A choir based in Los Angeles has captured the internet’s heart and imagination with their unique rendition of Toto’s hit song, “Africa”. The Angel City Chorale comprises 160 performers who have made such a delightful cover that’s definitely impossible to forget. And while their vocals are undeniably outstanding, it was actually their hands and feet that have immediately gotten everyone’s attention. They had this incredible idea of imitating a thunderstorm without using their voices. Instead, they’ve perfectly recreated such sounds by stomping their feet, rubbing their hands together almost looking like controlled claps, and snapping their fingers on the beat.
That’s right! With nothing but just those pairs of hands and feet, they were able to simulate such a realistic impression of an incoming thunderstorm that you’d surely mistake for the real thing with your eyes closed. It all started with the gentle first drops that slowly turned into much steadier pitter-patters. After a few moments, the symphony then turned into a heavier downpour complete with thunder sounds in the background. And this uncanny lifelike crescendo of a rainstorm is just the start of the show. Finally, after two minutes of this breathtaking take of nature, they have broken into the vocal performance ever seamlessly and they surely did not disappoint.
After such an exhilarating start, they continued to sing the song with all their hearts. It was so riveting, drawing millions of viewers to the video. If you love this song, you probably know it is about David Paich’s fascination with the landscape and beauty of Africa. He was so moved by the place that he was able to make the song without having set foot in the continent ever. Now, not only did the song give homage to the place’s magnificence but also to the greatness of something as understated as the rain. And I think that’s truly beautiful.
Watch the video now and see for yourself! Also, you might want to use your headphones for some extra effect.
The chorale also made sure not to take all the credit for their amazing performance. They’ve acknowledged that such expert choreography is actually in reference to the 2008 rendition of the song by a Slovenian vocal group called Perpetuum Jazzile.
