In this 2017 video, a little child who competed in “The Voice Kids” in Belgium demonstrates his extraordinary skill. A bashful and uncomfortable boy named Abobaker Rahman, nicknamed Abu, begins belting out a popular Celine Dion song while the three judges’ seats are turned away from him. The judges’ cheeks light up as soon as they hear the first few phrases. When they heard the beginning of this amazing version of “My Heart Will Go On,” all three judges immediately pressed the buzzer. They then swing their seats around to stare at the youngster with rapt concentration. In April 2021, this article was updated.
All three judges’ faces light up with delight. Two of them even start miming iconic motions from the song’s video. The audience also loved him as well, as he received a standing ovation before the song ended.
Just when you think things can’t get any better, they do. He reaches a particularly difficult sequence of high notes and kills it. The camera moves around to show the astonishment and happiness of everyone there, including the judges.
Two of the judges spring to their feet at this moment, their emotions visible not just on their faces but also in their enthusiastic body language. Before the song is over, Sean Dhondt, the sole male judge of the three, goes forward to sit on the ground in front of the youngster. It’s a moving moment. He sees the youngster as an inspiration rather than merely a vocalist.
As you might expect from Dhondt’s reaction, the comments section is equally thrilled.
“This is honestly the finest male version of this song I have ever heard,” says one of the many positive comments.
“I have never heard such a wonderful child’s voice,” says another commenter.
When you consider the musical heritage of “My Heart Will Go On,” Abobaker’s version is extremely impressive. The Celine Dion song has become well-known as the primary theme song of James Cameron’s critically acclaimed “Titanic,” and it has won several honors. It even won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1998, defeating “Go The Distance” from “Hercules” and “Miss Misery” from “Good Will Hunting.”
The highest honor for “My Heart Will Go On” has been to have Neil Diamond and other music legends cover it.
Larry Flick of Billboard Magazine said, “There’s no question that Dion can hit notes that can shatter glass, and she does here. But it’s a pleasure to hear her grow slowly and remind listeners of her ability to convey a lot of emotion in a whisper.”A great single that will bring a much-needed touch of elegance to any station that plays it.
By nailing Dion’s famous song, Abobaker has entered the ranks of the few musicians who have done the Canadian singer’s original justice.
In one of his most recent posts, Abobaker thanked his followers on Instagram ahead of his birthday in March 2021, saying, “I just wanted to thank everyone for making my birthday so memorable. It has always been a joy for me to see the many interesting things you people have done just for me. ‘Thank you’ is inadequate to express my thanks to you all for making my birthday so memorable.”