Hearing God in ‘The Voice’ of the people

ROME — Ursuline Sister Cristina Scuccia nailed it again last night with her rendition of Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What a feeling.” As you can see in the screengrab above, she stood before an opening backdrop that looked quite similar to this and this.

Viewers of last night’s live show voted for her to continue on to the final rounds on “The Voice of Italy.”

 

Her coach, rap-artist J-Ax, wanted her to do that particular song because, he said, it shows that it’s “a beautiful feeling to believe.”

Before she stepped on stage, Sister Cristina told the cameras (in her pre-taped “backstory”) that she had no idea she would be such a hit.

But she credits each of her successive victories on the TV talent show series “is because he (God) wants it that way…The voice of the people is the voice of God.”

She continues to win the hearts of the public around the world, the show’s judges and the studio audience. A group of fans had #SisterAx t-shirts made — a play on the “Sister Act” movie and Sister Cristina being on #TeamJAx.”

She has said she is using her singing talent and the televised venue to evangelize and to show the world that “God doesn’t take anything away [from you], rather he gives us even more! I’m came here for this reason!”

J-Ax was once again moved to tears by her performance and praised her discipline and hard work.

Responding to online criticisms of her singing abilities, he said talent and “skill is also knowing how to work with the limits life has given you,” adding that Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash had very limited vocal ranges, but were still hugely talented.

Referring to the overwhelmingly positive, and also some negative reactions Sister Cristina has provoked, J-Ax said “It’s paradoxical that a 25-year-old nun can be seen as the biggest rule-breaking rebel” out there.

 

Another notable moment last night was after Sister Cristina won the vote for the next round and the M.C. wished her luck, saying the equivalent of “break a leg”  in Italian, which is, “In the mouth of the wolf” [“In bocca al lupo”].

But Sister Cristina told him the better way to wish someone well is to say, “In the arms of Jesus,” which he did!

Toward the end of the show, she also joined the stage with some of the other female contestants and Australian singer Kylie Minogue to do the star’s hit from 2001, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.”