Are you one of those tourists who stop by and admire a street performer, even taking selfies
and videos of their performance, without sparing them even a single penny? Guilty!
But I bet you’ll be ashamed not to drop some bills on the hats of these
entertainers who go the distance just to wow your socks off! It’s time to meet the
10 Most Amazing Street Performers in the World! What’s up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse,
serving up your daily dose of the most outrageous, outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
The next time you’re in South Africa, make sure to look out for our number one entry, ‘coz they’re
definitely worth more than the price of admission. Prepare to be wowed!
#10 Iya Traore – Paris Kicking off our countdown is this
Guinean-born performer who first moved to Paris in 2000 in the hopes of building a career as a
soccer player. He did manage to achieve his goal when he scored a spot in football clubs
such as Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain. But what really shot him to stardom was his
mad dribbling skills as a freestyler! He was even featured in a Shakira video,
and got the chance to perform in over 40 countries worldwide! But wait, there’s more! Traore
also holds two Guinness World records—one for climbing the most steps backwards on
a ladder while controlling a football with his feet, and another for most number of leg
revolutions while balancing an urban ball! If you’re lucky enough to chance upon him
atop the Montmarte in Paris, then you might just catch him flaunting his freestyling skills near
the Sacre Coeur, undressing, and climbing a lamp post, all while balancing a football!
I wonder if the ladies are applauding his ball tricks or those washboard abs. Perhaps both.
Stay tuned because our number one pick went from busking on the street to
dominating the world stage! #9 Mauro Tori – Italy
Some street performers amaze tourists with their incredible props. Just like this Italian
performer who walks around the streets of Italy, sometimes as a prisoner inside a cage… (roll clip)
And other times as a magician who was a few tricks up his sleeve… literally! (roll clip)
But his pièce de résistance is this floating genie act that’s straight out of an Aladdin movie!
What makes his act more astonishing than your average cosplayer is that he appears to be
floating out from a huge lamp! Mauro pulls off this shining,
shimmering, splendid illusion using a sturdy foundation and a series of metal
poles connected to each other. But even if there’s no real magic here,
this genie on the streets still manages to enchant both kids and kids at heart!
Don’t you just wish you could see this trick in person someday? Robin Williams would be so proud.
#8 PipeDrumz - Germany You don’t have to own the best
instruments to create great music. You can still produce sick beats even with the most
random of things. Just ask this German performer! A musician who goes by the moniker PipeDrumz
has been hitting the right notes playing club music on the streets using…pipes!
His unique drum set consists mostly of old PVC pipes. When he pounces on the hollow tubes,
it produces unique sounds that will make you think there’s a rave party wherever he performs!
PipeDrumz has been making the rounds of city centers and music festivals in
Germany, marching to the beat of his own drum. He even put his unique spin on a Mozart classic!
Sustainable music? Now that’s my kind of jam!
#7 Silver Man – London At first glance, you’d think this guy is just
one of those usual living statue acts that are a dime a dozen in popular tourist spots… Until you
realize that this man is actually floating on air! Leveling up his living statue game is this Silver
Man from London, who’s usually spotted in the downtown area of Covent Garden. Just
look at the different tricks he pulls of whenever someone drops some change in his hat. (roll clips)
So what’s the secret to this sorcery? In this footage of him preparing for the day,
we can see that the arm holding the shovel isn’t really his arm! With the help of some stable
contraption that supports his body weight, he can easily fake his levitation. Although I’ll wager
that it still takes some serious body strength and stamina to suspend himself for long hours,
and do all those aerial acrobatics! #6 Human Transformer – Michigan
Autobots, transform and roll out! Would you believe that behind
this Bumblebee costume is a woman? Meet Joslyn Paige, who spent around 700 bucks
just to create this cool costume that enables her to walk around on two feet in robot form,
and then transform into a four-wheeler that can actually run on its wheels!
Paige rolled out her act on the streets of New Orleans. Unfortunately, the heat
of the outdoors and the warmth of her costume almost gave her a heat stroke one time. So,
she started performing along the famous Bourbon Street. However, a drunk guy once
kicked her while she was performing in her costume! Must be a Decepticon in disguise.
Joslyn eventually decided to drive up north
and set up camp at Ann Arbor in Michigan. You can’t keep a good woman down! Optimus
Prime must be so proud. #5 il Grande Piano – Italy
The Italians sure know how to put on a good show! If you’ve seen the 1988 movie “Big,” chances are
you remember the iconic scene of Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia (low-JA) playing a giant floor
piano. The actors were dancing around and stepping on the piano keys to create beautiful music.
This particular scene inspired Argentinian Manuel Benyacar
to create his own version of the interactive instrument which he called the il Grande Piano,
and gather a group of Italian-based dancers to give audiences a unique musical experience.
The group has been busy touring the world to play some of our
most well-beloved movie theme songs. Let’s see if you can name that tune!
Bravissimo! #4 Morf - London
This particular clip already got more than 18 Million views on social media. And it’s
easy to see why. I mean, who plays an acoustic guitar like a percussion?
The extremely talented busker behind the guitar is Australian-born musician John-o Challis,
who’s more popularly known by his stage name Morf. He’s been dazzling passersby in London
with his unusual guitar playing, which Morf says he taught himself after getting
bored with the “normal” way of strumming. If necessity is the mother of invention, then
boredom must be its first cousin twice removed. But thank God for his boredom, or we wouldn’t
be blessed with his remarkable talent. And as if that’s not enough to wow us,
just listen to the sounds he can make with his mouth!
Why isn’t he a world-famous popstar already? The guy clearly deserves a major record deal,
unlike others I know. #3 Isaac Hou– Taiwan
You’ve probably seen this act performed in talent competition shows on TV, but
there’s still nothing quite like witnessing this mesmerizing spectacle up close.
If you happen to be in the area of Taipei in Taiwan, then be on the lookout for this
graceful street performer named Isaac Hou, a Taiwanese-American acrobat and martial artist
who’s gone viral in the past for stunning audiences with his head-spinning talent
on the Cyr wheel. Step aside Frodo Baggins
‘coz this guy’s the real Lord of the Ring! So how does Hou manage to manipulate the
Cyr wheel with such grace and finesse? Well, for starters, he trained at circus schools in Denmark
and Russia, and he also did gymnastics and Kungfu when he was a kid. He also practices Capoeira,
ballet, and jazz tango--in other words, a consummate performer through and through.
#2 Petr Spatina – Prague Another musical prodigy with
a thing for unconventional musical instruments is none other than Czech-born performer Petr Spatina.
He plays intoxicating music on the streets of Prague using a glass harp, which is basically made
of 33 wine glasses filled and tuned with water. According to the grapevine, Spatina was born as a
farmer’s son, and learned how to play the piano and accordion at a very young age. He’s been
mesmerizing crowds with his hauntingly beautiful melodies for over 20 years, playing covers of
well-loved songs that he gives a uniquely hypnotic touch, just like this Leonard Cohen classic.
Before we go to our number 1 pick, do us a solid and make sure to smash the subscribe button,
and hit the notification bell! Don’t forget to choose “all” so you won’t miss out on any
of our latest life-changing, boredom-busting content! And of course, be sure to turn on
notifications in your app’s settings! #1 Skeleton Movers – South Africa
This group of talented dancers from Soweto, South Africa started performing around the
train stations and streets of Johannesburg as a way to earn money for their families.
They are known for their ability to contort their bodies like their bones are made of jelly.
These guys also use their limbs as hula hoops and skipping ropes. They fuse contortionism,
footwork, and hat tricks with the South African street dance style called “pantsula”.
Their bone-breaking journey to success finally paid off in 2016 when they rose to fame through
“Breakin’ Convention,” the biggest hip-hop dance theatre festival in the world. The
Soweto Skeleton Movers reigned supreme and was proclaimed the best act of the entire festival!
So, have you seen a street performer lately that absolutely blew you away?
Tell us about it in the comments section below! Take home any of our exclusive gear by browsing
our merch shelf or clicking the link in the video description! And while you’re at it,
take our quiz to find out how you can earn extra cash online
doing what you do best! Awesome, right? Want to see more unbelievable skills?
Then don’t miss our countdown of the 15 Celebrities with Weird Hidden Talents!
‘Til then, stay talented, fact-natics! And see you in the next video!