Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eIn07912]

Pachelbel's Canon to be exact. I agree, it's a beautiful piece of music. I enjoy finding a new arrangement for it every now and then. I'm sure we've all heard the rock guitar version, the acapella voice, on Korean traditional instruments, and I think I heard it once arranged with a banjo.

People all over the world love it, it just seems like here the Koreans have latched onto it. And every child that's studying a classical instrument (90% of the population under 15 I'm sure) learns it, walks around humming it, makes videos of it, puts words to it, etc. I keep expecting one day to hear that a Korean wrote it. Everyone will absorb this as a fact, and it's true origin for the native population here will be lost.

I thought about drawing a comparison to that and how Americans commercialize Beethoven 5th (dun, dun, dun, duuuuuuuun) but there is no comparison to be made. Where as Koreans actually learn the music and can play it on various instruments, Americans learn the "dun dun dun duuuuun" part and make it their ring tone or use it as score music for a film and know nothing else of it.

Any thoughts?

[Steelrails]

I think it might have to do with that Korean kid on the you-tube with his guitar. Funtwo was his name.

[Slaps]

Why are you so obsessed with Korea?

[djsmnc]

Maybe because they can pronounce it easily. Notice how the only say "Canon" though, omitting the Pachabel.

Of course, I considered this myself: "We are the Champions" is well known here too. I think that's because it was played for the '88 Olympics. Canon was probably played for some famous movie, show, or event that featured Koreans or took place in Korea. I'm sure there are other examples, in fact, I know there are, but I can't recall them at this moment.

[pkang0202]

So, the OP would prefer Korean musicians NOT touch the piece, play it, or use it to try and learn to play music?

Pachelbel would be saying, "What is wrong with the OP?"

[Gibberish]

As Steelrails said, it's most likely because that funtwo guy on youtube with his stupid-as-hell gold plated Stratocaster-shaped ESP guitar (don't get me started) played a rock remix of it, and he was Korean. This is just another list if things Koreans will claim to be the best at, being remixes, classical instrumentation, guitar, recording, etc.

It's one of youtube's most watched videos, and quite possible one of it's lamest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8

[crossmr]

It was a central song in My Sassy Girl, considered one of the top korean movies of all time. It had a lot to do wtih the Korean wave. I doubt Funtwo has anything to do with it.

But as Rob Paravonian points out, it is everywhere:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

Koreans aren't the only ones obsessed with it. Its in tons of western pop songs, which get used in movies, and spreads from there.

[pkang0202]

Why are westerners so obsessed with the C Major scale? All most all Western musicians play it, and you hear its notes EVERYWHERE.

[Julius]

Koreans tend to select iconic favorites from the west that correspond to their culture in some way, and then focus on them exclusively.

This is why every christmas for the past 6 years I've heard "Santa claus is coming to town" blasted out of every loudspeaker monotonously. You'd really think there was no other christmas song ever invented.

Same goes for Harry Potter. Anyone would think it was the only book to ever have come out of the west.


But Westerners are also guilty of it. Ask a westerner to name his favorite piece of cultural import from Korea and he'll probably say "Bruce lee" while imitating some quick Kung-fu moves. At a stretch he might say "Oh and I also like their chicken chow mein". Westerners are probably far more ignorant of korean culture than they are of ours.

[eIn07912]

[oldtactics]

I also wonder whether Paul and Ringo know that Let It Be is played on trains all over the country to announce arrivals and departures.

[weatherman]

Because Koreans are diseased alcoholic in-breds. It�s either that or I�m having a bad day.

[Forbidden-Donut]

[Gibberish]

[cruisemonkey]

Why are Koreans obsessed with "Canon?"

Perhaps because it's a beautiful melody.