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Outlook: The bionic gloves that brought music back to me

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Joao Carlos Martins wearing his black fingerless bionic gloves at a piano

25/11/2021 GMT

The bionic gloves that brought music back to me

BBC World Service - Outlook, The bionic gloves that brought music back to me

Joao Carlos Martins thought he'd never play piano again, then he was gifted bionic gloves

Injuries to his hands meant acclaimed Brazilian concert pianist Joao Carlos Martins could only play with three fingers, until a designer created a special pair of gloves for him.

For many years, acclaimed Brazilian pianist Joao Carlos Martins graced the world's most famous concert halls, performing as a pianist and celebrated interpreter of Johann Sebastian Bach's music. He'd studied the piano since he was eight years old, and by the age of 21 had made his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt. His career was going well until a series of health issues and injuries meant he couldn't fully play anymore. It started with a neurological condition called focal dystonia, which caused spasms in his hands. Then a soccer injury damaged a nerve in his arm, and in 1995 he was attacked by a mugger who hit him over the head, injuring his brain. Although he had over 20 operations, the dexterity in his hands was severely impeded and he was restricted to playing with just three fingers. He went on to become a celebrated conductor, but it looked like his professional piano playing was over. That was until Brazilian designer Ubiratan Bizarro Costa created a special pair of 'bionic' gloves for him. Now aged 81, they help Joao move all of his fingers more freely, reuniting him with the pieces and music he loves. 

Neil Harbisson has a condition that means he only sees in greyscale. Throughout his life people would talk to him about colour, but when your world is entirely black and white, it's a very difficult concept to understand. But when he was at university Neil met another student and together they developed an antenna that would translate colours into music notes. Neil underwent a controversial surgery to have the antenna permanently implanted in his skull. He now considers himself a cybernetic organism - a cyborg. He spoke to Saskia Edwards in December 2018.

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(Photo: Joao Carlos Martins wearing his bionic gloves. Credit: Miguel Schincariol/AFP via Getty Images)

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