MusicRadar

The Chinese may have it down as the year of the Ox, but as far as MusicRadar is concerned, 2009 belongs to the keytar.

Why? Roland might be calling it a 'shoulder keyboard', but its new AX-Synth is most definitely a keytar for the next generation, and we've even seen the instrument being played on Britain's Got Talent.

The keytar's phoenix-like rise is surely set to continue over the coming months, and we're celebrating its return with a set of classic and contemporary clips featuring some of its finest exponents. After watching these, you'll never want to play a keyboard on a stand again.

Rick and Adam Wakeman

Legend has it that Wakey's keytar was forged in Avalon and that he pulled it out of a stone, but no one really knows for sure. This recent clip of a new song, Tudorock, shows him cutting loose on his mighty axe and, in a beautiful twist, he's brought his son, Adam, along for company. This isn't just music – it's poetry.

Jean Michel Jarre

The Gallic electronic maestro is helping to drive the keytar's resurgence by using it on his current world tour. The poor visual quality of this clip makes it hard to see exactly what his hands are doing, but even if we had a hi-def close-up, those fleet fingers would be little more than a blur.

Belinda Debekovic

Croatia's answer to Steve Vai can shred better than that machine you use to destroy your old bank statements, and she does it in some style. Here, she's accompanied by a drummer who goes by the name of General MIDI, while the scattering of balloons says "I'm here to party, and I've brought my keytar". Minus points for not taking the thing off its stand, though.

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