"This Moved Me To Tears": SA Cellist Abel Selaocoe Stuns the World With His Unique Take on the Cello

• South African cellist Abel Selaocoe performed 'Ka Bohaleng' from his debut album at London's Purcell Room, Southbank Centre
• Selaocoe grew up in Sebokeng township and taught himself cello fingerings using a broomstick before earning a scholarship
• A clip of the performance shared on Instagram left viewers emotional, calling his style unlike anything they had seen before

Abel Selaocoe, a South African cellist from Sebokeng township, left the world speechless with a performance of "Ka Bohaleng" that is now making waves online. The clip was shared by the Instagram account @atemporaismusic on 22 August 2026 and shows Selaocoe performing solo on a bare stage, surrounded by empty chairs, pouring everything he has into the piece.

What viewers saw was not a conventional classical performance. Selaocoe played with a physical intensity that blurred the line between music and storytelling, treating the cello as a living extension of himself rather than a formal instrument.

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From broomstick to world stage

Born in 1992 in Sebokeng, Selaocoe's path to international acclaim was anything but straightforward. Without access to a cello over weekends as a child, he practised positions using a broomstick and paper diagrams. A scholarship to St John's College in Johannesburg opened a bigger door, and in 2010 he moved to the UK to study at the Royal Northern College of Music.

His musical identity sits at the crossroads of Western classical tradition and South African heritage. He incorporates Sesotho throat-singing, body percussion, beatboxing, and virtuosic bowing into a style entirely his own. Ka Bohaleng is taken from his debut album Where Is Home (Hae Ke Kae), released in 2022 under Warner Classics. He was also awarded the prestigious RPS Instrumentalist Award in 2023.

Watch Abel Selaocoe perform here.

Mzansi proud as the world watches

The performance on the Instagram page moved all who saw it:

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@brenda.sullivan.007 said:

"This moved me to tears. Eclectic, stirring and unbelievably talented."

@kandakke30 wrote:

"Wow, this is amazing. A collaboration with Andrea Vollenweider would be so magical."

@muzi_masinga declared:

"This is South Africa!"

@combo_mutombo added:

"Something's in the water in South Africa."

@profet_ink shared:

"I saw Abel perform at Princeton earlier this year and it was incredible!"

@zlonoco reacted:

"I don't know how he's doing that, but it's amazing."

@divinity_divinez joked:

"The cello is sitting there having its life rocked."

More on SA music and viral performances

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African man who turned a gas stove into an unlikely DJ deck while riding on a moving bakkie, leaving Mzansi amused.
• DJ Cleo announced his departure from Radio 2000 after 28 months, saying he was choosing his peace while fans wondered what was behind the decision.
• Chris Brown's tour earnings could now be affected after a judge ruled that a former housekeeper can collect her multimillion-rand judgment from his music revenue.

Source: Briefly News