Burmese “Thangyat” – Burmese Choral Songs for Burmese Traditional Water Festival produced by Burmese activists from India
MyanmarISP Team
March 15, 2009
Burmese democracy activists in India had launched “Thangyat” song CD for Burmese traditional water festival coming in every year of April. “Thangyat” is choral songs, kind of antiphonal chants with humor and satire, openly criticizing the authority of their misdeeds and behaviors in rap-like song-performance on the stages while celebrating Burmese New Year with traditional practice of water throwing to each other.
However under the heavy censorship and hard action by the Burmese military junta on such free expression, “Thangyat” were banned from public performance inside Burma. The album was composed by “Myat Htet”, arranged by “Kyaut Me Kyaw Gyi” and opened with recital of a poem, “Summer Poem” written by “Nandar Moe Kye”.
The group had already produced nine “Thangyat” albums annually since 1997 from India. This year “Thangyat” album was titled; “Let’s go to prison to conquer”, reflecting the defiance of Burmese political prisoners under the regime.