Require one more reason to learn ASL? Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s 2020 track “WAP” is an irrefutable hit which has produced shock waves throughout the entire entertainment industry with its racy lyrics and images. In July 2021, an interpreter known as Kelly Kurdi went viral after interpreting the fabulous song in American Sign Language (ASL) to compliment rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s overall performance.
Kelly’s ASL presentation came about during 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 during the festival also has gone viral. Having said that, the individual who took the show that day was Kelly, the interpreter, who signed the song’s lyrics with wonderful emotion and speed. Since then, she has turned into a national and international sensation through enormous social media and television coverage.
Kelly Kurdi: Promoter of ASL Instruction and Learning ASL
Kelly is a freelance ASL interpreter who resides within the Greater Houston, Texas, area. Currently, she has more than 71,000 followers on Instagram. And although Kelly doesn’t teach sign language herself, she strongly encourages people who actually do. Kelly furthermore belongs to a group of ASL music interpreters known as Amber Galloway Gallego’s Music Family. Together, the team has made an appearance on MTV, Jimmy Kimmel Live, CNN, and several other well-known shows and channels.
Music Interpreting is Kelly’s Specialty
Kelly is a co-founder of ASL Music Camp, which seeks to “train Deaf, Hard-of-hearing, and hearing interpreters to turn into professionals in the area of music interpretation.” The camp was started by Kelly and fellow music interpreters Rocco Lauricella and Amber Galloway Gallego, together with a Deaf videographer and graphic designer. At the camp grounds, the interpreters work with a group of Deaf artists, which is a good way to learn ASL quickly.
Kelly is an Advocate for Learning ASL, Teaching ASL, and Interpreting ASL
Even though she doesn’t educate sign language herself, Kelly utilizes her social network influence with a large number of fans to promote individuals who do.
The amount of her social media followers continues to grow everyday. Plus Kelly continues devoting her posts to people looking to learn ASL and other ASL interpreters who have created change to the Deaf community. When Kelly’s high performance went popular on TikTok, everyone was astonished with 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, hopes that people can see Kelly’s performance as a good stepping stone to better learn ASL and the culture that envelopes it. On her own social media accounts, Kelly appreciates her new fans and inspires them to go and visit many other online influencers who post for and about the Deaf community and, undoubtedly, invest time to learn ASL at the soonest possible time.
ASL Interpreters at Concerts Have Benefits
Around the globe, music binds communities together as it tells fundamental tales, educates about emotional intellect, and bolsters a sense of camaraderie. Many people know about signing from events such as the Super Bowl, in which a sign language interpreter can be viewed carrying out the US national anthem accompanied by a pop star. During these kinds of instances, Deaf viewers might be able to much more fully identify with the tunes being conducted and feel more included compared to if no interpreter were provided. As sign language music videos grow in number on YouTube, they generate comments from Deaf individuals, allowing a broader audience to learn ASL.
At the same time, when an ASL interpreter performs at a musical event, every one of the audience members, including the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing, are guaranteed to experience a good time. Finally, the presence of interpreters really helps to develop a sensation of inclusivity for all concert attendees. This pertains to one of music’s fundamental functions - enhancing the sense of togetherness while at the same time inspiring the hearing to learn ASL.