海角大神

In recent weeks, American singer Jennifer Grout, the first non-Arab to compete in a popular television show, Arabs鈥� Got Talent, has acquired a fan base in the region. The novelty of a blonde-haired, Bostonian who croons classical songs in Arabic鈥搚et barely speaks the language鈥揾as also gotten her attention at home from news media.聽聽

When she took the stage on Saturday night in Beirut in the show鈥檚 final episode, fans cheered and posted words of support online. But she polled second, beaten by a Syrian dance troupe that pulled off its own East-meets-West m茅lange to a British electronic dance song.

Speaking before the show, Ms. Grout, a classical music student, said she was thrilled by the varied reactions to her participation in the Arab equivalent of America鈥檚 Got Talent.

鈥淚n the Arab world, I鈥檝e had a diverse reaction. Most people are really happy that I鈥檓 embracing Arab culture and I鈥檓 singing this music,鈥欌�� says Grout. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been some reaction like, 鈥極h, why didn鈥檛 I go to America鈥檚 Got Talent if I鈥檓 American?鈥� The reality is I wanted to perform the music that I love for an audience that loves and appreciates it.鈥�

And Arab audiences did. Ms. Grout won votes from across the Middle East in the show鈥檚 qualifying rounds, earning her a place in the finals last night. 聽

鈥淚 was actually surprised she made it to the finals,鈥� said Rawya Diab who works for MBC, the network that produces the show. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 think so many Arabs would vote for an non- Arab, but the voters surprised us. She was huge. People loved her.鈥�

In previous seasons, non-Arabs raised in the Arab world had auditioned but the producers barred them from participating, arguing that their acts did not have a sufficiently local flavor. This was the show's third season. 聽 聽聽

鈥淏ut Jennifer sings Arabic better than any Arab person I鈥檝e seen鈥�and she sings the classical Arabic music, not the pop you hear everyday on the radio,鈥� says Ms. Diab.

In the end, Ms. Grout placed second to Syrian troupe, Sima, who performed a contemporary dance to the beat of The Prodigy鈥檚 鈥淪mack My Bitch Up.鈥�

It is not uncommon for contestants on the show to perform to music from the West. It reflects a largely one-way cultural flow: European and American music, TV, and movies is adapted and consumed in the Arab world, but not vice versa.

Inspired by Lebanese diva

Ms. Grout is an exception. After stumbling across the work of Lebanese singer Fayrouz, she started learning her songs before she could even speak the Arabic language. At the time she was studying classical singing and opera at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

鈥淢y friends at McGill knew I had this passion and they were always rolling their eyes, same with my voice teacher. She wanted me to pursue opera,鈥� recalls Ms. Grout. Now, she is receiving positive feedback from old colleagues and being exposed to mainstream audiences in America, breaking a different cultural barrier.

鈥淚 was on Good Morning America last week. I don鈥檛 think anything about Arabic music would have been on that show if I wasn鈥檛 American,鈥� said Grout. 鈥淭his music is amazing and should be known.鈥�

Diab, the TV producer, says representations in foreign media of Arabic art and culture are far outnumbered by images of violence, revolution, and nomads in the desert. Grout鈥檚 overnight fame might just start to shift that view, she says.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a good way for the West to see about Arabs鈥攁bout our music and our culture. Not just us learning about their music and their pop culture."