Malakai Bayoh

[seraphita]

[Yorkie]

I think it was a bad song choice. Shoot me down if you wish but I think if he had sung something more accessible to the the viewers who vote he may have had a chance. I guess we will never know.

[Celtic]

I think it was a bad song choice. Shoot me down if you wish but I think if he had sung something more accessible to the the viewers who vote he may have had a chance. I guess we will never know.

As it happens, I totally agree with you. I felt the same for his semi final, in fact I was underwhelmed by his semi-final. I did really enjoy his final though, but I kind of knew as soon as he finished singing he wouldn't win. Needed to be a more well known, or as you say, accessible song, amongst the masses. Also, as much as I adore CVMS, I don't think their inclusion added much. Although, it was a nice visual spectacle I guess and nice that he had school friends supporting him in that way. But yeah, it's possible Malakai may have won it with a different song, but who knows. Que sera, sera...

[john45]

Difficult to strike a balance between a piece that which would fully demonstrate the superior quality of his voice and that which would appeal to the great unwashed (generally not opera). Any suggestions as to what might have worked?

[Luckdragon]

Difficult to strike a balance between a piece that which would fully demonstrate the superior quality of his voice and that which would appeal to the great unwashed (generally not opera). Any suggestions as to what might have worked?

Don't know if it even matters. Have any pure singers won BGT since Susan Boyle? Nowadays you have to sing from inside a balloon or while getting eaten by a crocodile.

[seraphita]

Would it have mattered to him - career technic - if he had won?
He has now been able to present himself to a very large group of people, including professionals. What he has done now -viewed from his age- a very nice musical career is ahead of him.

I think it was a bad song choice. Shoot me down if you wish but I think if he had sung something more accessible to the the viewers who vote he may have had a chance. I guess we will never know.

[Yorkie]

Difficult to strike a balance between a piece that which would fully demonstrate the superior quality of his voice and that which would appeal to the great unwashed (generally not opera). Any suggestions as to what might have worked?

Don't know if it even matters. Have any pure singers won BGT since Susan Boyle? Nowadays you have to sing from inside a balloon or while getting eaten by a crocodile.

Susan Boyle didn't win it, she came second. A guy called Paul Potts won the first one singing opera (Nessun Dorma). There was one boy band who won it and then an old age pensioner who sang terrible old fashioned songs but got the sympathy vote because his wife had died. So, basically you are right, singers don't tend to win it.

As to what he could have sung I'm not really sure. A cover of a modern pop song would be best for a chance to win but he stuck with what he liked. Fair play to him but he never had a chance to win with a song that bored me and I honestly was wanting him to do well.

[Yorkie]

Would it have mattered to him - career technic - if he had won?
He has now been able to present himself to a very large group of people, including professionals. What he has done now -viewed from his age- a very nice musical career is ahead of him.

I think it was a bad song choice. Shoot me down if you wish but I think if he had sung something more accessible to the the viewers who vote he may have had a chance. I guess we will never know.

Well, I'm sure £250,000 could have come in handy. Previously there was a young singer called Ronan Parke who was runner up. He did get a recording contract and a limited amount of fame but where is he now?

But nobody honestly knows. He did fantastically well to get there. He's clearly talented and hopefully, after negotiating voice change, he can be successful at singing for a career.

[Padmachou]

I think what we can hope, and I would be surprised if it does not happen with his success, is an album with his unique treble voice. I am sure Malakai will have a fantastic career as an opera singer. And I would very much like to buy an album if there is one to come.

As for Susan Boyle, I do love her (who does not), but I was surprised to find that she is not as good as the cast from Les Miserables, in my opinion... Which mostly tells about how this West End cast is great

I remember Ronan Parke, I liked his single "A Thousand Miles"



I found his Youtube Chanel, but he hasn't posted anything for 3 years...

[Celtic]

I remember Ronan Parke, I liked his single "A Thousand Miles"

I found his Youtube Chanel, but he hasn't posted anything for 3 years...

Ronan Parke was great, and about a month ago I happened to play his album again and decided to Google him as a result. Apparently, he is working in the quite upmarket Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, central London as a waiter. I did vaguely consider going along for a meal, and then I saw the prices... and changed my mind.

Anyone want to join me for the Roasted Shellfish for Two? Only £110...

Malakai will be alright one way or another, he has plenty of good people around him to support him and is clearly just a very genuine and nice boy. As long as his voice survives the break he will get opportunities. Talent will out, as they say.

As for his treble voice, if they can get an album out of him before the break, I would definitely buy it!

[LordG]

Ronan Parke was great, and about a month ago I happened to play his album again and decided to Google him as a result. Apparently, he is working in the quite upmarket Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, central London as a waiter. I did vaguely consider going along for a meal, and then I saw the prices... and changed my mind.

Anyone want to join me for the Roasted Shellfish for Two? Only £110...

I would consider it on my next trip to London as long as he is working there

[Lux Aeterna]

Qui dove il mare luccica
E tira forte il vento
Su una vecchia terrazza
Davanti al golfo di Surriento
Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza
Dopo che aveva pianto
Poi si schiarisce la voce
E ricomincia il canto
Te voglio bene assaje
Ma tanto tanto bene sai
È una catena ormai
Che scioglie il sangue dint' 'e 'vvene sai

Lucio Dalla wrote this song in 1986 while spending the night in an Hotel in Sorrento, in the same room where the tenor Enrico Caruso spent his last days. It's one of the most beautiful song ever written, but it's not suitable for a choirboy, it's not meant to be sung like an opera aria,and Malakai is obviously singing in a language he doesn't understand resulting in an emotionless rendition. Another problem is that he sung this song in a British talent show for a British audience. It was a bad choice that probably cost him the victory. Anyway,

► Show Spoiler

Kudos to him for not choosing O sole mio or Finiculì Funiculà

This is Caruso sung by the ( then ) 13yo Christian Imparato, and his rendition is on another level.

► Show Spoiler

[Yorkie]

Lucio Dalla wrote this song in 1986 while spending the night in an Hotel in Sorrento, in the same room where the tenor Enrico Caruso spent his last days. It's one of the most beautiful song ever written, but it's not suitable for a choirboy, it's not meant to be sung like an opera aria,and Malakai is obviously singing in a language he doesn't understand resulting in an emotionless rendition. Another problem is that he sung this song in a British talent show for a British audience. It was a bad choice that probably cost him the victory. Anyway,

► Show Spoiler

Kudos to him for not choosing O sole mio or Finiculì Funiculà

This is Caruso sung by the ( then ) 13yo Christian Imparato, and his rendition is on another level.

► Show Spoiler

You have made an excellent case. A much better song when performed like that. I honestly thought it was some operatic piece which (obviously) I'd never heard of.

I don't think if he had copied the style he would have won with this song because Brits don't do well with songs in foreign languages, but it would have been better to listen to.

[Celtic]

Great news, looking forward to hearing it! Also, CVMS will be on it too!

Edit: the speed at which they moved on this is quite amazing. I'm making a guess here, but I suspect this was the schola recording for Malakai:



Which means Universal Music signed him after his Golden Buzzer at the end of April were already recording by mid May and will have it out by July. So a 2 to 3 month turn-around for the whole thing. That's impressive!

Track list from Classic FM:
Pie Jesu – Andrew Lloyd Webber
Benedictus – Karl Jenkins
O mio babbino caro – Giacomo Puccini
Ombra mai fu – George Frederic Handel
Somewhere – Leonard Bernstein
Amazing Grace – Trad.
Lascia ch’io pianga – George Frederic Handel
Caruso – Lucio Dalla

[seraphita]

The video for Malakai's first track from his new album, filmed in the spectacular setting of St Paul's Cathedral, is now available on YouTube.