All-American girl with very 'Arab' voice may win 'Arabs Got Talent'
Beirut (CNN) -- When all-American girl Jennifer Grout first stepped on stage to audition, nobody could have anticipated how this 2...
http://elem2015.blogspot.com/2013/12/all-american-girl-with-very-arab-voice.html
Beirut (CNN) -- When all-American girl Jennifer Grout first stepped on stage to audition, nobody could have anticipated how this 23-year-old from Massachusetts would take the Middle East by storm.
Now, she may very well win "Arabs Got Talent," one of the biggest televised talent contests in the region.
During her debut appearance, she looked so out of place that many thought she'd flop altogether.
"It was nerve-racking," Grout said, "because I came on stage and I didn't understand."
Arab Idol winner goes on U.S. tour
The show's judges were
questioning her in Arabic and Grout had great difficulty following --
making for some very awkward moments.
But then she started
strumming her oud, a traditional Arabic musical instrument, and the mood
began to shift. She belted out a classic Arabic song. That's when her
life changed.
The American novice had
chosen to cover an Egyptian diva, legendary songstress Um Kulthoum -- so
revered throughout the region that many Arabic singers would be too
intimidated to make such an attempt.
"When I'm performing, I'm in a different element," said Grout. "So at that point I wasn't scared."
To everyone's surprise, her rendition of the classic "Baeed Annak (Far From You)" was a huge hit.
"When I finished,
everyone was just shocked," explained Grout. "Actually when the judges
were giving their comments after my performance I didn't understand them
either."
She wasn't the only one
confused. Fans of the show wondered how a young foreigner, who barely
spoke Arabic, could sing it so well.
'Her voice just spoke to me'
It was just three years
ago when Grout, who'd spent most of her life studying classical music
and opera, first encountered another grand dame of Arabic music. She was
studying at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, at the time.
"I came across an
article online about the famous Lebanese singer Fairouz and I was just
really mesmerized by her singing," she remembers. "It was like nothing I
had heard before."
Once she discovered Um Kulthoum, her attention turned eastward.
"Well her music is the
best and her voice just spoke to me," said Grout admiringly. "Her music
is just so deep and it touches my soul."
She began studying
Arabic and learning how to play the oud. After college, she moved to
Morocco, where she learned local Berber music and began performing in
Marrakesh's Jemaa el Fnaa Square.
Now, life is completely
different. With her appearances on "Arabs Got Talent," Grout's become
very popular -- but she hasn't only made fans. Critics have slammed her,
asking why an American should be allowed to compete on a reality show
for Arabs.
Her performance of
Syrian singer Asmahan's "Ya Toyour (Oh Birds)" got her through to the
finals. Famous Lebanese singer Najwa Karam, one of the show's judges and
a supporter of Grout, faced criticism when she voted for the American
over an Arab group of contestants.
Break with tradition
Some have even suggested
Grout, the first non-Arab contestant to compete on the show, isn't even
really American, latching on to her very distinct accent in an attempt
to prove it.
She laughs off such claims.
"Ever since I was
younger, I've had a different way of speaking," she said. "I remember
when I was a kid growing up in Boston -- my parents had a Vermont
accent. I actually tried to pick up a Boston accent at one point because
I thought it was cool. And then I came home and my parents were, like,
'why are you speaking like that?'"
Grout says she's taking it all in her stride.
"I like my accent. I
like the fact that it's unique and I think it's narrow-minded to believe
that just because you're from a certain place, you have to speak a
certain way. Because people lean and people change and people travel,
and things about them change all the time. Why does that not include
accents?"
Grout has become a sensation by singing the most unexpected of songs.
It's not just that she
chose traditional songs, it's also that she broke with tradition when
doing so. At a time when more and more Middle Eastern musicians are
borrowing Western sounds and styles, this American decided to cross
musical cultures and defy cultural expectations.
"I'm really happy
because this music is so special for me, but it doesn't really get much
acknowledgment in the West," she said. "And I feel like I'm bringing a
new audience and almost giving the music the justice it deserves."
The finals take place
Saturday night in Beirut, broadcast live by the MBC network. The winner
will be announced on the same night -- could it be the girl from
Massachusetts?