A whistleblower you haven't heard | Geert Chatrou | TEDxRotterdam
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0:27 - 0:31(Whistling)
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2:37 - 2:40(Whistling ends)
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2:41 - 2:44(Applause)
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2:44 - 2:46Thank you.
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2:46 - 2:48(Applause)
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2:48 - 2:50Thank you very much.
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2:50 - 2:52That was whistling.
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2:53 - 2:55I'm trying to do this in English.
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2:56 - 3:01What is a chubby,
curly-haired guy from Holland -- -
3:01 - 3:02why is he whistling?
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3:02 - 3:06Well actually, I've been whistling
since the age of four, about four. -
3:06 - 3:08My dad was always whistling
around the house, -
3:08 - 3:11and I just thought that's part
of communication in my family. -
3:11 - 3:13So I whistled along with him.
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3:13 - 3:16And actually, until I was 34,
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3:16 - 3:21I always annoyed and irritated
people with whistling, -
3:21 - 3:23because, to be honest,
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3:23 - 3:25my whistling is a kind
of deviant behavior. -
3:27 - 3:30I whistled alone,
I whistled in the classroom, -
3:30 - 3:33I whistled on bike, I whistled everywhere.
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3:33 - 3:36And I also whistled
at a Christmas Eve party -
3:36 - 3:38with my family-in-law.
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3:38 - 3:43And they had some, in my opinion,
terrible Christmas music. -
3:43 - 3:47And when I hear music that I don't like,
I try to make it better. -
3:47 - 3:48(Laughter)
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3:48 - 3:51So when "Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer" -- you know it? -
3:51 - 3:54(Whistling)
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3:54 - 3:56But it can also sound like this.
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3:56 - 3:59(Whistling)
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3:59 - 4:02But during a Christmas party --
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4:02 - 4:04at dinner, actually -- it's very annoying.
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4:04 - 4:09So my sister-in-law asked me a few times,
"Please stop whistling." -
4:09 - 4:10And I just couldn't.
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4:10 - 4:11And at one point --
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4:11 - 4:14and I had some wine,
I have to admit that -- -
4:14 - 4:17at one point I said,
"If there was a contest, I would join." -
4:17 - 4:18And two weeks later,
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4:18 - 4:22I received a text message:
"You're going to America." -
4:22 - 4:24(Laughter)
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4:24 - 4:27So, OK, I'm going to America.
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4:27 - 4:28I would love to, but why?
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4:28 - 4:30So I immediately called her up, of course.
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4:30 - 4:35She googled, and she found
this World Whistling Championship -
4:35 - 4:37in America, of course.
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4:37 - 4:38(Laughter)
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4:39 - 4:42She didn't expect me to go there.
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4:42 - 4:45And I would have lost my face.
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4:45 - 4:47I don't know if that's correct English.
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4:47 - 4:49But the Dutch people here
will understand what I mean. -
4:49 - 4:52(Laughter)
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4:52 - 4:54I lost my face.
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4:54 - 4:57(Applause)
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4:57 - 4:59And she thought, "He will never go there."
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4:59 - 5:01But actually, I did.
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5:01 - 5:06So I went to Louisburg, North Carolina,
southeast of the United States, -
5:06 - 5:09and I entered the world of whistling.
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5:09 - 5:12And I also entered the World Championship,
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5:12 - 5:15and I won there, in 2004.
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5:15 - 5:19(Applause)
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5:19 - 5:22That was great fun, of course.
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5:23 - 5:28And to defend my title --
like judokas do and sportsmen -- -
5:28 - 5:31I thought, well let's go back in 2005 --
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5:31 - 5:32and I won again.
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5:32 - 5:33(Laughter)
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5:34 - 5:36Then I couldn't participate
for a few years. -
5:36 - 5:40And in 2008, I entered again
in Japan, Tokyo, and I won again. -
5:40 - 5:43So what happened now
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5:43 - 5:46is I'm standing here in Rotterdam,
in the beautiful city, on a big stage, -
5:46 - 5:48and I'm talking about whistling.
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5:48 - 5:52And actually, I earn my money
whistling, at the moment. -
5:52 - 5:55So I quit my day job as a nurse.
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5:55 - 6:00(Applause)
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6:00 - 6:02And I try to live my dream --
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6:02 - 6:05well, actually, it was never my dream,
but it sounds so good. -
6:05 - 6:07(Laughter)
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6:07 - 6:09OK, I'm not the only one whistling here.
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6:09 - 6:11You say, "Huh, what do you mean?"
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6:11 - 6:14Well actually, you are going
to whistle along. -
6:17 - 6:20And then always the same thing happens:
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6:20 - 6:22people are watching each other
and think, "Oh, my God. -
6:22 - 6:24Why? Can I go away?"
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6:25 - 6:26No, you can't.
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6:26 - 6:28(Laughter)
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6:29 - 6:30Actually, it's very simple.
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6:30 - 6:34The track that I will whistle
is called "Fête de la Belle." -
6:34 - 6:36It's about 80 minutes long.
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6:36 - 6:37(Laughter)
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6:37 - 6:40No, no, no. It's four minutes long.
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6:40 - 6:43And I want to first rehearse
with you your whistling. -
6:44 - 6:46Yes, so I whistle the tone.
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6:46 - 6:48(Whistling)
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6:48 - 6:50(Laughter)
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6:50 - 6:52Sorry, I forgot one thing --
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6:53 - 6:56you whistle the same tone as me.
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6:56 - 6:58(Laughter)
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6:58 - 7:03I heard a wide variety of tones.
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7:04 - 7:09(Geert Chatrou and audience whistling)
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7:17 - 7:18(Whistling ends)
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7:18 - 7:20This is very promising.
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7:20 - 7:21(Laughter)
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7:21 - 7:22This is very promising.
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7:22 - 7:25I'll ask the technicians
to start the music. -
7:25 - 7:28And if it's started,
I just point where you whistle along, -
7:28 - 7:30and we will see what happens.
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7:30 - 7:32(Laughter)
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7:36 - 7:40Oh, I'm so sorry, technicians.
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7:40 - 7:44(Laughter)
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7:44 - 7:45I'm so used to that.
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7:45 - 7:46(Laughter)
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7:46 - 7:48I start it myself.
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7:48 - 7:49(Laughter)
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7:49 - 7:50OK, here it is.
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7:50 - 7:54(Laughter)
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7:54 - 7:56(Music)
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7:56 - 8:01(Whistling)
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8:06 - 8:07(Whistling ends)
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8:07 - 8:10(Music)
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8:12 - 8:13OK.
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8:14 - 8:19(Whistling)
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9:01 - 9:03It's easy, isn't it?
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9:03 - 9:09(Whistling)
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9:38 - 9:41Now comes the solo,
I propose I do that myself, OK? -
9:41 - 9:43(Music)
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9:43 - 9:49(Whistling)
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11:56 - 12:03(Applause)
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12:07 - 12:11Max Westerman: Geert Chatrou,
the World Champion of Whistling. -
12:11 - 12:13Geert Chatrou: Thank you. Thank you.
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12:14 - 12:17MW: Can we all learn this, Geert?
Just enough practise? -
12:17 - 12:19Can we learn how to whistle like you?
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12:21 - 12:22GC: I can't explain.
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12:22 - 12:25MW: Or you have to start
at the age of four, right? -
12:25 - 12:26GC: Yeah, I gues, yeah.
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12:26 - 12:29My technique is a little different
from the other whistlers I guess. -
12:30 - 12:31MW: Just a hint - you need water.
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12:31 - 12:33GC: Yeah. To wet my whistle.
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12:33 - 12:35MW: Okay. Thank you very mutch.
GC: Thank you.
- Title:
- A whistleblower you haven't heard | Geert Chatrou | TEDxRotterdam
- Description:
-
World champion whistler Geert Chatrou performs the whimsical "Eleonora" by A. Honhoff, and his own "Fête de la Belle." In a fascinating interlude, he talks about what brought him to the craft.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 12:37
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for TEDxRotterdam - Geert Chatrou - Becoming world champion in whistling | ||
TED Translators admin edited English subtitles for TEDxRotterdam - Geert Chatrou - Becoming world champion in whistling |