Burmese Pop Music: Identity in Transition
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Burmese Pop Music: Identity in Transition


By Min Zin SEPTEMBER, 2002 - VOLUME 10 NO.7


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Many trainers complain, however, that the younger trainees do not really want to learn music theory and do not have enough perseverance to become proficient at playing an instrument. "They simply want to be popular, without having any foundation," says Ko Sai, a guitar teacher. However, some point out the lack of opportunity for well-trained musicians to exercise their talents. "One older musician received training at the Tchaikovsky Institute in the former USSR. He learned violin, flute and oboe, but the government didn’t support his efforts to found an orchestra. He ended up opening a small private music school in Rangoon. It was a waste of talent," relates a Burmese violinist who requested not to be named. For pop musicians, however, finding an outlet for their talents is less of a challenge than simply honing them. For the serious-minded, the dearth of places to study music and the limited opportunities to attend international music schools presents the greatest problem. "Music schools here are very much underdeveloped," laments Singapore-trained Rap musician Myo Kyawt Myaing. Meanwhile, the technological sophistication of the Burmese music industry has progressed rapidly since the late 1990s. In the studio, sound engineers record the music with highly advanced 32-track systems or hard disks. Since many varieties of software are available, musicians can computerize not just performances but also whole music arrangements. Although these technological advances have fueled a growing demand for genres such as Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop and Alter-Rock, such music still has a limited following among young Burmese. Many observers note that Burmese audiences tend to favor the instant relaxation of easy-listening music over the demands of less familiar genres. They note that albums of newly produced easy-listening cover songs and updated renditions of 10-20-year-old songs are always on the top-ten list of the Burmese music industry. Market conditions in Burma make it difficult for musicians to commit to any particularly genre, or to take chances with creating a new sound. Many Burmese musicians who came out as "Rockers" in the beginning, for instance, later started singing pop, country, techno, and other popular genres. "Many of these problems can be attributed to the music market," maintains Nwe Yin Win. "Creating a beautiful original composition may take four or five months, but the composer will earn only thirty thousand kyat or so. How would he survive?" Apart from its reluctance to embrace new varieties of music, the Burmese music market is also quite limited in size, despite the country’s population of 50 million. "In neighboring countries, one album can sell more than a million copies. Here we have to try very hard to sell ten to fifty thousand cassette tapes," explains U Chit Khin of Yin Mar Music Production. Unlike most other countries in the world, music cassettes are still the most popular format in Burma. Although other formats, such as CD, VCD and DVD, are also available, they tend to lead to piracy, which has become a major headache for producers. "Since Burma does not have an audio copyright law, piracy has been getting out of control," says composer Maung Thit Min. In neighboring countries, market expansion of the music industry is effectively facilitated by both state-owned and privately run media, particularly TV stations. "Neighboring countries have MTV. Live concerts are also shown on TV everyday. These programs are the best promotion for the music industry," notes music analyst Soe Thein. "There is no MTV-style program on Myanmar TV or Myawaddy TV, even for 30 minutes a week, let alone live shows or an MTV channel." However, a tiny space has opened up since the inauguration of a new FM radio station in the Rangoon area, run by the city’s municipal government. The new station went on the air in January 2002 and broadcasts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents of Rangoon can enjoy listening to this FM station, since it plays Burmese pop music most of the time. "It is an oasis in the desert," says Thukhamein Hlaing. "But since it is only for the Rangoon area, it is still just a drop in the bucket." Meanwhile, many musicians in Burma complain that it is becoming more difficult to stage outdoor concerts. Some say they hope to organize a big open-air concert to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and deliver an anti-drugs message to young people. "Young people are now seeking an outlet for their frustrations. They need to be persuaded to channel their potential for betterment. We as singers have a responsibility," says Zaw Win Htut, a famous rock singer who recently performed at concert sponsored by the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) at the Strand Hotel in Rangoon. "I’ll seek permission to hold outdoor concerts when I get back to Burma so that we musicians can join and work together for social betterment.


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