Emma Kok and the liberating power of music

The name Emma Kok (2008) probably doesn’t mean much to people yet, even though the Dutch singer has exceptional vocal abilities despite her young age. Emma came to the attention of the music industry when she won The Voice Kids in 2021, and her unforgettable performance of Barbara Pravi’s iconic song, Voilá, brought her worldwide recognition in 2023. André Rieu, the world-famous Dutch conductor and violinist, also noticed the young talent, as he conducted the Johann Strauss Orchestra accompanying the singer. The conductor and Emma found so much common ground that Emma is currently touring with André Rieu and his orchestra. However, behind the story fitting for a fairy tale lies a sad human fate, during one of the performances it was also reported that Emma’s life is not necessarily enviable. Since he was a baby, he has had to live with gastroparesis, i.e. stomach paralysis, and a feeding tube, for which he was often teased and abused by his peers – the consequence of the disease is his short stature. At the beginning of the concert in their hometown, Emma thanked André, the author of the song, as well as the audience for helping to make her dream come true, so that she could feel free. The singer briefly explained that while singing, she is the girl who dances on the stars (referring to the title of the song), freely, obliviously, and when she leaves the stage, the sad reality returns, she becomes the girl with the stomach paralysis again. Singing the dramatic song “Dancing On The Stars” by the Dutch composer Tjeerd Oosterhuis, Emma once again enchanted the audience with her powerful, beautiful voice, read Doily’s article. His life is a really good example of when music and art can overcome difficulties and give people hope.