Man playing piano on the streets of Paris is joined by a passerby for an impromptu duet
Dotan Negrin swears the moment was completely spontaneous.
The pianist who quit his job to travel the world playing his upright piano in unexpected places was in Paris back in 2015 playing a jazz number when a man came up behind him and asked to join in.
Negrin replies “Yeah!” with a big smile.
Only later on did he realized that man was Frans Bak, a film composer from Denmark.
You never know who you’re going to come across on the streets of Paris!
Pedestrians and al fresco diners alike in the vicinity were charmed by the music, both before and after Bak joined in.
And that’s something Negrin is no doubt used to.
With over 63,000 followers on Instagram and fans around the world who may not even know his name, the performer has traveled all around the world, living out of his van for the last 6 years and visiting over 500 cities just to entertain people!
Of course, commenters thought the witnesses to this great musical moment could have done more to show their appreciation.
“How, just, how can people walk by without even caring? Why are there some much people without feeling?” asked one man.
But, c’mon, it’s Paris! Amazing things happen on the street there all the time.
Of course, the beauty of YouTube is that even if a performance isn’t given the kudos it deserves in the moment, it can live online forever, potentially gaining an audience of millions. And that’s precisely what Negrin’s video did.
Since it was posted in December of 2015, it’s accumulated over 4 MILLION views.
Many called it the best improvisation they’ve ever heard and Negrin had to assure people over and over again that the two met in that very moment and none of this was scripted.
Of course, the two men got to know each other after that and the caption to the video now includes links to 5 more duets with Bak.
What a way to make a new friend!
Fellow musicians were drawn to the video as well and many wanted to learn the catchy tune. Negrin generously linked to the sheet music for anyone who wanted to play it themselves.
These days he’s back at his home base in New York City but still playing frequently. He’s even taken his piano on the subway!
View this post on InstagramI couldn’t fit it in the Uber so I took it on the train… good times! 📸 @ricardokuettel
Altogether, Negrin has posted around 200 videos to his YouTube channel in the last 6 years.
And in that time, there have been plenty of spontaneous moments, from breakdancing to singing.
We can only hope to catch a surprise show on the streets someday when it’s safe to travel again!
In the meantime, anyone interested can pay what they want to listen to Negrin’s CD at the PianoAround website. It has 12 tracks and will no doubt keep you entertained until the next time you encounter an impromptu street piano performance.
Be sure to scroll down below to see the charming video for yourself and marvel at how two great musicians can accommodate each other’s styles so well right off the bat.
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Source: Dotan Negrin – PianoAround via YouTube, @pianoaround via Instagram, PianoAround