The
music of
Myanmar
(or Burma) (
Burmese
:
??????????
) shares many
similarities
with other musical styles in the region. Traditional music is
melodic
, having its own unique form of
harmony
, often composed with a
4
4
(
na-yi-se
), a
2
4
(
wa-let-se
) or a
8
16
(
wa-let-a-myan
)
time signature
. In Burmese, music segments are combined into patterns, and then into verses, making it a multi-level hierarchical system. Various levels are manipulated to create a song. Harmony in
Mahagita
(the Burmese body of music) is known as
twe-lone,
which is similar to a chord in western music. For example, C is combined with F or G.
Musical instruments
include the
brass
se (which is like a
triangle
),
hne
(a kind of
oboe
), the bamboo wa, as well as the well-known
saung
, a boat-shaped
harp
.
[1]
Traditionally, the instruments are classified into five groups called
pyissin turiya
(
????????????
). These instruments are played on a musical scale consisting of seven tones, each associated with an animal that is said to be the producer of the tone. Each tone can be raised, lowered, or played naturally (corresponding to sharp, flat or natural), resulting in twenty-one possible combinations. The
pat waing
drum circle, for example, consists of twenty-one drums, one tuned to each tone in each possible combination. Similarly, the
Kyi Waing,
a twenty-one gong instrument is struck with a knobbed stick placed alongside the pat waing.
[1]
Western music gained popularity in Burma during the 1930s, despite the government's intervention. During the socialist era, musicians and artists were subject to censorship by the
Press Scrutiny Board
and Central Registration Board, as well as laws like the State Protection Law. Classical music was also introduced during the British occupation. Pop music emerged in the 1970s and was banned by state-run radio stations. However, many artists circumvented this censorship by producing albums in private studios and releasing them in music production shops. Rock music, called
stereo
in Burmese, has been a popular form of music since the 1980s. When the country's regulations on censorship were loosened in 2000, many pop groups emerged throughout Myanmar such as Electronic Machine, Playboy, ELF Myanmar, and the King.
[2]
In August 2012, state censorship on music was officially abolished.
Traditional music
[
edit
]
Classical traditions
[
edit
]
The orthodox
Theravada Buddhism
rejects music as being decadent, but despite this cultural backdrop, the Burmese monarchy along with the infusion of different regional music styles, created several classical traditions of Burmese music. The oldest of such influences may perhaps come from China, which shares a similar pentatonic
musical scale
as classical Burmese music.
[3]
Other influences include
Mon
music (called
Talaing than
or "sounds of the Talaing [Mon]"), particularly in the
Mah?g?ta
(
??????
), the complete body of classical Burmese music.
[4]
[5]
A prevailing one is called
yodaya
(
????????
), which is essentially a class of Burmese adaptations to songs accompanied with the
saung gauk
and come from the
Ayutthaya kingdom
(modern-day Thailand) during the reigns of
Bayinnaung
(1551?1581) and
Hsinbyushin
(1753?1776), which brought back a variety of cultural traditions including the
Ramayana
.
[3]
The primary indigenous form is called
thachin
(
??????
).
Burmese classical music ensembles can be divided into outdoor and indoor ensembles. The outdoor musical ensemble is the
sidaw
(
???????
); also called
sidawgyi
(
???????????
), which was an outdoor ensemble in royal courts used to mark important ceremonial functions like the
royal ploughing ceremony
.
[4]
It consists of a
hnegyi
(
???????
), a large double reed pipe and
sidaw
(
???????
), a pair of ceremonial drums, as well as the
si
(
????
) and
wa
(
???
), a bell and clapper and the
gandama
, a double-headed drum. Today,
sidaw
music is played at festivals. Other instruments used in classical music include the
saung
(a harp) and
pattala
(a xylophone). The indoor form is the
chamber music
ensemble, which basically comprises a female singer accompanied by a traditional ensemble consisting of the
saung
(
??????
),
pattala
(
???????
),
migyaung
(
?????????
, a
zither
),
palwe
(
????
, a flute) and in the past also included the
tayaw
(
????
, a fiddle) and
hnyin
(a small mouth organ).
[6]
Mahagita
[
edit
]
Translated as "great music" in
Pali
, the
Mah?g?ta
is an extensive collection of Burmese classical songs called
thachin gyi
. The collection is divided into several different types of songs including the following:
kyo
,
bwe
,
thachin gan
, the oldest repertoires;
pat pyo
, royal court music;
lwan chin
, songs of longing;
lay dway than gat
;
myin gin
, music that makes horses dance;
nat chin
, songs used to worship the
nat
, Burmese spirits;
yodaya
, music introduced from Ayutthaya,
talaing than
, music adapted from the
Mon people
and
bole
, songs of sorrow.
[5]
Folk traditions
[
edit
]
Burmese music includes a variety of folk traditions. A distinct form of which is called the
byaw
(
????
), often played at religious festivals and sung to the beat of a long and thin drum, with occasional interruptions by the beating of a larger drum.
[7]
The traditional folk ensemble, typically used in
nat pwe
(Burmese theatre, art and festivals) is called the
hsaing waing
(
????????????
). It is mainly made up of different gongs and drums, as well as other instruments, depending on the nature of performance.
[8]
The ensemble bears many similarities to other Southeast Asian ensembles, although it incorporates a drum circle not found in similar ensembles.
[4]
The ensemble is made up of a series of drums and gongs, including the center pieces, which are the
hne
(double reed pipe) and
pat waing
, set of 21 tuned drums in a circle.
[4]
Other instruments in this ensemble include the
kyi waing
(
??????????
, small bronze gongs in a circular frame) and
maung hsaing
(
????????????
, larger bronze gongs in a rectangular frame), as well as the
si
and
wa
(bell and clapper) and the recent addition of the
chauk lone bat
(a group of six drums which have gained currency since the early 20th century).
[4]
Hsaing waing music, however, is atypical in Southeast Asian music, characterised by sudden shifts in rhythm and melody as well as change in texture and
timbre
.
[9]
Popular music
[
edit
]
Early beginnings
[
edit
]
Western music has gained popularity in Burma since the 1930s. Despite the government's intervention at times, especially during the socialist era, popular Burmese music has seen considerable influence from Western music, which consists of popular Western songs rendered in Burmese and
pop music
similar to other Asian pop tunes.
[9]
Classical music was also introduced during the British occupation. Cult folk musician
Nick Drake
was born in Burma during
British rule
.
Rock music, called
stereo
in Burmese, has been a popular form of music since the 1980s, having been introduced in the 1960s.
[10]
Pop music emerged in the 1970s and was banned by state-run radio stations. However, many artists circumvented this censorship by producing albums in private studios and releasing them in music production shops.
[11]
During the socialist era, musicians and artists were subject to censorship by the
Press Scrutiny Board
and Central Registration Board, as well as laws like the State Protection Law.
[11]
During this period, the arrival of various bands including the influential Thabawa Yinthwenge (The Wild Ones), which included lead singer
Sai Htee Saing
, an ethnic
Shan
, in 1973 paved the way for ethnic minority musicians to gain visibility in the Burmese music industry.
[11]
Sai Kham Leik
is a well known composer associated with
The Wild Ones
. Other contemporary singers were
Khin Maung Toe
,
Kaiser
,
Hlwan Moe
,
Htoo Ein Thin
,
Soe Lwin Lwin
,
Saung Oo Hlaing
,
Lay Phyu
,
May Sweet
,
Maykhala
, and
Connie
.
1980s-1990s
[
edit
]
During the
8888 Uprising
, restrictions loosened and many artists began writing music with themes of freedom and
democracy
. However, after the
State Law and Order Restoration Council
usurped power in 1988, the
Press Scrutiny Board
was reformed to censor specific political and social issues, including
poverty
, the sex trade, democracy, and human rights. The Myanmar Music Asiayon (MMA) was established by the SLORC to further censor Burmese-produced music. Popular musicians including
Zaw Win Htut
and Sai Htee Saing have produced propaganda albums written by military officers such as Mya Than San.
[11]
Hip hop
and
rap
emerged in the late 1990s and is now the prevailing genre of music among Burmese youth today.
[11]
Bands like Iron Cross, Emperor and BigBag are popular among older Burmese and certain groups of youth. There are hip-hop enthusiasts all over Burma with Burmese hip-hop artists such as
Ye Lay
,
Sai Sai Kham Hlaing
, and J-me. There are also many underground rock and metal bands such as All Else I Fail, Last Day of Beethoven, Temper Level VIII, Tha Ta Lin Chate, Idiots, Offkeys, We Are the Waste, The Last Secret, etc. but mostly producing nu-metal and
metalcore
. As for heavy metal, the scene is growing steadily but remains less popular compared to mainstream music. Despite very few metal bands in Burma, the metal band aficionado society is united and supportive of raw black metal, thrash metal, and death metal. Burmese cover songs (particularly from Asia) represented early pop music in the country as artists recorded and performed "copy tunes," which were reproductions of international pop songs performed in Burmese. Singers such as
Min Min Latt
paved the way for other artists such as Myanmar's version of
Lady Gaga
,
Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein
,
[12]
R Zarni
and
Sai Sai Kham Leng
.
2000s-present
[
edit
]
When the country's regulations on censorship were loosened in 2000, new pop groups emerged across Myanmar who were able to compose, record and perform original Burmese music. Many pop groups emerged throughout Myanmar such as Electronic Machine, Playboy, ELF Myanmar and the King.
[2]
In August 2012, state censorship on music was officially abolished. The only government censorship that remains on music is video censorship. Everyone can, in essence, release whatever they want. This has led many on the newly re-grouped
Myanmar Music Association
to grapple with the idea of forming a rating system to deal with some 'rude words' in music that may not be appropriate for all ages.
After decades underground, a small but enduring
punk rock
and
heavy metal music
scene has been increasingly visible in Burma.
[13]
Modelling many 1970s and '80s classic Western punk bands and Modern Metal. Burmese punk band metal band shows a musical defiance that has not been seen before in Burma.
[13]
In the German made 2012 documentary film "Yangon Calling" over a period of six weeks film-makers Alexander Dluzak and Carsten Piefke secretly filmed, as they documented the Burmese punks life, documenting everything from meeting friends and family, visiting rehearsals and filming secret concerts.
[14]
Websites that have started up in recent years such as Myanmar Xbands have given attention to the Burmese punk scene along with other alternative Burmese music. The site has developed into a hub for artists to display their music to a Burmese and international audience for free download. Most of the Talented Bands Like Last Day of Beethoven, Darkest Tears from My Heart, Fever 109, We Are the Waste are well known by others because of this website. While other Burmese punk bands like pop punk band Side Effect, turned to raising funds on
IndieGoGo
, to release their first album. The band just managed to raise enough funds to release their album in May 2012, shortly before their efforts fell short to international sanctions.
[15]
However, other popular Burmese punk bands such as No Uturn or Rebel Riot has turned to self-release, releasing their demos on popular download sites such as MySpace and Reverb Nation.
Musical instruments
[
edit
]
Burmese music has a wide variety of
musical instruments
, including the
brass
se (which is like a
triangle
),
hne
(a kind of
oboe
) and bamboo wa, as well as the well-known
saung
, a boat-shaped
harp
.
[1]
Beginning just before World War II, the piano was adapted to the performance of Burmese traditional music, modelling its technique after that of the
pattala
and
saung
. The best known performer of Burmese piano was Gita Lulin Maung Ko Ko, known as U Ko Ko (1928?2007).
[16]
The
Burmese harp
is of special significance. It dates back to the 9th century, though it has changed quite a bit since then, expanding, for example, from three strings to sixteen. During the
Konbaung
period (1752?1885), courtly musicians included Queen Ma Mya Galay, Princess Hlaing Hteikhaung Tin, Minister
Myawaddy Mingyi U Sa
, and King
Nat Shin Naung
of
Taungoo
.
Burmese musical instruments are traditionally classified into five classes, called
pyissin turiya
(
????????????
):
- Kyei
(
????
) -
brass
instruments
- Thayei
(
?????
) - leather-covered drums
- Kyo
(
?????
) -
string instruments
- Lei
(
??
) - wind instruments
- Letkhok
(
???????
) - percussion instruments
Tuning
[
edit
]
These instruments are played in a
musical scale
consisting of seven tones, each associated with an animal that is said to be the producer of the tone. Each tone can be played raised, lowered or natural (corresponding to sharp, flat or natural), resulting a possible twenty-one combinations. The
pat waing
drum circle, for example, consists of twenty-one drums, one tuned to each tone in each possible combination, and the
saing saya
(maestro) sits in the middle using various parts of his hands to strike the drums to produce a melody. The
kyi waing
is the gong circle strung up in the same fashion and the gongs are struck with a knobbed stick and in accompaniment to the
pat waing
.
[1]
Tone name
|
Burmese name
|
Animal
|
Approx. tone
|
Usabha (
???
)
|
Pyidawpyan
(
????????????
)
|
bull
|
G
|
Dhevata (
????
)
|
Chaukthwenyunt
(
???????????????
)
|
horse
|
D
|
Chajja (
?????
)
|
Duraka
(
????
)
|
peacock
|
A
|
Gandh?ra (
??????
)
|
Myinsaing
(
??????????
)
|
goat
|
E
|
Majjhima (
???????
)
|
Pale
(
????
)
|
crane
|
B
|
Panzama (
?????
)
|
Aukpyan
(
??????????
)
|
cuckoo
|
F
|
Nis?da (
?????
)
|
Hnyinlon
(
??????????
)
|
elephant
|
C
|
Kyay
instruments
[
edit
]
Kyay
or
brass
instruments feature prominently in Burmese music. They include:
- Linkwin
(?????????) - brass cymbals
[17]
- Kyay nin
(????????) - brass gong
- Kyay naung
(?????????) - small brass gong
- Maung
(??????) - brass gong
- Kyay si
(???????) - triangular gong
- Chu si
(??????) - jingle-like gong
- Kyauk si
(?????????) - circular brass gong
- Maung saing
(????????????) - a graduated series of brass gongs
- Khaunglaung
(????????????) - brass bells
- Thanlwin
(??????) - small brass cymbals
- Pha si
(??????) - bronze drums used in Mon, Karen, and Kayah music
[17]
Kyo
instruments
[
edit
]
Kyo
or
string instruments
in the Burmese musical repertoire include the following:
Thaye
instruments
[
edit
]
Thaye
or leather instruments primarily consist of percussive-type
drums
used in folk ensembles, including:
- Ozi
(???????) - open-ended drum with a long body
- Dobat
(???????) - short drum slung from the neck when played
- Byaw
(????) - long drum
- Bongyi
(???????) - medium-sized long drum commonly used in folk music
- Bonto
(??????) - short drum
- Bonshay
(???????) - long drum carried with a rope round the neck
- Si
(??????) - big drum
- Sito
(??????) - short drum
- Sakhun
(??????) - double-headed drum on a stand
- Patwaing
(?????????) - drum circle
- Chauklonpat
(?????????????) - drum ensemble consisting of six graduated drums
Lei
instruments
[
edit
]
The
lei
or
wind instruments
include:
- Hne
(???) -
oboe
- Palwe
(????) -
flute
- Khayu thin
(???) - conch shell
- Bado
(?????) - trumpet of an animal horn or conch shell
- Khaya
(???) - trumpet-shaped wind instrument
- Nyin
(?????)
- Phetleik
(???????)
Letkhok
instruments
[
edit
]
The
letkhok
or percussion instruments are the least numerous, and include:
- Wa letkhok
(??????????) - bamboo clappers
- Ton wa
- wooden gong or bamboo for timing and bamboo clappers
[17]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
Shway Yoe (Sir James George Scott) 1882.
The Burman ? His Life and Notions
. New York: The Norton Library 1963. pp. 317?319.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
a
b
Zin, Min (September 2002).
"Burmese Pop Music: Identity in Transition"
.
The Irrawaddy
. Retrieved
19 December
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Zaw, Zaw (1940). "Burmese Music (A Preliminary Enquiry)".
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
.
10
(3): 717?754.
doi
:
10.1017/S0041977X0008873X
.
JSTOR
608839
.
S2CID
246638963
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Garifas, Robert (1985). "The Development of the Modern Burmese Hsaing Ensemble".
Asian Music
.
16
(1): 1?28.
doi
:
10.2307/834011
.
JSTOR
834011
.
- ^
a
b
"The Maha Gita"
. University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 30 October 1995
. Retrieved
16 April
2009
.
- ^
"The Saung Gauk"
. University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 5 November 1995
. Retrieved
16 April
2009
.
- ^
Tallantyre, Renee (December 1939). "The Rose Apple Tree".
Folklore
.
50
(4). Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.: 384.
doi
:
10.1080/0015587X.1939.9718201
.
JSTOR
1257406
.
So he composed music that is called the
byaw
, played usually at religious festivals. The
byaw
has the continuous rhythm of the single beat of a small, long drum, representing the tinkling of the water as the fruits of the Zabuthabye tree fell into it. The beat is punctuated by sudden thumpings onto a huge, thick drum, to represent the spasmodic gulps of the giant ananda.
- ^
"music"
. 23 June 2014.
- ^
a
b
Miller, Terry E.;
Sean Williams
(2008).
The Garland handbook of Southeast Asian music
. Routledge. p. 17.
ISBN
978-0-415-96075-5
.
- ^
Lockard, Craig A. (1998).
Dance of Life: Popular Music and Politics in Southeast Asia
. University of Hawaii Press.
ISBN
0-8248-1918-7
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
Korpe, Marie (2004).
Shoot the singer!: music censorship today
. Zed Books.
ISBN
1-84277-505-7
.
- ^
Kelly Macnamara (28 March 2012).
"Burma's pop stars brace for revolution"
.
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved
19 December
2013
.
- ^
a
b
Dukovic, Pari (25 March 2013).
"Burma Wave"
.
The New Yorker
. pp. 70?71
. Retrieved
22 November
2013
.
- ^
"Yangon Calling"
. CRI English and German. 2012
. Retrieved
23 August
2012
.
- ^
"Myanmar Band "Side Effect" release debut album"
. CRI English. 2012
. Retrieved
23 August
2012
.
- ^
"The Burmese Piano Music of U Ko Ko"
.
www.umbc.edu
. Retrieved
21 January
2021
.
- ^
a
b
c
Minn Kyi.
"Myanmar Traditional Musical Instruments"
.
Yangonow
.
Archived
from the original on 26 June 2006.
External links
[
edit
]