The Man Who Transformed a “School Recorder” Into a Stadium-Level Act
(Watch the video at the very bottom)
When Egyptian musician Medhat Mamdouh stepped onto the America’s Got Talent stage with nothing but a small wooden recorder, the entire room silently judged him. Recorders remind most people of squeaky school concerts—and Simon Cowell made that very clear.
“I hate recorders,” he announced, almost proudly.
Even the judges joked that no world-famous recorder players had ever existed.
But Medhat didn’t flinch. He simply nodded, lifted the instrument, and promised something original.
The Performance Nobody Saw Coming
He started with a soft, traditional melody—a warm, flowing tune with a distinctly Middle Eastern soul. The judges relaxed.
Then it happened. Medhat suddenly began beatboxing while playing, layering rhythms, percussive hits, bass pulses, high-speed syllables, and melodic phrases all at once.
It sounded like: A recorder, A drum machine, A DJ And a live looping artist
…all combined into one man and one instrument.
The audience snapped to attention. People leaned forward. The theatre turned electric.
Even Simon—who was ready to hit the buzzer before the first note—slowly lifted his eyebrows.
A Fusion That Made the Recorder Cool
Medhat blended Middle Eastern melodies with urban beatbox rhythms, creating a performance that felt part ancient tradition, part futuristic soundscape.
Sofía Vergara loved the cultural influence.
Howie Mandel called the act “surprising” and said Medhat made a widely disliked instrument suddenly trendy.
A shocked Simon Cowell admitted:
“This was actually… good. Really unexpected.”
And then, for the first time in his life, Simon Cowell said “yes” to a recorder player.
Four Yeses—and a Vegas Dream Begins
Medhat walked offstage with four massive YES votes and a roaring audience behind him. His dream?
A Vegas show built on this one-of-a-kind hybrid style.
Judging by the reaction… he might be closer than he thinks.
