Release news: Steven Sterlings Beautiful Maria.

South African singer Steven Sterling has released his new album Mooie Maria (Beautiful Maria) and it includes several tracks of interest to the Eurocovers fans.
It's safe to say Mooie Maria is a joyous Schlager album with a nice collection of coverversions of Germans schlagers as well as international pop songs.
It also includes some self penned songs and Steven Sterling wrote all the Afrikaans lyrics himself.

Tracklist Mooie Maria

Gummi Bears - Temalied (Themesong)

Mooie Maria (Youtube video)

Kaapse Meisies

Umhlanga Rocks!

- Coverversion of the Dutch 2010 song Sha La Lie (Ik Ben Verliefd). The Father Abraham penned song performed by Sieneke didn't make it to the final in Oslo, but it turns out to be the most covered track of the 2010 contest. This version is about top South African holiday destination Umhlanga Rocks and having fun in the summer season.

Piña Colada
- Albert Hammonds 1975 hit Down By The River.

Boere Barbie

Engel Hier Op Aarde
- The first of the tracks written by Sterling himself is a poppy ballad.

Glimlag
- This is a coverversion of Under Your Spell, a track from the Swedish Melodifestivalen 2006 originally by Evan.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
- The Simon and Garfunkel hit, in English.
Mama Afrika
- The Afrikaans version of Mama Corsica, the French entry of 1993 by Patrick Fiori
Dissie Liedjies (Op Die Radio)
- Another self penned song.
To Love You More
Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You
- Originally a hit for Glenn Medeiros
Somer 2010 - remix
- A bonus remix of Mooie Maria, Kaapse Meisies, Umhlanga Rocks, Piña Colada and Boere Barbie.

Mama Afrika and Glimlag appeared earlier on the album Steven Sterling III which also includes a re-recording of Sterlings version of Lief Vir Alles Hier (Für Alle, the German 1985 entry by Wind).

An alternate version of Lief Vir Alles Hier was included on the album Steven Sterling recorded with his brother, panflutist Ryan Walt. The title track of the CD Take My hand (2009) is the CANSA theme song (The Cancer association of South Africa).
Take My Hand was recorded in English, Afrikaans (Vat My Hand) and Italian (Vieni Qui). These versions can be found on the edition Take My Hand Forever (2010) which does not include Lief Vir Alles Hier but a very interesting ABBA cover Klein Pik Soentjies (Hey gamle Man).

Mooie Maria and other Steven Sterling albums are available at Kalahari, or you can contact EZpromotions.

Steven Sterling Links

Reverbnation: Listen to some Steven Sterlings songs including Mama Afrika and Lief Vir Alles Hier.

Steven Sterling Homepage.
Steven Sterling Youtube channel
Sha La Lie, All covers and releases

Eurocovers releases roundup: South Africa

I'm currently working on an updated version of the South Africa coverversions list, as it has been a few years since I last published that (actually pre-Eurocovers blog). It'll take some time, but I hope it's here in a few weeks. (it's here now)
For now: you'll have to do with an update on the Eurocovers that have been released in South Africa fairly recently.

Steven Sterling III
Steven Sterling has released his 3rd album Steven Sterling 3. (Sterling Musiek STERCD002)
There's one new Eurocover of interest there and it's the opening track Mama Afrika. This is a great Afrikaans version of Mama Corsica, the French entry of 1993 by Patrick Fiori.
The album also includes a re-recording of Lief Vir Alles Hier (Für Alle, Germany 1985), which Sterling recorded for his Debut CD.
Third song of Eurocovers interest is Glimlag (Smile), a coverversion of Under Your Spell (Sweden 2006 pre-selection - Evan)
The album is for sale at Kalahari*.
Lief Vir Alles Hier (In love with everything here) is technically an André Schwartz ♫ cover, who was the one who made the song hugely popular in South Africa.

Casanova Shaun Tait
Shaun Tait's second album Ek Se Kom Ons Doen Dit (I say let's do this) is out now and features the first South African coverversion for Andorra. He recorded Casanova (2008 - Gisela). The album also features two popular pre-selection songs.
Gee Jou Hart Vir My (Give your heart to me) is Lay Your Love On Me (BWO, Melodifestivalen 2008) and Viva La Musica was Man Meadow's song for the Polish 2008 selection.
Title track Ek Se Kom Ons Doen Dit is a cover of Charlotte Perrelli's Bullet, her follow up single to Eurovision hit Hero (CD Out now on Sony SA) (Kalahari)
On his debut CD Shaun Tait recorded Sing 'n liedjie (Sing a song) as a duet with Patricia Lewis, Queen Of South African Eurovision Covers. It's Shame On You (Denmark 2004 - Thomas Thordarsson)

Let's Rage At The Club Kung FuCharl Smit's last CD Lekker Jol (Great party, Ramkat RAMCD001) features two tracks of Estonian origin.

Kom Ons Raas (Let's rage) is a coverversion of Estonian entry Let's Get Loud by Suntribe. Even better (imho) is the title track, Lekker Jol. It's Club Kung Fu, a pre-selection song from 2003 that was originally by Estonian superstars Vanilla Ninja. That song was the audience favorite, but their vote only counted for like 10% or so. The professional jury hated it, but Vanilla Ninja did quite well for themselves, especially in Germany. They were invited to represent Switserland in 2005 and with Cool Vibes they ended 9th.
Charl Smit's version of the song is about traffic. Smit is currently working on his new CD which will have some more Eurocovers surprises.
The album is available at Kalahari*. The track Lekker Jol was also released on the VA compilation Kuier In Afrikaans (Ramkat RAMCD004)

Another version of Club Kung Fu was recorded by Nicholis Louw: Welkom By My Party can be found on his CD Hier Naby Jou (Close to you).

I noticed a download site where you can preview the tracks (Rhythm Online)*. They sell legal mp3's internationally and are currently working on an easy payment system (it's too complicated now for my liking)
http://www.nicholislouw.co.za/

Juanita ForeverJuanita Du Plessis celebrates her career with a double CD of her best hits and new tracks. Opening track of CD1 is 'n Ewigheid, (An eternity) a new coverversion of Carola's 2006 entry Invincible (Sweden). It's already the 2nd Afrikaans version of this track, after the boys of Hi-5 recorded it on their CD Versoeking.

Juanita's 2cd 10 jaar Platinum Treffers is also available at Kalahari*. You can listen to all songs at her homepage (here) http://www.juanita.co.za/

Juanita's 1997 album Young Hearts included a coverversion of Gina G.'s Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit (U.K. 1996) in a hits medley

Moet My Nie Vergeet Nie

Rian Ungerer's CD Moet My Nie Vergeet Nie (Don't forget me) features the track Agter Moes Laat (Had to leave behind), which is a coverversion of Vukovi Umiru Sami (Croatia 2005 - Boris Novkovic)
Girl band Shine 4 have split up, but they have released a best CD with some new tracks. One of these is Je t'Adore (Belgium 2006, Kate Ryan) which is sung in Afrikaans.
Leandie Lombaard. I mentioned her CD here. Now she has her own website where you can listen to excerpts of the songs.
Some other recent releases are tenor Jannie Moolmans CD Ek Kom Huistoe (I'm coming home) which includes Vandag (Today) (Le Grand Soir, Belgium 2005), Jaycee Crauses CD Ek Weet with Steeds Verlief (Everything, Greece 2006) and Waar Is Jy (Tornero, Romania 2006) and the previously mentioned albums by Jennifer Zamudio and Patricia Lewis.

Special Thanks to Roy and to Juan.
*Please note: I haven't tried any of the shops mentioned recently and I advise you contact them first about postage, payment and delivery information if you're interested in buying any of the CDs.
If you want to hear Mama Corsica in Lithuanian check this Eurocovers post.
All South-Africa related posts at Eurocovers are here. The Document is here.

Eurovision 2009 - The Moscow Collection

The Amsterdam Eurovision 2009 Concert.

If Moscow is too far, the crisis hit your bank balance or you were planning a long overdue trip to Amsterdam anyway this is the 2009 event for you:

On April 18, Marcanti Amsterdam will host a concert with many Eurovision Stars of the 2009 contest. Already a very impressive list of artists have confirmed: The entrants of Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Iceland, Lithuania, Cyprus, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia, Poland, Moldova and Armenia will attend, more artsist to be confirmed. The show is hosted by Marga Bult and Maggie MacNeal. TICKETS, Video promo. More Info