Al Arabiya

In spite of losing his piano to bombings in the Syrian city of Homs, an eight-year-old boy managed to take TV talent show “Arabs Got Talent” by surprise.

“I used to play piano but It is gone, as well as our house which was destroyed,” said Nael Traboulsi, who initially complained that he had to play the organ instead of the piano.

Traboulsi did not refrain from challenging one of the Najwa Karam, to test his skills in recognizing the musical notes. After his performance, Traboulsi was given a resounding “yes” by all four members of the judging panel.

Najwa Karam said that she sees in Traboulsi “a self-confident man and a dangerous talent who succeeded in recognizing the notes, which isn’t as obvious as it seems, even for those who are immersed in music.”

Judge Ahmed Hilmi told the boy that he was “a small musician who lives in another world, not caring about what happens around you especially that your soul was playing through your fingers.”

With Traboulsi moving to the second round of the competition, many see his presence as a clear message against the conflict that is raging in Syria and a call for peace and harmony through music.