Myanmar X Band

[Melissa Alvarado]

Themainstream music scene is thus on the one hand very traditional and shaped to suit the conservative elite, while on the other, trying to resemble Western music as closely as possible. There is thus very little traditional music, perhaps because of its ethnic connotations. And despite the removal of censorship several years back, there is a surprising lack of experimentation with lyrics and style. To me, it seemed that this could either be a sign that censorship was de facto still in place, or that the music culture had been so tamed after 60 years of repression that it was difficult for musicians to find their own voices.

While I mostly acquainted myself with mainstream music in public transport, I had much more personal contact with the underground scene in Yangon through my work with Turning Tables Myanmar, an NGO that works to empower marginalized youth through music and video production. These musicians were self-taught and often equipped with a political, rebellious text universe and a distaste for mainstream musicians. While these artists took pride in writing their own music, it was still heavily inspired by Western bands, and at our festival last year all 30 bands had English names such as Side Effect, Suicide Plan, G-Tone and Bliss. It was puzzling to me how both the mainstream pop-culture and progressive music scene were looking towards the Western music scene, albeit from different perspectives. Only a few musicians try to work with the traditional music of Myanmar by sampling beats and riffs into electronic tracks in the up-and-coming dub-step scene.

The underground scene is an urban phenomenon. While there might be around 60 bands in Yangon, the numbers fall to a handful in Meikhtila and Mandalay, and when we travelled to rural areas of the country (Pathein, Loikaw, Myitkyina), there was mostly Church-based music with light lyrics and soft vocals. My fellow musicians from Turning Tables found themselves far from home, and the clash of music cultures revealed the very different paces of progress between Yangon and the rural Myanmar. Walking down the dirt roads of a tiny mountain village, our black denim and sunglasses reflected a very different world and worldview than what was the lived experience among these villagers.

Talking to the bands at the festival, I realized that only a handful of our 30 bands had ever played live on stage before, and I started looking into what sort of barriers these music groups faced. It turns out that a major issue is the economic aspect, as bands are required to pay 300 USD for government permission, 400-500 USD for a venue and additional costs for sound and light equipment as well as music instruments, making the total expenses of a concert approximately 1,000 USD, more than 3 months of salary for many musicians. Another challenge is access to a venue. While Yangon has a few venues, many refuse to host underground bands more than once due to economic and reputational reasons.[1] Skum from CultureShok described it like this:

Moreover, the process of obtaining a government permission can be long and complicated, sometimes requiring the band to play at specific venues that are out of the price range of both audience and musicians.[2]

The opinions expressed on this website belong to the authors alone, and do not reflect the views of the editors, the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, the Asian Institute, the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy or the University of Toronto.

The band's symbol depicts an eagle and a metal cross, and is in a way, similar to the Parteiadler used as a Nazi party emblem. As a result, the international community in the past, kept an eye on the band. But lead guitarist Chit San Maung said that the band had not known the symbol was a taboo.[4]

The band, initially named 'Holy Cross,' was formed in 1990.[5][4] The band changed its name to 'Iron Cross' to draw a wider audience.[5][4] A few months after disbanding the band Symphony, Saw Bwe Hmu formed Iron Cross with his guitar student Chit San Maung, keyboard player Banyar Naing (from the Moe Thout Pan band, he first joined IC as temporary / session player, after a year or two, he joined as permanent player), the former New Waves band players; bassist Khin Maung Thant and drummer Kha Yan. In its early days, Saw Bwe Hmu allows his all members to play as a session player. But his best friend Dr. Ko Ko Lwin who is currently manager of IC, talked all members not to play session anymore at their meeting. In 1992, Lay Phyu came to Yangon from Taunggyi to record his first album and then he played it with IC. The emergence of Lay Phyu brought success and fame to the band.[6] Later, Lay Phyu's brother Ah Nge joined and then Y Wine. Myo Gyi, the guitar student of Chit San Maung, was the last to join to IC. All the four subsequently began solo careers with IC but continued to perform together at live show performances.

In 2008, they participated in a big event held in Japan, performing with different bands of ASEAN countries. In December 2008, in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, IC staged a concert fundraiser that entertained 50,000 fans, becoming Myanmar's largest concert audience at that point.[7] $100,000 were fundraised for the victims of the storm-hit areas.

First, a quick history lesson. Until 2011, Myanmar was under the rule of a military dictatorship notorious for its brutality, broad censorship practices and, most prominently from an international perspective, its role in keeping Nobel laureate and democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for years.

Recently, however, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) has undergone a profound shift. In 2010 Suu Kyi was not only allowed to leave her Yangon home to travel and speak without restriction, but soon the ban on the political party she represented, the National League for Democracy, was lifted, allowing her to run for, and win, a spot in Parliament. She and others are guiding Myanmar in transition toward democracy. As a result, many international sanctions have been loosened, and the country is gradually adjusting to a new reality.

I sat down with singer and guitarist Darko C. of Side Effect and the rest of the band as South by Southwest was winding down. A hard, tight post-punk band, the members cite influences including the Strokes, White Stripes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Hot Heat, Handsome Furs, Silversun Pickups and the Kooks as inspiration.

It was sponsored by the U.S. government, so it was at the American Club. They played at the American consulate, as well, and a school for the blind. But since then the country has changed so much. Are you comfortable talking about the political changes?

In recent years, the LGBT community has become more open and accepted in Myanmar. Still, same sex activity remains technically illegal, and the gay night at J-One Music Bar is sometimes shut down.

To celebrate Human Rights Day, various Burmese bands took the stage and performed. The Rebel Riot band did an acoustic set with their friends. Between songs, Kyaw Kyaw spoke from the heart about the importance of this cause.

A lot of young locals and travelers come to dine at Rangoon Tea House, which is one of the highest rated restaurants in the city. The restored two-level space is reminiscent of the British colonial era, with classic molded ceilings and lanterns.

As you can see from our smiles, we loved the food at Rangoon Tea House. The mohinga (Burmese fish noodle soup) was so delicious that we ordered two bowls! This national favorite dish is made from fresh Rakhine daggertooth fish, and perfectly balances sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Bo used to live in Thailand, and brought these traditional flavors to her cooking. At the same time, Green Gallery is as modern as it gets: she brought us gin and tonics with colorful straws, and we admired the industrial, bohemian design of the restaurant.

Root is a new restaurant and bar, which pays homage to the Wa people who live in Shan State. This region of Myanmar is often dismissed as a drug and conflict-ridden borderland, so these owners wanted to showcase Wa culture, art, and food in a comfortable space.

I leave you with a few spooky shots of Yukiro, at the Natural World theme park in Yangon. Some of these attractions are abandoned, while others are still in operation but extremely creepy.

Out of this uprising, the punk band and collective The Rebel Riot was born. Forged in tumult and unrest, their message has always been one of rebellion, compassion and, above all, solidarity. For years the band toured the few music venues in the country and released songs with names such as United Forever Fight Together and Stop All Fucking Wars. They also got involved in causes and volunteer organisations across Myanmar. Their actions included spending time with their local homeless community, raising money through gigs and donating it directly to groups that need it, and working with their local Food Not Bombs group (FNB is a grassroots solidarity movement that started 1980 and has autonomous chapters all over the world).

Myanmar National Network leader Ko Win Ko Ko Latt, a regular fixture at nationalist protests in recent years and known for his anti-Muslim activism, saw the photos in the following days and lodged a complaint with the Yangon Region office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.

After a Facebook post condemning the band was shared widely, Win Ko Ko Latt said he was contacted by Ko Kyaw Kyaw, who wore the Buddhist robes in the photo, to say he had no intention of insulting Buddhism.

Presided over by Yangon Region Ma Ba Tha chair U Pyin Nyinda and attended by around 20 monks, Kyaw Kyaw signed a document confessing to have offended religious sentiment and made a verbal promise not to repeat the transgression.

Hi,

Music is said to be a universal language. Indeed it helps to discover and better understand the culture of a country.

What are the most popular music genres in Myanmar? How about traditional music and instruments?

Who are the local artists you would recommend?

Where can you listen to them: are there any concerts or music festival held regularly?

Thank you in advance for participating,

Kenjee

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