**From The Guardian ** She is American, speaks little Arabic, and has never been to Egypt. But Jennifer Grout, 23, has wowed Middle Eastern audiences by reaching the final of Arabs Got Talent – the spin-off of the British and US shows of similar names – with a near-perfect rendition of a song by Egypts best-loved singer, Umm Kulthum. Born and raised in Boston, Grouts Arabic accent has inspired debates about whether she is merely pretending to be a westerner. Theres lots of rumours that Im not actually American, Grout said. Im very flattered by that because it means Im doing something that is … unbelievable. Whats your name? asked one of the judges, Egyptian actor Ahmed Helmy, in Arabic. Sorry? replied Grout, in English, to titters from the crowd. But after she started singing, the atmosphere changed. When I played the first line, the audience started chuckling. But I kept going, and after about 30 seconds, everyone changed their minds and started supporting me. Grout is through to the shows final on 7 December, with the judges first won over by her version of Umm Kulthums Baeed Annak, a love song that is tough even for native-speakers to master – and then Oh Birds, by Syrian singer Asmahan. You dont speak a word of Arabic, another judge, Lebanese singer Najwa Karam, told her, and yet you sing better than other singers. She is born again every morning in the heart of 120 million beings, said the actor Omar Sharif . In the east, a day without Umm Kulthum would have no colour. Umm Kulthum aficionados gave a varied reaction to Grouts unlikely interpretation of their icon. Nahla Mattar, the director of Cairos Umm Kulthum museum, said she was impressed by Grouts dedication, but argued the singer still needed a lot of deep training in Quranic recitation. So far … she is still just an American girl singing that melody. After reading an article about the Lebanese diva Fairouz, Grout was intrigued, and began singing and playing the oud in a Syrian cafe in Montreal. After graduating, she later moved to Morocco to immerse herself in its music scene, using translation websites to get a sense of each songs meaning. I have a natural ear for picking up accents, she said, but not necessarily for languages. It was after recording two CDs with local artists that a friend of a friend in Morocco suggested she audition for Arabs Got Talent. Television talent shows were never on Grouts horizon growing up in America. One of my aunts was a big fan of shows like American Idol and was always bugging me, as a 12-year-old, to sing some pop song, Grout said. But I didnt even watch those kinds of shows. Now Grout may win one – and she has already won over hearts and minds. We have always been following and imitating the west, said Najma Karam, one of the shows judges. This is the first time someone whos not related in any way to the Arab world – an American who doesnt speak the language – performs in Arabic. theguardian/tv-and-radio/2013/nov/25/american-jennifer-grout-arabs-got-talent-umm-kulthum
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 04:53:47 +0000
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