Cultural Appropriation be damned!

No one expected this.

Innocent Masuku stands before the judges to try out for Britain's Got Talent and tells about himself. A South African man now living in London. His girl sits in the audience looking on. "That's my fiance," she shares with the man next to her. He's going to sing for the judges. "Are you ready," he says. Then he opens his mouth to sing, and out comes,

Un uomo abbraccia una ragazza,
Dopo che aveva pianto
E ricomincia il canto,
Te voglio bene assai
Ma tanto, tanto bene, sai...

Italian. Italian OPERA! "Caruso"...one of the most beautiful operatic choices he could make. And he not only sings it, but he COMMANDS the stage, with the fierce passion on his face that opera demands. And everyone stands amazed, mouths agape, because they didn't expect to see a brown man from South Africa singing opera.....let alone sing it soooo welllllll!

A man embraces a girl
After he cried
And the singing begins again
I love you very much
But so, so good, you know

It doesn't matter what culture you're from or how much melanin in your skin, THIS man is "Every Man" who has ever loved a woman "so, so good, you know." This is why I disdain the epithet some people inevitably shout, "CULTURAL APPROPRIATION!" Cultural appropriation be damned! Who "owns" the music as if to say "You can't sing it!" Who "owns" the language as if to demand, "You can't speak it!" No one!

There is one lone Italian man on the panel of judges. Bruno Tanioli. Watch him in the video. When Innocent breathes out his first Italian words Bruno SPRINGS to the edge of his seat, his face stunned, his eyes almost disbelieving what he is hearing. As Innocent builds to the crescendo, Bruno mouths the song with him word for word, waiting to see. Would Innocent hit the notes of the famous refrain? And then it comes, with all the power and skill of a virtuoso...."Te voglio bene assai! Ma tanto, tanto bene, sai..." Bruno LEAPS to his feet, throws his arms up and his chest out in a triumphant, "AHHHHHHHHH!" fully embracing the mastery of the performer before him. THAT my friend, is a true Italian response! Spontaneous overt rapture! "AHHHHHHHH YESSSSSS! SING IT MY FRIEND!" It does not matter that you don't fit the "expected" description! Put it on! And celebrate the beauty of something different, that the world does not expect!  Wear it, Innocent! You wear it well, my friend! - by Susan Parlato Revels

Check out this marvelous video online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3lohRXjUCc