Sweden's nurse Freddy 'better than Paul Potts'
Opera-singing nurse Freddy Amigo is being billed as Sweden's answer to Paul Potts after a show-stopping performance on talent show Talang 2010.
Amigo, 47, fell to his knees in tears as a three-person jury and studio audience rewarded his stirring rendition of 'Granada' with a standing ovation.
"It's difficult to describe," Amigo told TV4 when asked about his Talang debut.
"It felt great and powerful, I've never experienced anything like it."
Jury members Bert Karlsson, Charlotte Perelli and Johan Pråmell were visibly moved by Amigo's vocal delivery.
"This guy's unbelievable, a real world-class artist," said music industry mogul Karlsson.
"It was a magical performance, he's better than Paul Potts."
Freddy Amigo moved to Sweden from Chile as a teenager thirty years ago. He currently lives in Västerås, 100 klometres west of Stockholm, with his wife and three children. For the last fifteen years he has worked as a nurse in the town's main hospital where he regularly entertains the older patients.
"I love my old ladies and gents. It's a great warm feeling to be able to sing for them. Their happiness means a lot to me," he said.
Before starting a family, Amigo provided the vocals for a local band specialising in Latin-American music. His singing career was put to one side however when he began the business of training to be a nurse and raising children. But his favourite pastime has been resurrected in recent years.
"Everything started three years ago when a workmate asked if I'd sing Ave Maria at his wedding. Sure, I thought, even though I'd never sung opera before. Everyone in the church started crying, including me; even the priest was crying," he told TV4.
Amigo said he had never intended to make a late push for stardom, but his daughter insisted on submitting an application to Talang on his behalf.
"My first reaction was that I was too old, but she sent away the form anyway, saying: 'but you are a talent, daddy'."
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Amigo, 47, fell to his knees in tears as a three-person jury and studio audience rewarded his stirring rendition of 'Granada' with a standing ovation.
"It's difficult to describe," Amigo told TV4 when asked about his Talang debut.
"It felt great and powerful, I've never experienced anything like it."
Jury members Bert Karlsson, Charlotte Perelli and Johan Pråmell were visibly moved by Amigo's vocal delivery.
"This guy's unbelievable, a real world-class artist," said music industry mogul Karlsson.
"It was a magical performance, he's better than Paul Potts."
Freddy Amigo moved to Sweden from Chile as a teenager thirty years ago. He currently lives in Västerås, 100 klometres west of Stockholm, with his wife and three children. For the last fifteen years he has worked as a nurse in the town's main hospital where he regularly entertains the older patients.
"I love my old ladies and gents. It's a great warm feeling to be able to sing for them. Their happiness means a lot to me," he said.
Before starting a family, Amigo provided the vocals for a local band specialising in Latin-American music. His singing career was put to one side however when he began the business of training to be a nurse and raising children. But his favourite pastime has been resurrected in recent years.
"Everything started three years ago when a workmate asked if I'd sing Ave Maria at his wedding. Sure, I thought, even though I'd never sung opera before. Everyone in the church started crying, including me; even the priest was crying," he told TV4.
Amigo said he had never intended to make a late push for stardom, but his daughter insisted on submitting an application to Talang on his behalf.
"My first reaction was that I was too old, but she sent away the form anyway, saying: 'but you are a talent, daddy'."
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