Peter Bence, a Hungarian composer and producer, has become a viral sensation with his creative covers of Michael Jackson, Queen, Sia, and Beatles, amassing over 1.1 million followers on YouTube. He has toured the globe, playing in more than 40 countries across four continents.
One of his most popular performances is his reimagining of "Africa" by Toto, which has garnered over 19 million views on YouTube. People were blown away by Bence's impressive rendition of the classic 80s song.
As the video caption says, "Toto x Peter Bence = Africa Piano Symphony." Indeed.
Here's what some viewers had to say:
- "I’m so glad to watch and see a fellow musician, that enjoys the music deep down. Excellent playing man!"
- "So fluid. The piano is an extension of your whole body. Amazing."
- "I don't think I've ever seen anyone has so much fun playing the piano. You're not just terrifically talented, I love the creativity."
- "Brilliant! Loved it. It made me think what would J S Bach have done with looping on a piano/harpsichord?"
- "Mesmerizing! He became the music and the music became him."
- "Are you kidding me!!!! This cover is incredible. Still listening to it, years after I discovered it."
- "I return to this regularly, it's absolute witchcraft levels of genius. This level of talent isn't written in any handbook, it's completely unworldly."
- "I love how PB plays a piano worth more than my house in his bare feet like it's an actual extension of his body. Pure brilliance."
The Awesome Piano (Acoustic Version) - Peter Bence
The Unique Performance
His performance of “Africa'' is unique because it opens with him creating a rhythm track and looping it by strategically tapping the piano and rubbing its strings to create the sound of shakers and conga drums. The video eventually becomes rapturous, with Bence making the piano sound like an entire orchestra. Peter Bence plays the entire piano, and he does it barefoot.
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A Musical Prodigy
If it seems like Bence was born to do this, that appears to be accurate. Peter Bence was considered a musical prodigy as a child. Showing serious interest and talent, he soon began his musical education at 4 in the local music school of his hometown, Hajduboszormeny in Hungary.
He was considered a musical prodigy by teachers and peers, and was already accepted at Franz Liszt University of Music in Debrecen, despite he was still being enrolled at elementary school. At 7 he wrote his first composition, which was heavily influenced by the music of Mozart and Chopin, and at 11 he published his first solo piano album of his early compositions.
So yeah. The guy has had piano chops since toddlerhood, and he's made the instrument his own with unique, edgy pieces like this one. It’s a stirring piece of music that’s beautifully arranged with an anthemic chorus. However, the lyrics aren’t that accurate.
The song’s author, Toto keyboardist Jeff Pocaro, describes it as: “A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he's never been there, he can only tell what he's seen on TV or remembers in the past.” Nevertheless, the song is an iconic tune that captures a specific spirit of the early ‘80s when the world turned its focus to Africa.
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tags: #Africa
