When 29-year-old Johnatha Bastos hit the audition stage of Spain’s Got Talent, nobody was prepared for the musical wizardry they were about to witness. The Got Talent audience was gobsmacked when Johnatha, born with no arms or hands, used his feet to reveal an electric guitar hidden beneath a secretive sheet, soon attempting to play one of rock’s most iconic guitar solos using nothing but his toes.
With his audition racking up more than 244,000 views to date, Music Man readers can watch the extraordinary moment unfold in the viral video below…
As his Fender guitar lies flat down on the stage, Johnatha kicks off his sneakers and uses his exposed toes to fret the notes on the instrument’s neck, his other foot plucking the strings in a moment that shocks the judges. In an impossible move, Johnatha unleashes the legendary intro to Guns ‘N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” sending the audience feral with cheers and applause.
However, it’s not just the intro which stuns the audition room; Johnatha skips the song’s verses and dives straight into the chorus melodies, playing the lead lines just like Slash might, complete with whammy bar, bends, and spotless rock god guitar tones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM4tl0-Tthk
But when Johnatha reaches the guitar solo, all hell breaks loose. He shreds lightning-speed notes like it’s his second nature, his guitar pedal perfectly replicating Slash’s own sound as he delivers one of the most jaw-dropping Guns ‘N’ Roses covers the world has ever heard. The judges are awestruck to the point of absolute speechlessness as Johnatha’s surreal talent is revealed. And as this clip goes viral over on YouTube, it’s clear they’re not the only ones utterly stunned by Johnatha’s ability.
As one viewer joked, “He has mastered playing guitar with his feet. I can’t do that with my hands…,” another top commenter wrote, “The man has more talent in one big toe than most have in both hands. Massive respect!”
Other commenters spoke for hundreds when they pinned down exactly what makes Johnatha’s audition so captivating, writing, “Disability does not make the person – it’s what they can do with it that counts!” and “It goes to show, with disability you can still accomplish what you set your mind to.”
As if he hadn’t beaten the odds already, Johnatha is actually a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano as well as guitar. Curious to see how good a pianist he really is? Just hit play on our second video above, where you can catch Johnatha wowing the crowd on the Argentine TV show, Susana Giménez.
This “Sweet Child O Mine” solo wasn’t the only time Johnatha hit a Got Talent stage, either. In 2024, the Brazilian guitarist took his tricks to the Chilean edition of Got Talent, where he made it all the way to the Grand Final, losing out on the crown to season winner and humorist Joche Vidal.