I like excellence in music no matter where it comes from — even if it is the internet. It seems that eight months ago, a mysterious guitarist called “Funtwo” left a mind-blowing video performance of Pachabel’s Canon on the internet that, other than being fiendishly brilliant, created an uproar over who could possibly be playing like that while hiding their face online. After all this time, it appears that the performance belongs to none other than Lim Jeong-Hyun of Seoul. To quote the NY Times article:
. . . Like a celebrity sex tape or a Virgin Mary sighting, the video drew hordes of seekers with diverse interests and attitudes. Guitar sites, MySpace pages and a Polish video site called Smog linked to it, and viewers thundered to YouTube to watch it. If individual viewings were shipped records, “guitar” would have gone gold almost instantly. Now, with nearly 7.35 million views — and a spot in the site’s 10 most-viewed videos of all time — funtwo’s performance would be platinum many times over. From the perch it’s occupied for months on YouTube’s “most discussed” list, it generates a seemingly endless stream of praise (riveting, sick, better than Hendrix), exegesis, criticism, footnotes, skepticism, anger and awe.
Lim also is a good example of a real musician in his attitude towards the music. He wrote to the Times:
. . . “(My) main purpose of my recording is to hear the other’s suggestions about my playing.” . . . “I think play is more significant than appearance. Therefore I want the others to focus on my fingering and sound. Furthermore I know I’m not that handsome.”
Hummm, not handsome, is serious about the quality of the music and rocks out with rarely heard virtuosity? This sounds like the beginning of the real Korean wave.
12 Comments
Unlike EE Hyo Ree or BOA this guy has talent, but will the Koreans like him? He’s not a pretty boy, and he doesn’t have a team of dancers in the background.
that’s awesome!
Brilliant playing! Good for him, I hope it helps to bring him a long and successful career. Nice to see real talent get some kind of recognition.
Sure, he’s no Tommy Vetterli, but he’s pretty damn good.
I agree, he is pretty good, but my credits go towards the original guy…
http://video.google.com/videop.....canon+in+d
That was inspiring.
Great story–I’ve seen a few budding Yngwie Malmsteens around Korea and if the music business here wasn’t so formulaic we’d be hearing from them. Maybe this will help break things open.
Korea’s Jimi Hendrix!!
For the next My Sassy Girl
It seems that the rest of Korea has caught up with the rave.
I’m surprised that someone in Korea did not pick up on this sooner but then musical culture is very much a matter of “follow the leader” here.
My God, but the Koreans love that Pachelbel. I hear it about every day here. Usually in the piano version.
Can’t wait to hear the reports of how using metal chopsticks helped his dexterity.
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[...] Because this kid is good. I’ve watched this video a couple of times now and I can’t get over his talent. (Hat tip to R. Elgin over at the Marmot’s Hole) [...]
[...] I think they are searching for Jeong-Hyun Lim, a Korean guitarist who was written up in the New York Times. I first became aware of him in an article on Marmot’s Hole posted by R. Elgin. [...]