Home shopping driver Elly delights customer by playing piano after delivering groceries
Our home shopping driver Elly Bajarias has been getting rave reviews for his piano playing skills after a customer filmed him playing Ballade pour Adeline after delivering groceries to her home in Leicester.
Francesca Green was so amazed by the impromptu performance that she posted a video on Facebook saying: "When your Asda delivery driver spots your piano in the hallway and says how beautiful it is then proceeds to tell you he used to be in a band but doesn’t get the chance to play anymore as he only has an old keyboard at home... I invited him in to play of course. What a lost talent."
She added: "It’s was quite an experience and not what I was expected from an Asda delivery I must say!
"He almost didn’t come in and take me up on my offer of playing but I still had all the shopping to unpack so just told him to hop on while I emptied the baskets. I was quite shocked when he started to play.
"The thing about his performance was his passion when he was playing, he brought so much emotion to his performance. He clearly loves to play."
The comments on her Facebook post praising Elly were phenomenal. Here's a selection of what people said:
"What a talent ... fantastic and so lovely of you to let him play"
"Brought tears to my eyes 💜"
"Beautiful piano playing so captivating, pin drop performance"
"This is so lovely! Amazing talent!!"
"Absolutely stunning!! What an Absolutely talented man! So lovely of you to let him in and have the moment. The pure joy was coming out in his music".
Fifty-four-year-old Elly, who was born in the Philippines, said he was amazed and delighted by people's reactions to his playing.
He said: "I just arrived at Francesca's house with the groceries and I saw the grand piano and I was just mesmerised by it. I'd never played on one before – I only have a keyboard at home.
"We got talking and she asked me if I'd like to play it! It was really enjoyable. It was nice to feel the soft touch of ivory, as a keyboard is so different.
"Francesca's mum came rushing in from outside when she heard me playing and saw me and said 'is that the Asda man driver?' It was funny. It just came out of nowhere.
"My own mum showed me how to play the piano when I was about five or six. I never had proper lessons with a proper teacher as we couldn't afford that in the Philippines at that time.
"Over the years I've just really taught myself. I listen to pieces of music then just play it them I don't look at sheet music."
Elly is married to Susan and has three children, Enriquita, who's 22, Louis, aged 18, and 17-year-old Talisha. He played in a big band in a Hong Kong club before moving to the UK 20 years ago. He joined Asda three years ago.
Siten Patel, online trading manager at our Leicester Fosse Park store, said: "I didn't know Elly could even play the piano until I saw the video. It was amazing – he is so talented.
"He is such hearted person who aways sees the good in people. Everyone loves him here."