Upper Myanmar-palooza

Upper Myanmar-palooza

By Nandar Aung and Ei Ei Thu   |   Monday, 09 September 2013

A joint project between a number of well-known Myanmar bands will see them head to Upper Myanmar next month to rock, bop and hip-hop their way to crowds who in the past, have had to travel to Yangon to see their favourite bands.

The band, Emperor will headline the acts which will also feature SIR (Skull in Ribcage), a collective of bands including Idiot, Wanted, Reason and Big Bag. The bands are set to play weekend shows in Mandalay, Taunggyi, Pyin Oo Lwin, Sagaing, Magwe, Pakokku and Bagan.

The tour has also bookended a pair of Yangon shows, the first at the National Theater on October 5 and then another in Yangon in December, after a planned performance at the closing ceremony of the 27th SEA Games in Nay Pyi Taw.

Organised by Myanmar Media Management (MMM), the tour is the first such endeavor for those involved, said project manager Ko Si Thu Thein. He said the tour is about more than just selling tickets and playing music – it was also about forging closer ties with others in the industry and setting out to solve the problems that plague musicians and record companies everywhere in the digital age.

"The music industry has nearly been destroyed because of pirated CDs," he said. "So when we arrive in a city, we will hold a workshop with industry folks and discuss how we can solve this problem."

Along the tour MMM also plans to make a documentary in collaboration with the local music industries in each city, for future television airing.

Zaw Win Htut, Emperor's lead singer, said the tour will be an experience-builder for the bands involved, but he was also eager to place it in a broader context.

"I want to increase the skills of musicians, so we are trying to develop the music industry by sharing our experiences and knowledge as much as we can," he commented.

"We have a great industry in the country, but it will be better if we can collaborate across genres and styles."

He said he was particularly looking forward to playing Upper Myanmar.

"We've never sung there before and some of us have personal connections. I'm from Upper Myanmar myself, so it will be exciting for to perform there."

Zaw Win Htut said his band's decision to join SIR was based on invigorating the music scene.

"They are making music bravely, creating what they want to create – it will be an honour to play alongside our colleagues. We respect them."

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/upper-myanmar-palooza/