It took Revival Shongwe over 30 years to buy this piano, and seeing him play it for the last time is bringing us all the feels!
Johannesburg, South Africa (12 March 2022) – All the feels… this video of a South African playing his piano for the last time could be the most wholesome thing you see all day.
Pastor Revival Shongwe put a post up on a Facebook group selling his piano. The story behind his Portable Ground Piano captivated the ‘I love Fourways” community, with many asking him to play the piano one last time.
“The one lesson we can take away from this story is that every limitation is merely an invitation to innovation.”
Watch the video below:
When Shongwe was 13 years old, living in Soweto, he used to get on a taxi to the Joburg CBD and walk 30 minutes to a music shop in Braamfontein – just to look at Portable Grand Pianos.
“I’d play for as long as I could, faking each time that I was just “testing it” to see which one I preferred to buy “soon”.”
The Pastor knew that his family could not afford a Portable Grand Piano – at the time, it was the same price as a car.
“I kept “testing” for around ten years, at intervals I thought would not give me away. I would walk in and see these majestic pieces of grandeur and almost hear a heavenly choir as I approached to touch them. I would literally feel the desire pounding in my chest, my whole body tingling with yearning and tears welling up in my eyes – as I demanded every fibre of my being to stay composed – so I could pull off my “testing to buy soon” act.”
The passionate South African worked towards his dreams of one day owning his own Portable Grand Piano; little did he know that this goal would lead him to owning his own music studio as a young adult.
“I walked into the same shop almost monthly over a two year period, but this time buying studio equipment each time I walked in.”
“At this point, Bro Abe, who worked there for over 20 years, told me how they used to watch me come in since I was a boy. I realised then that I would clearly make a horrible spy because they never fell for my random visits and fake shopping – for over ten years.”
But he never bought a Portable Grand Piano then, as I was focused on building his studio. He ran that music business for years until it reached a pinnacle and he felt led to close it. At this point, he finally bought the piano he had wanted all his life. It took him 30 years, but he made his dream of owning his own Portable Grand Piano come true.
“I only bought the Portable Grand Piano when I was middle-aged. Dreams do come true. What seems out of reach for you right now can even be forgettable to you in future! This thing is worth millions to me.”
Shongwe is now selling the piano to put funds into an initiative called “History Maker Secrets“, where he will help other South Africans achieve their dreams.