Very unusual talent. I am finding out that people who face a lot of hardships in life are also people who are soulful. Or let me put it this way, that you feel touched by such individuals. Carlos Aponte is one of those people. The beginning and the end of the video clip reveals the entertaining qualities of Carlos Aponte.
Enjoy.
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"very unusual talent"
ReplyDeleteWhy do you find operatic tenor voice "very unusual"? You could go to an opera theater near you and find similar talents. Now, Carlos sings beautifully, he has a powerful voice (though I am not sure how he'd fair if he were competiting in an opera competition - difficult to say based on this song), but why do you find an operatic tenor voice unusual?
Here are some more "unusual talents" for you in Met Auditions
I called it "unusual" meaning remarkable in the America's Got Talent context because a lot of contestants you would consider ordinary.
ReplyDeleteAlso unusual for making the trip all the way from Costa Rico to be able to compete - a lot of will and determination.
And 'usually' I am not a big fan of opera but that voice coming from a man of his small stature was indeed unusual.
Surely those judges go to opera and they felt the same way.
They had operatic voices on this show before. Last year they had Barbara Padilla, before her they had Neal Boyd who won (and who'd have been eliminated at round one of any opera competition), Donald Braswell who had a real opera career in the past but had an accident that put a stop to it, so years later he came back to AGT. On other [country] got talent shows too. I think Carlos may actually be better than those before him, but it's tough to say based on this part of a popular song. He was flat in places, but he has very nice high notes and a pretty powerful voice. He could've just been nervous.
ReplyDeleteThese people are always hailed as great opera singers even though they wouldn't have been able to make it in opera where there are so many more talented singers and where the competition is extremely tought: out of 2000 voice majors graduating each year only about 200manage to earn a living singing.
Also, he is from Puerto Rico, not Costa Rica, and it's normal for opera singers to travel - most go to Europe to try to start a career.
As to judges going to opera - don't be too sure about it. None of the judges has any credentials whatsoever in classical music; and given how they go wild over anything remotely operatic, it's questionable if they'd ever been inside an opera theater.
Buzzkill!!!! People like kitty are buzzkill!!!! you don't have to have the greatest opera voice or be the greatest at anything to touch people...... maybe your the one thats unusual because you are a "well known critic" all of the sudden..
ReplyDelete@Mos - I was very complimentary towards Carlos, so I don't see why you call me a "buzz kill".
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful that an operatic singer can touch people so much, and I am looking forward to hearing more from him, but I think it'd be even more wonderful if people took it as a sign that maybe opera in general is worth listening to. How do you know if some of those other singers wouldn't touch you as much unless you actually try and listen to them?
The link I posted is about the most prestigious opera competition in North America - Met Council Auditions. It featured amazingly talented young singers each and every one of whom would've probably touched the AGT audience, but nobody knows about them. One of these singers you see most prominently in this video is Ryan Smith. Don't you find his singing touching? What if I tell you that a year later after being one of the winners, he died of lymphoma, just after making a debut at the Met? Had he won a popular tv talent show, he'd have gotten million views, he'd have been a household name. But because he won an opera competition where he competed against some thousands of young opera singers, nobody but a few opera fans care about it.
This is why I posted. Not because I have anything against Carlos, I am watching AGT and I am looking forward to hearing more from him. But because I find it really sad, that there are so many very talented people who have dedicated their lives to the art and who would've given joy to so many people had these people bothered to listen to them.
Just wanted to add that I was truly shocked in having seen Carlos eliminated. Even if I didn't think he was ready for top opera theaters, he was absolutely the best talent on this show; also someone who was better than classical singers on prior seasons of AGT. I was looking forward to hearing more from him.
ReplyDeleteSorry kitty, I misinterpreted what you were trying to say! I think its great when an Opera Singer or any musician can touch you or your soul! I grew up on Listening to Classical and Opera from my mother, "Even though my mothers talent skipped me" hahaha. Anyway, sorry for the disrespect.
ReplyDeleteKitty, I won't worry about Carlos Aponte. He got enough exposure and he is a good opera singer and he will succeed.
ReplyDeleteYou don't know what competition is like in opera and how many beautiful voices there are out there. About 2000 voice majors graduate each year - many with glorious voices, they don't accept everyone into voice performance programs. Only about 200 of them manage to earn a living singing - including in choruses (the only way to have a guaranteed steady income other than becoming a star, but there is a lot of competition for major theater choruses). This is what I heard from a young opera singer who was one of "lucky ones" - was noticed at an opera competition and had her career taken off. Even winning a prestigious opera competition (like Met Auditions) doesn't guarantee a role, but it's a whole lot more helpful for an opera career than AGT. AGT exposure means nothing in opera world, if Carlos wants to be a real opera singer i.e. sing in live operas, he'd need more training and then he'd have to go to real opera competitions where he'd need to sing far more difficult arias than on AGT without microphone, and in front of far pickier judges and compete against far better singers than those that ever come on AGT.
ReplyDeletePOPera (classical crossover) i.e. singing pop, crossover songs like the one Carlos sang and an aria or two (what Bocelli is doing who is not a real opera singer) is easier and a whole lot less demanding then opera which is why Carlos came to AGT, but there is still no obvious way to convert AGT exposure into a career especially without being a winner. Being a winner at least guarantees a CD deal and a tour.
But this is not really an issue, the issue is that AGT let less talented people through while sent the more talented person home.
BTW - if you liked Carlos, do check out some real opera. Just because you find one opera boring, doesn't mean you'd not like another one. They are all different.
AGT contestants are not accomplished artists, and they shouldn't be treated and evalueted as they were. AGT opens the door to success and career to any contestant who later has to master their talent to achieve such success.
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious, Carlos is not a professional opera singer, but has 100 procent potential to be such one if he will work on his voice.Usually it takes several years to master the voice and be ready for the opera stage.
With pop music is so simple - often you don't have to have a good voice - it's enough if you jump all over the stage and scream...and if you add illuminating lights and firecrackers, you are celebrity!
@Ada - you make a really good point. One thing to keep in mind though is that we don't always know everything about everyone on AGT.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Barbara Padilla last year was presented to us as "housewife". The fact that she has Master's in voice performance was never mentioned. Given that she does have a Master's in voice performance, why wouldn't it be fair to compare her to other voice majors like those that compete in opera competitions?
Neal Boyd who won in season 3, also had a voice degree. Why should he not be compared to singers who compete at Met Council auditions and who are actually younger (Michael Fabiano who was one of the winners in 2007 was 22; Nadine Sierra - one of 2009 winners was 20 and is still a student even now). They actually did say in The Audition documentary - that I really recommend if they ever show it on PBS again - they look for both - people who are ready to step on Met stage tomorrow and younger people with potential.
Carlos did go to a conservatory in Puerto Rico where he studied with famous Puerto Rican baritone Justino Diaz. This doesn't mean he has to be accomplished - different singers develop at different age, just that he isn't just a "wedding singer". I also think that the music choice - a crossover song and a Broadway song - was not to his advantage. Opera singers are usually better in strictly classical repertory like art songs or opera arias, not all can do crossover or Broadway. It could've been producers choice, though. I do hope actually that he continues his studies and has a great career.