Italian pop singer, Matteo Markus Bok, whose stage name is Teo Bok, visited Pali South on Monday, Oct. 6. Students congregated on the blacktop during second period for a performance by the Italian singer and songwriter. 

The Italian Consulate of Los Angeles frequently organizes cultural events to educate students on Italian heritage and traditions. This event was a collaboration between the consulate and Pali’s Italian Student Union (ISU). 

Advanced Placement Italian Language teacher and faculty advisor of ISU, Arianna Strippoli, explained that her club is constantly pursuing Italian professionals to expose Pali students to aspects of Italian culture. 

“Anytime there is an opportunity for someone to showcase Italian culture, I’m always going for it,” Strippoli said.

Bok explained how he started his career when he was nine-years-old, performing in musicals and at school tours. He had previously reached out to other Italian consulates to coordinate performances at schools like Pali. Bok described what inspired him to pursue music.

“My objective is simply to make these teens, these people around the world, feel less lonely while they’re going through emotions in their life,” Bok said.

Bok explained that his songs reflect personal experiences that he hopes others can connect with.

“I really do hope that maybe a song that talks, for example, about my father’s abandonment is going to make someone else feel a little less lonely through this emotion,” Bok said.

Students either reserved a spot to watch the performance or were brought by their teachers. Bok’s performance was followed by a question and answer session, which gave students a chance to learn more about Italian culture and Bok’s experiences.

Senior Maria Knierim, one of the concert’s attendees, expressed her appreciation for the event.

“It’s super exciting that we are able to get these events organized and have people that are successful come and talk to us,” Knierim said. “It’s really cool that Pali is investing the time in cultural pride celebrations.”

Knierim reflected on the sentiments she took away from this concert.

“Seeing how every single one of his songs came from his own experiences was really eye opening,” she explained. “It made me believe that music is a lot more authentic than I actually thought.”

Bok concluded the concert by sharing what he hopes students will gain from his performance. 

“I really hope that the kids from Pali High connect with my story, my life, my music and that they manage to make it their own.”