Wrong office, right note, cantor strikes again

Many people wouldn’t think that being at the wrong licensing department or on the wrong flight was the ideal location for an operatic performance. However, for Johannesburg chazan (cantor) and singer Adam Davis, it was the ideal place. 

In a video posted by Davis to his Facebook account on 23 January and later shared to Good Things Guy, he walked into the wrong licensing department to collect his licence. Upon realising that he was in the wrong place, he looked around at the frustrated faces around him, and thought it would be the best time to bring some entertainment to their day. 

“I saw a lot of people sitting on metal seats, and everyone seemed a bit bored. I felt the tension, and I knew that, in a moment, I could paint some sort of joy and fun,” he said. 

Davis said very little thought went into the performance, and he really didn’t plan it, but as soon as he set his mind to it, he just started to sing to everyone in the room. 

“It’s absolutely awesome because it’s such a crazy thing to do. You know, who am I to impose on everyone’s day-to-day life?” he said. “But it’s that kind of faith that I know with no uncertainty that it’s going to be cool. Initially, people looked at me when I said I was going to sing like I was nuts, and then, when they saw that, thank G-d, I’ve got a trained voice, they were open to it. They will catch up with each other and go back and tell their friends and family. It will add something special to their day.” 

After performing at the licensing department, Davis realised that he was a “serial spontaneous performer” as it wasn’t the first time that he had burst into operatic song in a space filled with frustrated people. In fact, on a FlySafair flight to Gqeberha last year, Davis sang a song of apology after he had to get off the plane as a panic attack came on. 

“I told them I had to get off the flight, and they said I couldn’t, and I said I have panic attacks, I need to get off,” he said. “Eventually, they let me off, and they had to reverse the whole plane and go refuel, and I felt terrible about it and once again, I guess I saw everyone’s frustration. I would have been frustrated too.” 

He said he felt so apologetic that he was causing the delay, he got up and said, “I’m sorry that I’m causing this, and to say thank you or sorry, I’m going to sing you a song.” 

When he stopped singing, the plane started to applaud, except for one individual. “There was only one guy who had his fingers in his ears as I was singing, but the rest of the flight was appreciative, they clapped and everything. It was fun.” 

Davis has loved singing since he was a teenager, and finds any way to sing in daily life, whether as the chazan at different shuls around Johannesburg or in the most random places. 

In 2016, Davis first went viral after he started singing at the Mugg & Bean in Norwood Mall after seeing the frustration and boredom of people waiting for their food. 

He does it because he loves music and wants to share its joy with those around him. “Music is central, it always has been,” he said. “I always see everything else as secondary, even though I’m involved in business and software development. But it’s always been my happy place. I know I can make the most contribution to society through music. 

“I love the aspect of uplifting people,” Davis said. “I mean, sure, you can just sing along, or you can really connect with the words and watch your davening and look at people and smile at them and get them into it. It’s a way of connection and upliftment, and for me, you know, I don’t like just sitting in the crowd at shul. Of course, the davening is nice, but I’m happiest when leading the service.”