Four musicians play a spellbinding rendition of ‘Billie Jean’ on one guitar

5 September 2022, 17:08 | Updated: 6 September 2022, 17:57

An impressive eight-handed arrangement of Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit, on a single instrument…

Luis Robisco, Xavier Coll and Alí Arango are internationally renowned guitarists who tour together as the Barcelona Guitar Trio.

The trio bring the music of acclaimed composers of guitar music, such as Manuel de Falla, Federico García Lorca, Chick Corea, and Paco de Lucía, to audiences across Europe and beyond.

But it is their rendition of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean that has recently captured the hearts of a worldwide audience through the power of social media.

Robisco, Coll and Arango are joined by percussionist Paquito Escudero on stage to perform an eight-handed arrangement of the 1983 hit. Watch below.

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Four musicians perform virtuosic cover of Billie Jean on a single guitar

The recording is taken from a tribute performance the trio did for Paco de Lucía (born Francisco Sánchez Gómez), a Spanish guitar virtuoso who passed away in 2014.

In 1992, while touring in Spain after the Barcelona Summer Olympics, Michael Jackson was presented with a guitar from de Lucía.

The guitar was autographed ‘with love and admiration’ from the famous Spanish musician, and de Lucía told Jackson in a video message, “I hope you like the guitar and that it inspires you to continue composing and moving us with your music. Good luck!”

Barcelona Guitar Trio & Dance | Promotional Video

The trio perform with a percussionist and two flamenco dancers while on tour, and have performed for over 720,000 people.

The group have sold over 42,000 albums, and their viral success with the Billie Jean video has earned them almost 300,000 views on YouTube.