The beauty of a flashmob is that it always takes place when you least expect it. Flashmobs deliver the element of surprise, whether they take place in a shopping mall, an airport, or a local park.
The students at a Brazillian university were treated to their own flashmob performance one lunchtime, and a video of the event has gone viral on YouTube.
It might have been shared nearly 10 years ago, but there are some things that are timeless – including Queen’s music.
The performance saw students belt out the iconic band’s “Somebody To Love”, a song which did incredibly well at the time, reaching No. 2 in the UK and No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
When the video begins, it looks like any old normal lunchtime at UNASP-EC University. Students tuck into their food, unaware of what is about to happen.
Then, suddenly, a man stands up at his table, microphone in hand, and starts singing:
“Can you find me…”
And that’s all it takes: the man’s backing choir of students stand up and echo his lyrics right back to him.
There aren’t actually that many people in the mob and students can be seen turning around in their seats, curious about what’s going to happen next.
Of course, the flashmob choir doesn’t just sing the beginning line of an iconic song and leave it there.
The group behind the music is the Academia da Voz – Academy of Voice in English. They burst into a pitch-perfect rendition of “Somebody to Love”, and their unsuspecting crowd is too stunned to know what to make of it.
Flashmobs don’t typically focus on singing. It’s more common to see a flashmob of people dancing crazily.
In this case, there isn’t any need for dancing – the group of students is so talented at singing that dancing would be unnecessary.
Queen’s music encapsulates so many different genres in one – that’s why it’s hard to label it as one thing.
“Somebody To Love” makes for the perfect choir singalong song, as proven by the talented performance by the Academia da Voz.
The students eating their lunches start to clap and cheer as the two lead vocalists, a boy, and a girl, take it in turns to sing, while the other group members provide a backing harmony.
They probably recognize that people would pay to see a performance like this – it’s uncommon for it to take place in a university cafeteria on a random lunchtime.
Many people get out their phones to film the performance, wanting to document the moment forever.
This group of musical performers isn’t just limited to talented singers, either. By the time they’ve got a minute into the song, a drummer and a guitarist are also in on the scene, helping to set the tempo.
By the time the group is nearing the end of the performance, every student in the canteen is watching, clapping and singing along.
You’d have to be a brave bunch to perform in front of students – perhaps the most critical audience of all.
But the Academia da Voz clearly had every confidence that they could win over their tough crowd with their Queen rendition, and they certainly pulled it off!
It’s no wonder that the video of this cafeteria flashmob took off like it did.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch the full performance below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
