This was a special event in September 2023 that Emma was 'honoured' to be a part of, the liberation concert to remember the 8000 Americans who gave their lives to liberate Holland in WWII, this was one of 3 songs she performed at this event, another you've already reviewed was Hero, and then there was a duet, 'You Raise me up', with Nico Wouterse, notable for the closing line by Emma, 'I will tell them, for as long as I can' ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-baH0JQsLo3c.html This was another deeply moving song, made more poignant by Emma's closing words, before they left the stage to a standing ovation, Emma's words were a recognition from her of the recognition of her vulnerability, she is very much aware of the risk of her life being shortened by the awful implications of gastroparesis, there have been a significant number of suicides among sufferers of this disease because of the huge problems that are faced on a daily basis as a result of the disease. Emma seems to have been able to come to terms with the problems of living with the disease, but it was clear from a deeply moving song she sang a few months eariler that she's very much aware of the problems she faces, a young friend, Angela, died as a result of gastroparesis, and Emma recorded a song to remember her, and it's notable for the closing words, she's engaged in an imaginary conversation with her friend, and asks her about what's happening where she is, and the ending line is so sad, 'Yeah, I know, you'll tell me when I get there'. When I Get There - @PinkVideoVault Unaccompanied short, very powerful, a song about the passing of a very close friend, given Emma's own situation, so incredibly deep and moving, just incredible. Translation of the note that Emma put into the notes about the video, the original is in Dutch, Last night my dear friend Angela became a star! 💗 I'm going to miss you incredibly much, but every time I look at the starry sky I know you're looking back 💗 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0nIpN86mw6E.html Memorial song for Angela also, Laat Mij Een Vlinder Zijn 13 May 2023 a video short, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k-ZtoS0E1B8.html Today I had the opportunity to sing at the farewell of my dear friend Angela 💘 Angela always wanted to go viral with her tiktoks, she wanted to be popiejopie! Let's make this happen, share this message as much as possible so that Angela goes viral and she can really be popie from above ♥🙏🏻 This song was Emma's first single Let me be a butterfly, ,and in it, she's singing about her desperate desire to be free of the restrictions and limitations that are part of her every day experience, she wants to be able to live a different life, she wants to become like the chrysalis emerging from the cocoon in which it's undergone huge change, and soar into the heavens as the newly emerged butterfly that's the end result, she wants to soar into the heavens, free. In the studio version, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Zcxan9R5s4E.html there's a section from 2:02 to 2:35 where she sings 'If only for a day, or even for a count of 10, I'd just like to live as another', and as she sings it, her eyes close, she gently shakes her head, and then her head goes down, and she falls silent, and it's clear that she's considering her situation, and having to come to terms with the reality that for now, there can be no change, no freedom from the pressures and limitations of being tied to her feeding pumps for 22 hours a day, but then, having looked at all of the situation she's in, she determines that she is not going to let her illness define her life, she is going to fight every inch of the way, and rise above the disease, and as she does so, her head comes up, and she starts to sing again, she rises to a new top note, she makes it clear that she is going to take this disease and find ways to overcome it, and to rise like the butterfly of that song, and of course, that's exactly what happened on the first night she sang on Andre's stage in Maastricht, physically, she walked out onto the stage, but mentally, she became the butterfly, she soared over the stage, the orchestra, and the audience, she dominated the entire area, she was in command of her own life, and in command of everything around her, and that performance of Voila was the start of the New Emma rising into the heavens as a new star. In recent days, Emma has been a significant part of another special event, the 2024 Liberation concerts in Amsterdam, in the presence of the Dutch Royal Family, she sang a number of songs, but not all of them are on RU-vid yet, she gives another incredibly good, strong and powerful performance in a duet with April Darby, 'When you believe' ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YG8WV1GFt_c.html The rest of this week is busy for her, she's singing in the Hague at another liberation concert, then flying to Dublin for 2 shows with Andre, followed by another show in Belfast, we have tickets for one of the Dublin shows, and I'm really looking forward to hearing Emma live for the first time, I already know it will be special, that's the effect she has on people, and there's no way to know what's coming, every year in recent times, Andre has introduced something new in Dublin, and I have to admit I'm hoping for another new song from Emma, she certainly has the ability to deliver powerful songs, so who knows what's coming. I will close with my normal appeal to all the readers and subscribers to this site. 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. At the moment, they are a small group, and 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.
