Watch: Beatboxing nun shows off unusual talent on TV
Nun stuns TV audience with unexpected beatboxing skills
Two nuns in Brazil caught the internet’s attention with their beatboxing skills during a live musical TV performance on May 23. (Credit: TV Pai Eterno via Storyful)
SAO PAULO - A pair of Brazilian nuns are going viral after dropping an impromptu beatbox and dance session during a Catholic television program.
Who are the beatboxing nuns?
Dig deeper:
Sisters Marizele Cassiano and Marisa de Paula, members of the "Copiosa Redenção" congregation, were talking about a vocational retreat on Brazil's Pai Eterno — Eternal Father — TV channel when they brought up a song about being called to the religious life.
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The duo stood up and launched into a routine complete with singing, beatbox and dance moves. Then the presenter, Deacon Giovani Bastos, joined in, matching Sister de Paula’s moves in a performance that's now been seen by millions on social media in Brazil and abroad.
Two nuns in Brazil went viral for showcasing their beatboxing skills during a live musical performance on TV on May 23. (Credit: TV Pai Eterno via Storyful)
While Sister Marisa has no Instagram account, Sister Marizele has surpassed 100,000 followers since her beatboxing went viral.
The sisters also work as vocation promoters, organizing retreats for women interested in pursuing a religious career.
What they're saying:
"That moment was very spontaneous, because with Sister Marisa, if you start a beat, she will dance. And I’m used to singing, to beatboxing, so for us it was very simple, spontaneous and at the same time very surprising to see that it went viral even outside Brazil," Sister Marizele Cassiano, beatboxing nun, told The Associated Press.The Sisters are dedicated to young people who are struggling with drug addiction. They say music has been a powerful tool to help those in need.
"Beatboxing, dancing, and the songs itself, are tools that God uses to reach the hearts of the people we work with. And it works! It’s beautiful to see," said Sister Marizele Cassiano.
What is beatboxing?
Big picture view:
Beatboxing is defined as "musical artform that uses the vocal tract to mimic percussion and other sound effects," according to the University of Southern California.
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USC said the history of the artform dates back centuries, when tabla bols were used in North Indian music and were used to imitate the tabla drums.
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Beatboxing became more mainstream in New York during the rising hip-hop culture of the 1970s and '80s. It has since become a worldwide form of music.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a viral segment on Brazil’s Catholic TV channel Pai Eterno, featuring Sisters Marizele Cassiano and Marisa de Paula of the Copiosa Redenção congregation. This story was reported from Los Angeles.