We’ve all ooh’d and aah’d over Sungha Jung’s mighty fingers, but this set of videos of North Korean children playing the guitar (hat tip to Pauline, who tweeted about them first) flips the cuteness over and makes you wonder if there’s a term ‘forced child prodigy’. Something about the picture feels a bit weird to me.
Perhaps you can tell me, whoever and wherever you are, if these videos strike a bit odd to you. Take a poll at the end of the videos and let me have it.
Putting all the political crap aside, what happens to these kids? They’re way too young to understand guitar playing as a career and they probably will never play outside of North Korea. I’ve seen a lot of kids playing an instrument solo, but rarely in an ensemble setting. That is impressive, son! And it would be a damn shame if these tiny bundles of talent never have a career a lot of hacks enjoy around the world! There, I said. (take the darn poll at the end).
[poll id="3"]
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think they’re cute… but in the mean time, there’s something weird about it too. They don’t look very natural.. their smiles are kind of fake.. like they were taught to maintain a certain look while they play. I’m not sure really.
How Could They Do That?!
This is Awesome!
I recently got a link to the ensamble of (I’m sorry to say, be clearly manufactured kids) playing guitar, and I think it’s kind of disgusting. Imo, they have been forced into this kind of playing from a young age. I could be wrong, maybe the kids actually enjoy being bossed around, it’s their culture, but no kid would EVER sit still that long to learn to play an instrument with that skill without some serious discipline being condoned upon them… THAT’s what leads me to the conclusion that these kids have been treated unfairly, potentially even harmfully. Nope, I don’t like it…
This is an art, not Kim Kardashian’s ass
Child performers in the U.S. and around the world experience the same regimentation, . . . and a certain amount of joy. It’s joy in their faces, in the movement of their little shoulders to the beat, in the smile when they’ve successfully gotten through a difficult chord, that I see. They clearly enjoy the music, especially the girl second from left in the first video and certainly the girl in the second video.