"Queen of Flowers and Pearls": A Performance by Gabriella Ghermandi

Gabriella Ghermandi is an Ethiopian-Italian singer, performer, novelist, and short-story writer.  Her performance “Queen of Flowers and Pearls” is a powerful and intimate narrative that weaves together personal history, literature, and music. Rooted in her autobiographical novel, the performance explores the legacy of Italian colonialism in Ethiopia, as experienced by her maternal family, and recounts the journey of Mahlet, a young Ethiopian girl who promises to carry her people's stories to the land of the Italians. Blending excerpts from the novel with traditional Ethiopian songs, Ghermandi delivers a moving and accessible account of cross-cultural identity, memory, and resistance. 

A special thank you to our cultural partner, the Italian Cultural Institute of LA. This event is part of the program for the 25th annual Week of the Italian Language in the World, which this year has the theme Italofonia: language beyond borders.