Report Substantiates North Korea Musical Instrument Concerns

[stringdoggy]

supreme leader knows not what he has unleashed. First mandolins, then banjos. With that much joy, the old regime can't stand long.

[billkilpatrick]

8:o'clock here in italy - 4 more hours to go to april 2 ...

[Larry Simonson]

Very clever! I have witnessed several of your 1st of April "News" items so this one didn't fool me like I am used to. Now, I can't wait till next year to see what you come up with top this.

Above spufman "wrote "dy where y = r cubed over 3." Did you mean 'u' instead of 'y' ?

[JEStanek]

If Dennis Rodman hadn't brought that Loar Mandolin with him last year, none of this would have happened. Sad day for us. Good day for accordion manufacturers.

Jamie

[MysTiK PiKn]

Such an interesting event. Can you see the world where competition for infinite joy is the purpose of all policies, laws, activities, foreign policies? If so, tell me how politicians represent our genuine needs and interests. And what truths do we truthfully believe? The pursuit of love, peace, and happiness - what's money got to do with all that? And who can own it? And what if there had been a war where nobody showed up cos we all went to a bluegrass festival, complete with 'parking lot jam', instead - following our genuine creative interests. Such utter savagery. I gotta go pikn, see if I can get to the bottom of this. Mandos save the world - ooohhhhmmmm - meditating - ooohhhhmmmmm. Oh, that in "G" btw. Compulsory mandolin lessons; whenever you feel like it.

It seems we took a wrong turn somewhere.

[aircooled]

I remember a similar, panicky response about 30 years ago when Japan was on the rise as a global economic power. Japanese buyers were spotted at American guitar shows with lists of desired instruments and were paying top dollar. Like any other commodity, these instruments will resurface when the market dictates they should, as happened with Japan's stash when the economy soured.

BTW, has anyone else noticed how easy it would have been to Photoshop Dear Leader into this image? Happy April 1!

[billkilpatrick]

another half hour to go here in italy and then all this 1/4 stuff will seem like a bad dream ...

[Jeff Hildreth]

Bad photoshop job.

The shadows are incorrect.

Fun otherwise.

[cvn65pc1@gmail.com]

We will see what headlines read on the 2nd good one.

[Steve Erbe]

There is an ulterior motive. Any country he threatens to attack with missiles full of Banjos is sure to Kowtow to him.

[Con Dowd]

I've been expeimenting with mando / banjo builds made from depleted uranium. They are durable, impervious to temperature and humidity extremes. And... they stay in tune. The only problem I'm having with the manufacturing process is disposal of scrap. I can get several dozen mandos or one banjo from the depleted uranium loged in just one Iraqui- Imperial Guard surplus tank. If you could inform the Royal, Imperial, Eternal, his majesty, Kim Jong-un of this "WIN-WIN" opportunity, we all benefit. Offer includes... The instruments, left over scrap, rolls of aluminum foil (for the hats), and a "D U mandolin?" T-shirt 2x... asking Three Quarters of a Billion USD... firm. Buyer assumes shipping. PayPal only.

Thanks...

[John McCoy]

[dobrojay]

Not a good idea should they be top notch USA built instruments of vintage nature.
instruments built in the last 40 years will never reach vintage stature so they will not be sorely missed. these may take care of the supply and demand.. dobrojay

[Ron McMillan]

As if anyone cares, the Korean script in the background of the photograph reads 'Cham Kay Ramyun' - from an instant noodle packet.

[journeybear]

Oh, some of us care, all right. Just maybe not all that much. Still, it's good to see an effort was made to include actual Korean characters. So to speak.

[Jim Garber]

I was just watching a video on the New Yorker site about KJU and North Korea and they flashed on this photo. Pretty strange...

And this is not an April Fool's photo.

[Jess L.]

I was just watching a video on the New Yorker site about KJU and North Korea and they flashed on this photo. Pretty strange...

And this is not an April Fool's photo.

Mentioned in a different thread last year too. At that time, I speculated that based on the shape of the peghead and tuners, it might be some sort of indigenous instrument as in this video - fast forward to 3:12, also solo at 3:35:


(or direct link)

Nice music, but I don't understand the facial expressions. Is that look of agony a normal feature of classical music? (Just asking, I have no idea.) I suppose I'd appear in agony too if I had to play while sitting there wearing a tight skirt *and* singing at the same time.

[Jeff Hildreth]

Look behind you, there is an accordion breathing down their necks.

[Jess L.]

Look behind you, there is an accordion breathing down their necks.

Lol yeah that too!

[Bertram Henze]

Is that look of agony a normal feature of classical music?

200mg of MiraLax each would explain the faces and the moves.

Or... it's a feature of drama, connected with a plot that involves a helicopter on a mountain. Now which choice seems to make more sense?

[Jim Garber]

It is called an oungum and was invented by Kim Jong-Il when he was in college in the 1960s to be the North Korean national instrument. It is related to the Bipa, a Korean instrument like the Chinese pipa or the Japanese biwa.

Here’s a polka-like tune we could all learn on Mandolin

[Jess L.]

200mg of MiraLax each would explain the faces and the moves.

Or... it's a feature of drama, connected with a plot that involves a helicopter on a mountain. Now which choice seems to make more sense?

Lol. I'm not up-to-date on popular entertainment though, is the plot you mention one of those all-purpose alien-invader sasquatch mummy UFO mob-conspiracy world-takeover creature-from-the-deep illuminati shape-shifting government-conspiracy shows? (trying to cover all the bases there)

[Jess L.]

It is called an oungum and was invented by Kim Jong-Il when he was in college in the 1960s to be the North Korean national instrument. It is related to the Bipa, a Korean instrument like the Chinese pipa or the Japanese biwa.

Thanks for the info!

Here’s a polka-like tune we could all learn on Mandolin

Most of the kids are playing so high up the neck, seems like it'd make more sense to just have a shorter-scale instrument, but heck what do I know. Anyway, the music reminds me of something... can't quite place what yet... I keep thinking of 1960s American TV (maybe a commercial/ad? or a show?) but maybe it's something else. Talented kids, in any case.

[Bertram Henze]

JL, I don't know the details, but the helicopter is seen behind the orchestra, and I guess it's a variation of hero soldier flying over the enemy's lines on a shell he's tied himself to and punching their general in the face, causing their troops to run in terror...

[Jess L.]

.... the helicopter is seen behind the orchestra, ...

Good eye! I hadn't even noticed that.

Ordinarily I'm pretty good at seeing background stuff, sometimes more than the foreground, but that video had so much bizarre detail going on in the foreground that I never even noticed the helicopter.