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Those who were expecting a stormy Grammy night were surely awakened on Sunday when, barely a few minutes into the show, Michelle Obama walked hand-and-hand with Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez. Alicia Keys, their host, joins them.
During the surprise appearance, which corresponded to a moment of feminine solidarity that the Grammy needed, Obama spoke to the crowd as she burst out with applause and applause.
"All right, all right, we have a show to do," Obama said enthusiastically, wearing a loose, silvery, flickering jumpsuit, when the audience did not want to sit down.
"From the Motown records I brought on the South side to the" Who Leads the World "songs that have nurtured me over the past decade, music has always helped tell my story, and I know it's true for everyone here, "she continued. , referring to the Chicago neighborhood where she was raised.
"Whether we like country, rap or rock, music helps us share our dignity and our sorrows, our hopes and our joys. This allows us to hear each other, to invite us. Music shows us that everything is important: every story, every voice, every note, every song. Is that right, ladies? She said, so many people in the crowd stayed up.
The moment could not have come at a better time for the show. Last year, the event, which was struggling to remain relevant, was criticized by a statement by Neil Portnow, managing director of the Recording Academy. Women in music should "step up" to advance their careers, he said. Since then, the academy has changed its membership and appointment process to address the underlying issues of inequality.
On Sunday night, the women on stage with Obama explained how music gave them space to explore their identity.
"They said that I was strange, that my look, my choices, my sound, that it would not work," Lady Gaga said. "But the music told me not to listen to them. The music took my ears, my hands, my voice and my soul, and it brought me to all of you and to my little monsters that I love so much. "
Then Pinkett Smith spoke. "We express our pain, our power, our progress through music – whether we create it or we like it," she said. "But here's what I know: every voice we hear deserves to be honored and respected."
Lopez closed the segment. "Back in the Bronx, music gave me a reason to dance, from hip hop to freestyle, to pop, soul and salsa," she said. "It allowed me to stay out of the block with big scenes and even bigger screens. It reminds me of where I come from, but it also reminds me of all the places I can go. Music remains the only place where we can all feel really free. "
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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