Want another reason to learn ASL? Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s 2020 track “WAP” is definitely an irrefutable hit that has produced shock waves across the entertainment industry with its racy lyrics and images. On July 2021, an interpreter named Kelly Kurdi went viral soon after interpreting the astounding song in American Sign Language (ASL) to compliment rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s overall performance.
Kelly’s ASL presentation came about throughout Megan’s Lollapalooza set. Lollapalooza is usually a four-day music festival hosted each year in Chicago’s Grant Park. Megan Thee Stallion’s performance of WAP at the festival also went viral. Having said that, the person who stole the show that day was Kelly, the interpreter, who signed the song’s lyrics with great sentiment and swiftness. Since then, she has become a nationwide and international sensation through enormous social media and television coverage.
Kelly Kurdi: Promoter of ASL Instruction and Learning ASL
Kelly is mostly a freelance ASL interpreter who lives in the Greater Houston, Texas, area. As of now, she's got more than 71,000 followers on Instagram. And even though Kelly doesn’t teach sign language herself, she vigorously promotes individuals who actually do. Kelly furthermore belongs to a team of ASL music interpreters called Amber Galloway Gallego’s Music Family. Collectively, the group has appeared on MTV, Jimmy Kimmel Live, CNN, plus several other popular channels and shows.
Music Interpreting is Kelly’s Specialty
Kelly is also a co-founder of ASL Music Camp, which strives to “train Deaf, Hard-of-hearing, and hearing interpreters to turn into professionals in the area of music interpretation.” The camp was initiated by Kelly and fellow music interpreters Rocco Lauricella and Amber Galloway Gallego, in conjunction with a Deaf videographer and graphic designer. At the camp, the interpreters work with a team of Deaf artists, which is actually a good way to learn ASL quickly.
Kelly is an Advocate for Learning ASL, Teaching ASL, and Interpreting ASL
Despite the fact that she does not teach sign language herself, Kelly utilizes her social network influence within a massive number of followers to advertise individuals who do.
The amount of her social media supporters continues to grow each day. Plus Kelly continues dedicating her content to many people eager to learn ASL and other ASL interpreters who have developed change for the Deaf community. When Kelly’s performance has gone viral on TikTok, people were astonished at the degree of work that goes into interpreting a thrilling and high-energy show like Megan Thee Stallion’s set at Lollapalooza.
Guilherme Vital Senise da Silva, the individual who shot the viral video, wishes that people can see Kelly’s performance as a good stepping-stone to better learn ASL as well as the culture that encompasses it. On her own social media accounts, Kelly acknowledges her new supporters and inspires them to take a look at many other online influencers who posts content for and about the Deaf community and, undoubtedly, invest time to learn ASL at the soonest possible time.
ASL Interpreters at Concerts Have Amazing Benefits
Around the world, music binds people collectively as it conveys elemental tales, teaches about emotional intelligence, and bolsters a sense of togetherness. Many people know about signing from events like the Super Bowl, in which a sign language interpreter can be viewed carrying out the US national anthem along with a pop star. During such moments, Deaf viewers may be able to much more fully identify with the tunes being performed and actually feel more included than if no interpreter were provided. As sign language music videos grow in number on YouTube, they generate comments from Deaf people, allowing a much wider audience to learn ASL.
At the same time, when an ASL interpreter performs at a musical event, all of the audience members, which include the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing, are guaranteed to undertake a good time. In conclusion, the presence of interpreters helps to cultivate a sensation of inclusivity among all concert attendees. This relates to one of music’s elemental functions - raising the feeling of camaraderie while at the same time inspiring the hearing to learn ASL.