When Medhat Mamdouh stepped onto the America’s Got Talent stage holding nothing more than a simple wooden recorder, the judges weren’t exactly impressed. In fact, Simon Cowell openly groaned, confessing he “hates recorders” thanks to being forced to play one as a kid. The panel even joked about how no famous recorder players exist.
But Medhat didn’t flinch. Calm, confident, and quietly determined, he simply promised to perform an original piece — and no one was ready for what came next.
At first, he played a gentle, traditional melody… and then the performance exploded into something entirely new.
Medhat suddenly shifted into a jaw-dropping fusion of recorder performance + elite beatboxing, doing both at the same time. The result? A powerful, layered sound that blended classical Middle Eastern tones with modern rhythmic percussion. His control, timing, and musicality turned a basic school instrument into something futuristic and electrifying.
The audience and judges couldn’t believe what they were hearing — a full soundscape created using nothing but a recorder and Medhat’s own voice.
Reactions flipped instantly:
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Sofia Vergara loved the Middle Eastern flair and called the act incredibly unique.
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Howie Mandel praised him for making an unpopular instrument suddenly “cool and trendy.”
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And the biggest shock of all — the recorder-hating Simon Cowell admitted the performance was “good… actually really unexpected.” Then added, “I’m going to say yes!”
With four unanimous yeses, Medhat not only proved the world wrong about the humble recorder — he reinvented it. His dream of one day headlining his own Vegas show suddenly felt entirely within reach.