Seven-Year-Old Blind Prodigy Shocks Jazz World

Blind jazz prodigy Jose Andre Montano Baina takes Bolivia's music scene by storm.

Published

8 months ago

Categories

World

Topics

South America, Seriously?

People

Jose Andre Montano Baina

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Bolivia

Transcript

He is just seven-years-old… and blind. Meet Jose Andre Montano Baina, a Bolivian jazz prodigy. This pint-sized musician picked up the drums at four - and was so good that he quickly moved on to the piano to form his own trio at the age of five. But away from his instruments Jose is just like any other seven-year-old boy. SOUNDBITE: Jazz Prodigy, Jose Andre Montano Baina, saying (Spanish) "I do homework, I play music and they accompany me on the keyboard, I do math, English, and gym class - everything." Jose is born and raised here in the colonial town of Totora - not exactly the epicenter of jazz. And while proud of his son, Jose's father Roberto says he is stunned by his talent. SOUNDBITE: FATHER OF JAZZ PRODIGY, JOSE ROBERTO MONTANO, SAYING (Spanish) "I didn't know jazz before, he got me into it. It's as if he was born with a jazz chip inside him, I don't know how to explain how it came about, it's like the jazz was already inside him." Young Jose has already taken the Bolivian music scene by storm with more international exposure soon to follow.