by derryfawne

[Allegro]

Check out MC rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Unlike all the trashy singer-clones these days, MC always make covers of music into her own.

The vocals are so raw and soulful, and got a standing ovation from Patti Labelle.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Allegro

[derryfawne]

Yeah, Mariah does excellent covers. My favorite is her rendition of Stevie Wonder's You And I, sung on the original male key and earned a standing ovation from the great singer-songwriter himself. Watch as Mariah slides down to her husky lower register that many men cannot even touch.

For some diversity, let's bring someone new out. What about... Beyonce?

[kimlo777]

In my opinion the most accomplished singer with best voice and rhythm control etc are the Jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Cassandra Wilson, Carmen McRae, Shirley Horne etc. I don't have the video clips to share but if you can, try to watch some of them and you'll know what I mean.

[derryfawne]

In my opinion the most accomplished singer with best voice and rhythm control etc are the Jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Cassandra Wilson, Carmen McRae, Shirley Horne etc. I don't have the video clips to share but if you can, try to watch some of them and you'll know what I mean.

I don't know much about Carmen McRae and Shirley Horne, but I'm familiar with the rest. Great names.

Nina Simone is my personal favorite. Four Women, a song about four African-American female archetypes (see here), sends chills down my spine, especially that soaring finale. Nina Simone has a very intriguing masculine tone in her voice too, nothing less than lovely. And the way she exchanges the texture of her voice as she impersonates each of the four ladies is endearing.

[slut]

Debelah Morgan. Very clean sounding whistle register.