Our top 2012 video: North Korean girl wows on xylophone and drums

Bob Bryar, the drummer for My Chemical Romance, was so impressed that he posted on Twitter that he wished the featured musician in our most popular video of 2012 was his daughter.

wowowowow. my daughter. http://t.co/8nBHp9r4

— bob bryar (@bobbryar) June 5, 2012

A fellow tour group member sent the clip along to Ellen DeGeneres (although still no word if her handlers will consider it for her show).

And a bogus television network offered us even more bogus money for the exclusive rights to the footage.

What got everyone so excited? A North Korean schoolgirl, appearing to be no older than six years old, performing the xylophone and drums in Pyongyang on Kim Il-sung’s 100th Birthday:

Video: North Korean schoolgirl performs at Manyongdae Children’s Place, Apr. 15, 2012

video by Meniscus Magazine

The percussion prodigy showed off her skills to a gaping audience at the Manyongdae Children’s Palace, a venue specifically constructed for kids to hone their musical talents after school. The architecture was reportedly inspired by the image of a mother reaching out for her child in a warm embrace. The seemingly mandatory pit stop for all tour groups to North Korea’s capital includes a packed talent show, with young performers often showcasing simultaneous talents in singing, dance and musical instruments. The rest of our clips from that show follow below, including a boy dancing and drumming at the same time, and another boy jumping rope at inhuman heights:

Video playlist: Manyongdae Children’s Palace, Apr. 15, 2012

all videos by Meniscus Magazine

Still, what you, our readers, noticed was the little girl boasting better rhythm than many rock band drummers out there. Our only regret is that we didn’t capture her performance from the very beginning, when she actually started on a third percussive instrument. For that, we merely have photographic evidence:

Before she hit the xylophone and drums, this little girl began her impressive percussive performances on an entirely different third instrument. (photo by Meniscus Magazine)

Our favorite percussionist in Pyongyang, third from left, acknowledges the crowd after her performance on Apr. 15, 2012. (photo by Meniscus Magazine)

Thankfully, the power button on the camera was clicked “on” when we all realized that we were about to watch a performance so incredible, mere words wouldn’t do it justice.

Photo Gallery: Manyongdae Children’s Palace performance, Apr. 15, 2012
all photos by Meniscus Magazine