Mike Tramp
Background information
Birth name	Michael Trempenau
Born	(1961-01-14) January 14, 1961 (age 51)
Origin	Copenhagen, Denmark
Genres	Glam metal Hard rock
Occupations	Singer Songwriter
Instruments	Vocals Guitar
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Atlantic Records Frontiers Records
Associated acts	Mabel White Lion Freak of Nature
Website	http://www.miketramp.com/

Mike Tramp (Born Michael Trempenau January 14, 1961) is a Danish singer and songwriter who is best known for his work with the hard rock bands, White Lion^[1] and Freak of Nature, although he has also released several solo albums to date.

Biography[link]

Early Years[link]

Michael Trempenau was born in Denmark, and grew up in Vesterbro with his mother, Doris, who died April 2010 at the age of 80, and two brothers, Dennis and Kim. Mike started his musical career singing in a youth group club in Copenhagen called Vesterbro Ungdomsgård, and appears on their first album: Vi lever på Vesterbro (1974). Later, he joined the pop band Mabel, as the lead singer^[2]. They recorded four albums and were very popular in Denmark and Spain, with Mike receiving "teen idol" status. In 1978 Mabel won the Danish Song Contest with the song Boom Boom and represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest that year. Mabel moved to New York City and became the Studs in the late 1970s, but then soon broke up.

White Lion[link]

After the demise of Mabel, Tramp met Vito Bratta and formed White Lion in 1983, the band became very successful in the mid 80's to early 90's. White Lion released their debut album Fight to Survive in 1985. The band achieved success with their #8 hit "Wait" and #3 hit "When the Children Cry" from their second album, the double platinum selling Pride.^[3] The band continued their success with their third album, Big Game which achieved Gold status and their fourth album Mane Attraction which included a supporting tour. White Lion disbanded in 1992 and not long after their first compilation album The Best of White Lion was released.

Freak of Nature[link]

After the demise of White Lion in 1992, Mike formed the Hard rock band Freak of Nature. The follow up was significantly darker and harder than White Lion. The band released three albums between 1992 and 1998 Freak of Nature, Gathering of Freaks, and Outcasts. Freak of Nature had played a few gigs with Helloween and Dio in Europe in 1993. The band disbanded in 1996.

Solo Career[link]

Following Freak of Nature Tramp started a solo carrer and released his debut album as a solo artist in 1998 titled Capricorn. The album featured former Freak of Nature bandmates, guitarist Kenny Korade and bass player Jerry Best.^[4]. The song "Better Off" was released as Tramp's debut solo single^[5]. It would be five years before Tramp returned to the studio to record his follow-up album, Recovering the Wasted Years, during which time he would move to Australia, with the aim of raising his son away from the rigors of big city life and to plan his next career move.^[6] Recovering the Wasted Years was released in 2002 and featured the single "Living a Lie"^[7]. In 2003 Tramp followed up with his third album More to Life Than This which Tramp once again produced himself but relied on producer/engineer Flemming Rasmussen (Metallica) to engineer and mix the sessions in his very own Sweet Silence Studios^[8]. The album titled track "More to Life Than This" was released as a single for the album.^[9]

Also in 2003 Tramp released the double disc live album Rock n' Roll Alive which featured Tramp performing White Lion, Freak of Nature and solo tracks live. In 2004 Tramp released the album Songs I Left Behind.

The new White Lion[link]

Tramp also reformed White Lion with a new line up under the name "Tramp's White Lion" (aka White Lion II) due to legal issues with former members. The band played and re-recorded White Lion songs. TWL toured during 2005 and released a double-live CD entitled Rocking the USA.

In 2006 Tramp's White Lion toured Europe in November and December with British band Crimes of Passion. In 2007 a White Lion compilation The Definitive Rock Collection was released and the band was set for a summer tour with Poison and Ratt only to be dropped by the tour promoter after ex-White Lion guitarist Vito Bratta threatened to take legal action over the band name^[10]. Eventually Tramp was able to use the original band name again.

White Lion recorded a new studio album called Return of the Pride, which was released on March 14, 2008. The band was now once again simply known as White Lion^[11].

Recent Activities[link]

In October 2009, Mike Tramp released a new solo studio album titled Mike Tramp & The Rock 'N' Roll Circuz which was also now the name of his solo band. The album hit the IFPI, Denmark's official top 40 hitlist albums' at number 16.^[12] On November 13, 2010.

Mike Tramp and the Rock'n'Roll Circuz released a new single "Hymn To Ronnie," a tribute song to former Heaven & Hell and Black Sabbath vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who died on May 16, 2010 after a six-month long battle with stomach cancer.

The latest album Stand Your Ground was released in April 2011 featuring the single "Distance" and the Ronnie James Dio tribute "Hyme to Ronnie".

Personal life[link]

Tramp is married to Indonesian actress Ayu Azhari, with whom he has two children: Isabelle and Lennon. Tramp also has a third child, his son Dylan, from a previous relationship with Fleur Thiemeyer. Dylan resides in Australia with his mother.

Discography[link]

With Studs[link]

• Studs (1981)

With White Lion[link]

• Fight to Survive (1985)
• Pride (1987)
• Big Game (1989)
• Mane Attraction (1991)
• The Best of White Lion (1992)
• Remembering White Lion (New versions) (1999 and re-released as Last Roar in 2004)
• Rocking The USA (live double album) (2005)
• Anthology 83-89 (Demos) (2006)
• The Definitive Rock Collection (2007)
• Return of the Pride (2008)

With Freak of Nature[link]

• Freak of Nature (1993)
• Gathering of Freaks (1994)
• Outcasts (1998)

Solo[link]

• Capricorn (1997)^[13]
• Recovering the Wasted Years (2002)
• More to Life Than This (2003)
• Rock 'n' Roll Alive (live double album) (2003)
• Songs I Left Behind (2004)

With Mike Tramp & The Rock 'N' Roll Circuz[link]

• Mike Tramp & The Rock 'N' Roll Circuz (2009)
• Stand Your Ground (2011)

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mike Tramp's Website
• Mike Tramp's Myspace
• The Mike Tramp Fansite
• The White Lion Fansite
• Interview with Mike on Anarchy Music
• Mabel discography and pictures
• His page at Allmusic

National Zoo & Aquarium, Australia.

White Lion - Bratislava Zoo, Slovakia.

Adolescent white lion in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

White lion in Belgrade Zoo, Serbia.

The white lion is occasionally found in wildlife reserves in South Africa and is a rare colour mutation of the Kruger subspecies of lion (Panthera leo krugeri). It has been perpetuated by selective breeding in zoos around the world. White lions are not yet a separate subspecies and they have been said to be indigenous to the Timbavati region of South Africa for centuries, although the earliest recorded sighting in this region was 1938. Regarded as divine by locals,^[1] white lions first came to public attention in the 1970s in Chris McBride's book The White Lions of Timbavati. Up until 2009, when the first pride of white lions was reintroduced to the wild, it was widely believed that the white lion could not survive in the wild. It is for this reason that, now, a large part of the population of white lions are in zoos. Another large part, however, are bred in camps, for canned hunting trophies.

It is hard to determine exactly how many white lions there are today, because they are held in captive breeding and hunting operations which don't keep adequate records. Based on available evidence, The Global White Lion Protection Trust estimate there are 500 White Lions world-wide.^[2]

White lions are not albinos. Their white colour is caused by a recessive gene known as the chutiya or color inhibitor gene, distinct from the albinism gene. They vary from blonde through near-white. This coloration, however, does not appear to disadvantage their survival. The white lions of the Global White Lion Protection Trust (GWLPT) have been reintroduced into their natural habitat and have been hunting and breeding successfully without human intervention for a significant amount of time. White lions in South Africa are currently being bred almost exclusively for hunting, but Linda Tucker (the founder of GWLP] and author of The Mystery of the White Lions) and her team are trying to change the South African hunting laws.^{[clarification needed]}

Breeding white lions[link]

The chinchilla mutation, a recessive gene, gives white lions their unusual colors. A similar gene also produces white tigers. White lions can therefore be selectively bred for zoos, animal shows and wildlife park. Such breeding involves inbreeding of close relatives and can result in inbreeding depression (genetic defects, reduced fertility, and physical defects) although this has not yet been recorded in white lions in zoos as it has been in white tigers. According to Tucker, white lions in canned hunt camps have been found to have hind-limb paralysis and serious heart defects, indicating a severe level of inbreeding involved in mass-production although they are rare in the wild. People are concerned about the White Lions mating with other lions of other alleles, because of possible extinction of the white lion. However, this is not valid as the offspring will inherit the white gene and therefore make it possible to produce white offspring in a later generation. Some critics maintain that white lions should not be introduced in to the wild because of the inbreeding that has taken place over zoos and breeding camps. However, ethical reintroduction programs such as The Global White Lion Protection Trust have ensured through the use of scientific methodologies that the lions in their program are not inbred.

White Lion cub at Kromdraai, South Africa

Kruger and Umfolozi white lions[link]

In 1979, three litters containing white lions were recorded in Kruger National Park. In March, a female lion with three white cubs was observed near Tshokwane. In September, three white cubs (from two different lionesses) were seen. Another litter of white female cubs was captured from Kruger National Park and treated for sarcoptic mange. A white lion was observed in the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in Zululand.

White lions of unknown ancestry[link]

• A white lion breeding program is currently underway at Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape province.
• Four white lion cubs were born at the Papanack Park Zoo outside Ottawa, but did not resub-adults have since been released into the main reserve with the other tawny lions. Queen has since given birth to a further 3 white lion cubs. Continuous monitoring by the Wildlife Department at Sanbona has ensured their white lions are still wild, well, and free.

Jurques Zoo in France[link]

In May 2007 four white lion cubs were born at Jurques Zoo in France. The cubs consisted of one male and three females. Each cub weighed approximately 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) at birth, and all four were in good health. However, they needed to be hand fed because their mother was not taking proper care of them.

Belgrade Zoo in Serbia[link]

Belgrade zoo in Serbia has 12 white lions. In 2010 four were born by two female lions, each of weight about 1.5kg (3.3 pounds).^[3] Four new white lions were born in April 2011.^[4] The zoo was awarded in 2009 for its professional care for animals.

West Midland Safari Park[link]

In 2004 West Midland Safari Park had 4 white lions arrive at the park the only white lions in the UK and they settled into the Kingdom of the White Lion exhibit at the park very well, 4 years later one lioness had 4 cubs in the space of 9 hours, Doubling the total of the 4 to 8 in the UK. The pride at the Park in Worcestershire are they only pride of white lion in the UK and are breeding very well.

Genetics[link]

White lions are not albinos but are leucistic. They have pigment visible in the eyes (which may be the normal hazel or golden color, blue-gray, or green-gray), paw pads and lips. Blue-eyed white lions exist and may be selectively bred. The leucistic trait is due to the chinchilla mutation that inhibits the deposition of pigment along the hair shaft, restricting it to the tips. The less pigment there is along the hair shaft, the paler the lion. As a result "white" lions range from blonde through to near white. The males have pale manes and tail tips instead of the usual dark tawny or black. The Latin name of Panthera leo krugeri is not limited to white lions. It applies to all South African lion subspecies; the prides of which are mostly located in Kruger National Park and nearby game reserves.

White specimens usually have a yellowish-brown or golden eye color which is very similar to their tawny cousins, though some have bluish coloring like the white tiger.

Belgrade Zoo has become known as a center of natural reproduction of white lions. The first specimen arrived in 2005 and Belgrade became the first zoo in Europe to have the rare animals.^{[citation needed]}

Six years later, the "Garden of Good Hope," boasts that in his area currently has ten white lions.^{[citation needed]}

In the wild within their natural endemic range[link]

In 2003, the Global White Lion Protection Trust (WLT) initiated the first ever reintroduction of white lions to their natural endemic range - the Greater Timbavati region in South Africa. Preliminary results have shown that the hunting success of the white lion pride was comparable to or higher than the wild prides ('normal' coloured / tawny) of the Timbavati itself (Turner 2005, Turner in prep.). This pride of "all" white lions has shattered the misperception that white lions cannot hunt successfully (within their natural endemic habitat) due to a perceived lack of camouflage. The long-term objective of the WLT is to restore the natural balance by reintroducing an integrated pride/s of white and tawny lions within their endemic range. White lions are a unique contribution to the biodiversity of the region and are revered by the local communities that hold them sacred.^[5]

See also[link]

• Kimba the White Lion

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: White lions

• Global White Lion Protection Trust
• West Midland Safari Park - Kingdom Of The White Lions
• Volunteer Work with White Lions South Africa
• Article regarding the reintroduction of White Lions
• White Lions - History, Mythology and Geneticshe:עברית

Little Fighter (simplified Chinese: 小朋友齐打交; traditional Chinese: 小朋友齊打交; pinyin: Xiǎo Péng Yǒu Jì Dǎ Jiāo) is a multiplayer beat 'em up game designed and developed by Marti Wong and released in 1997. In this game, the player can choose to be one of 11 characters. Each character has 3 special moves and then the player participate in an all out fight. The game allows for one on one matches, team matches or elimination tournament matches. There is up to 8 fighters simultaneously on screen controlled by up to 3 human players. The most recent version has online playing capabilities.^[1]

Characters[link]

The following characters are playable:

• Davis: A fighter with an uppercut attack.
• Dennis: A fighter with a spinning kick attack.
• Woody: A fighter with a leaping ranged attack.
• Deep: A swordsman specialising in close-range attacks.
• Henry: An archer specialising in long-ranged attacks.
• Firen: A fire user who can torch multiple opponents at once.
• Freeze: An ice user who can temporarily freeze opponents.
• John: A magician which can create energy disks.
• Rudolph: A ninja which can throw shurikens and turn invisible.
• Louis: A fighter with a force wave attack.
• Julian: A demon, the strongest character in the game (press F1 to unlock).

Sequels[link]

In 2002, Marti Wong collaborated with Starsky Wong to release an expanded sequel: Little Fighter 2. In 2005, Marti Wong collaborated with Oscar Chu, to release the MMO sequel. Little Fighter Online.

References[link]