Forget Thar Nge — videos of a young boy playing guitar and singing his heart out are capturing the hearts of Myanmar netizens. Although the post was uploaded just yesterday, it’s already garnered over 35,000 shares at the time of writing.
The post identifies the boy as Okkar Phyo, who hails from the city of Myingyan in the Mandalay Region. His age is unclear, although he’s starting sixth grade this year so assumedly he’s around 10 or 11 years old. His father, a pagoda market vendor, has a second job playing guitar at small parties.
Okkar Phyo is the oldest of six children. Because he’s not cute enough on his own, his siblings can also be seen in a couple of the videos, filling in the roles of drummer and/or backup singers for their big brother.
Users have flooded the post with words of encouragement for the young musician, as well as tagging their friends to spread the word. One person writes, “Keep trying, you’ll be successful one day,” while another suggests that Okkar Phyo tries out for Myanmar’s Got Talent. One user comments, “If this kid gets sent to a [guitar] teacher who is dedicated to helping him grow, he’ll become a real guitar hero.”
Of course, Okkar Phyo’s dream is to become an internationally renowned musician. His favorite guitarists include Chit San Maung, the guitarist of Iron Cross, who he wants to meet and train under one day.
We definitely wouldn’t be surprised to see Okkar Phyo release his own album within the next decade or so (and we’ll say we remember seeing him on Facebook when). In the meantime, does anyone know if there’s a minimum age requirement for Myanmar’s Got Talent?
Reader Interactions