NEW YORK (Kyodo) Kohshi Kishita, blind since shortly after birth, performed for the first time Wednesday at the United Nations at the opening of the sixth annual Youth Assembly, inspiring hundreds of participants with his music.
"It was awesome and very moving," said Itoro Ebong, a Nigerian who is Amnesty International's youth network coordinator in Kiev, where he is also studying medicine.
Ebong, 29, was visibly moved by Kishita's heartwarming rendition of Nat King Cole's "Smile," which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard chart in 1954.
Despite being unable to see his audience, the diminutive pianist, 20, was buoyed by a huge round of applause in the middle of his performance as he belted out the lyrics to the famous jazz song.
Ebong was unfamiliar with Kishita, who first began playing at age 2 and eventually became a household name in Japan after NHK produced a documentary about his life. But he indicated he believes the musician was an "inspirational" choice to kick off the three-day youth-oriented program.
In his own life, Kishita has drawn inspiration from Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, both of whom share his experience as visually impaired performers who rose to fame.