With a following of almost 400,000 subscribers on YouTube, Damian Salazar is probably one of the best-known buskers in the world.
The guitarist regularly takes to the streets with his Kiesel Jason Becker Numbers electric guitar to shred classic tracks – including Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger, Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters and Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine – and to otherwise melt the faces of those lucky enough to stop by while he’s shredding.
His incredible chops once even landed him a spot onstage with Scorpions to play Still Loving You, during their July 27, 2018 show at Ludwigsburg Palace, Germany.
One of Salazar’s most-viewed videos was uploaded in 2015, with the title ‘Arpeggios at the speed of light’. The clip – which at the time of writing boasts almost 4.2 million views – sees the guitarist playing a near-six-minute composition packed with relentless, lightning fast – and somewhat sense-defying – alternate picking runs, sweeps and just about everything else in a shredder’s arsenal, so it’s no wonder it’s become such a hit.
And now, seven years later, Salazar has set up his humble Wenstone KBA-650 R combo guitar amp on the street for another blazing performance of the composition, to the utter amazement of a handful of passersby.
Armed again with his Kiesel Jason Becker Numbers six-string, Salazar delivers a mind-bending performance, showcasing his unbelievable finger dexterity and coordination with an incredible display of shred guitar. Honestly, the guitar seems more like an appendage in Salazar’s hands than a tool.
“We relived the magic that words cannot express,” the guitarist says, referring to the first ‘Arpeggios at the speed of light’ video in 2015. “Speed and time do not exist when it comes to [my] passion for music and guitar.”
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Watch the full video above. And for more mind-blowing guitar playing from Salazar, head to his official YouTube channel.
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
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