Italy is his home, he stresses, but he would like to see less distrust of migrants. Omar Sall is a tall, thin young man sporting a Brooklyn Nets baseball cap, He is visibly shy, except when rapping. Omar's mother came to Italy seeking a future for her and for her 12 children. "She built two homes with her work and managed to bring four of her children to Italy. She did it. She is a woman who serves as a role model," he said. "Omarito, " as he is fondly called, told ANSA that his mother initially earned money in Italy as a street vendor. "I did not yet have documents and she had to bring me with her in a silk bundle to get past airport checks." He now lives in the Cosenza province in Calabria. "I completed my studies there and played volleyball for 10 years. I have stopped now because I want to devote my time to my musical career," he said. A childhood in search of integration Omar's childhood was difficult. He was adopted by an Italian family since his mother could not take care of him. "This helped me integrate," he told ANSA. That said, he noted, "It was even harder than now, since I was the only black boy at school. It's not like that any longer. I managed to integrate because I found people with good hearts.'' However, he did have some negative experiences: "I think this happens to everyone. When you speak about immigration in Italy, you always think about something harmful and not as something that can enrich the country's culture." Omar said he truly felt at home in Italy on his 18th birthday, which was "one of the most beautiful moments" in his life. "All my friends and classmates were with me. I felt integrated and as if I had achieved something," he said. Life's trying experiences One of the most difficult moments in Omar's life was when he lost his brother to one of the huge number of shipwrecks of migrant boats trying to cross the sea to Europe. "I was 13 years old then. He was trying to get to Mallorca in a makeshift boat and died during the journey," Omar said. "It was difficult and I felt powerless. I couldn't change things and I couldn't change the view of Europeans on the issue of migration. I thought that everything I was doing of any good was falling apart. I lost every certainty that I had." Strength in words and music Omar found the strength to overcome his brother's death through music: "In Senegal, we say that every person is the cure for another.  Something as simple as a bit of advice could have changed my brother's story. Rap is rhythm and poetry born in West Africa. My brother's death gave me the strength to speak." His "Feeling Blue" music project was inspired by daily problems. ''The songs reflect my personal journey. The message is to tell young people to integrate as best as they can and to speak, because words are important. Feeling oppressed at times is negative energy that can be transformed into strength to do new things.'' Grateful to Italy but would like less distrust Omar is a de facto Italian but has not yet obtained citizenship. ''I would like to thank Italy for how it welcomes migrants. It is not true that they are all skeptics, and many Africans have integrated well. When you escape from your land and you try to get the most from your life, you certainly don't do this steal from someone. Get rid of those stereotypes, and let's try to be more 'metropolitan','' he said.

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