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24. 11. 12. - 14:00

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24. 11. 12. - 14:00

Kim Petras is a Girl on Fire

German singer Kim Petras has unveiled her latest You Tube cover version of Alicia Keys song "Girl On Fire" in the week that marked a pause for thought for victims of transgender prejudice.

When Alicia Keys unveiled the song she spoke about her reason for writing it, telling fans: "I felt like a girl misunderstood that no one really knew, I felt like it was time to stop making excuses for any part of my life that I wanted to change. Once I made that choice I became a Girl on Fire."

Kim said that was also the reason she chose to do a cover of the song, saying: "I heard it and loved it. It's really powerful and I think it's awesome that she did this to empower people to live their dreams."

Music channel Viva marked the 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance with a special 30 minute focus on Kim and her music in their flagship programme 180 - showing how talented Kim who was born with a boy’s body had managed to turn her life around through a mixture of determination, luck and an amazingly supportive family and friends. She was able to become not only the girl she always knew she was - but also an accomplished singer and performer.

Signed as a song writer with Universal Music this year Kim has an extensive portfolio of her own songs currently being worked into a new album - but in between a busy production and performing schedule has been keeping her fans happy with the occasional You Tube cover version.

Her last cover on You Tube of the Chris Brown song Don't Wake Me Up reached an incredible 620,000 hits at the time this article was written, a remarkable achievement for the blonde singer given that she has reached her worldwide fan base largely on her own initiative.

The LA Times described Kim as the hottest act out of Germany in a world music survey for its "The World Is Our Playlist". Speaking of the song she wrote herself called "One Piece of Tape" the paper said: "She wrote this in two hours. Pads and pumping beats blend with her angel-like voice, combining a state-of-the-art club sound with traditional song writing to spread the word of tolerance."

And celebrity columnist Perez Hilton has also raved about Kim's talented cover versions produced on her home PC in between studio time. He said: "Everyone should love a singer who knows how to be her own back up singer."

He described another cover by Kim, of Demi Lovato, as "Layers upon layers of a single, supreme voice making for one AWEsome Demi Lovato cover" and added she was one of his fave YouTube sensations - with a "magical touch".

Kim's priority at the moment though is finding the time to work on her new songs in the wake of a busy year.

She has been a guest on the red carpet at celebrity events in her native Germany, been asked to perform at big name festivals and clubs across the country, was asked to sign on an advert for Deutsche Telekom and was signed as one of the acts on the Sony Playsation DanceStar Party - where only 40 other tracks included the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

* The Viva programme available in German here  showing Kim as a shining example of how somebody with her background can turn a tough start in life around to make themselves a success as the world marked the 14th International Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day when those who have been victims of anti-transgender violence and prejudice are remembered.

It is a day to mourn those lost and celebrate the lives they lived, but also to bring awareness of the struggle and dangers that trans and gender non-conforming people face around the world on a daily basis.

Austrian Times

Airpower air show damaging the environment, says Green Party
The 2013 Airpower air show due to take place later this month in Aichfeld (Styria, Murtal district) has come in for criticism from environmentalists.

Whats on at the Haydn cinema this week (20 – 26 June)
The following films are on at the English language Haydn Cinema on the Mariahilferstrasse between June 20 and 26.

Elton John - Vienna concert tonight
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Bathing ban remains on Donauinsel
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Better road security for the elderly
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Electro-bike battery causes fire
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Hungarian/Croatian: new course material
Over 5,000 Burgenland school pupils studying Hungarian and Croatian will get new course materials from September.

Heat causes damage to the West motorway
High temperatures have caused damage to the A1 "Westautobahn" motorway from Lower-Austria to Vienna.

Red Light Process starts again in Vienna
The so-called "Red Light Process" is being continued in the regional court in Vienna today.

Don't moan alone, the Ombudsman Investigates.

Why suffer in silence. Let off steam by letting our readers share your troubles. File your complaints about anything and everything here.

Our ombudsman David Rogers will try and help solve some of the problems from lazy civil servants through to incompetent companies – and at the very least the worst transgressors will end up in our weekly special report.