By Hu Wo (Cuckoo’s Song)
PEOPLE have been creating music to this day. They are still composing songs in different types, versions and trends. In my personal view, the potential reason why people make music is that they may want to imitate birds singing or frogs croaking in groups as well as music enables them to feel soothing and to lessen boredom. Whatever the reason is, I am certain that most people like to listen to music, to say the least, even though they do not sing or write songs. In the main, people tend to sing a song alone or sometimes with their close friends no matter whether their voice is good or not. Singing is also a kind of listening to music, of course, that is, a singer will have a feeling for his song and voice himself. To think deeply, listening to music is prone to exert immense effects on everyday human life.
First of all, people listen to music for pleasure. Some are given to listening to music before sleep, during relaxation time and in the morning. Mostly, those who suffer from sleeping difficulties like to listen to music, work out, take a shower, have hot drinks, practice meditation or even read before their sleep. Shortly after that, they are inclined to go to sleep more easily than those who do not. At night, most people like listening to country songs, folk songs, traditional songs or love songs on the phone and sometimes on the radio. During relaxation time, people used to listen to tape recorders, sitting still and quiet. Before the age of cassettes and television, our former generations would rarely listen to songs only on the air from the radio. Nowadays, we can always feel any type of song at will on the Internet, also with the help of Bluetooth and a soundbox, if we wish. In the morning, people who believe in Buddhism usually play Dhamma songs or religious songs so pleasantly that everyone who hears them is likely to get peace and calmness. My favourite Dhamma songs include `Zeya Shwe Myay´ by Htay Htay Myint, `Dhamasakya´ by Ni Ni Win Shwe, and `Than Buddhe´ by Tin Tin Mya.
Secondly, it is well known by many people that we often listen to music for happiness or fun. When we celebrate a party, we play rather loud music to the threshold that all comers can hear and stand it well, so that too much noise should not be made inappropriately. This usually takes place in victory celebrations, birthday parties, wedding ceremonies, donations like `Shin-pyu´ or `Thingyan´, and other religious events. On these occasions can be heard almost all seasonal songs, great songs, hit songs, pop songs, old songs, and new songs. A song and dance about gathering may be thrown together with food and drinks. Since birthdays, weddings, and donations are social events, both hosts and guests are willingly happy to serve and get served, respectively. At that time, good songs played in the events also bring a part of happiness to not only hosts but also guests by getting to know that the right things or suitable deeds are conducted between the relationship bridge with arches, figuratively.
Thirdly, it is for extrinsic-turned-intrinsic motivation that people listen to music. Often this occurs in school, its ceremonies and political situations. In the morning, we students must sing the National Anthem written by YMB Saya Tin at school. This song has aroused the patriotic spirit of every Myanmar who just heard it since colonial times in Myanmar. In award ceremonies at school, such motivated songs to students as `Athitaya-anyataku´ by Twante Thein Tan and `Khundawyimanchat´ by Than Tun Lay can be heard as always. In the British colonial age of Myanmar History, `Nagani´ written by Shwe Ti Nyunt was the most popular patriotic song. That song has been sung by different Myanmar singers until now. Strange to say, as Myanmar literature scholar U Myint Kyi stated, any patriotic song did not arise in the late Konbaung era of Myanmar, when British colonials had conquered Lower Myanmar through two invasion wars. If composers had been allowed to write and publish patriotic songs at that time, Myanmar could have taken less or more time to have fallen into the colonials’ hands. Through different times of history, any state government has been frightened of those who compose or sing patriotic songs to death. This is how music has a strong influence even on history.
Finally, I find it sad to listen to songs, particularly sad songs. While I was in my childhood, sad songs could be heard from funeral services as usual, and their main purpose seemed to show the bereaved’s mourning. Such songs included in my neighbouring villages’ funerals were `Chone Lwar Lat Saung´, `Htwe Nyo´or `Chityatsheshe Inyarmyay´ by Thwante Thein Tan and `Maunt Achit Myar´ or `Salmoe Salngwe´ by Mar Mar Aye, even though they are still good songs liked by the former elders, including some of today’s youth. Sad songs can be even heard in commemoration, for instance, on Myanmar’s National Martyrs’ Day with the song `Alaypupatal´ by May Hla Myaing. Sad songs are heard at weddings and `Shin-pyu´as as often as possible. Usually, after love songs come torch songs in the late afternoon of the Myanmar countryside weddings. Some listen to torch songs to heal their breakup or divorce. In Myanmar’s `Shin-pyu´ festivals, we will never miss the songs `Bawdi Shwe Kyaung´ by Sein Beda and `Theinwinawaka Amaymyatye´ by Hinthada Tun Yin. After all, songs are a great healer as well.
My music teacher U Thawda Tun once suggested that music is a thing which we can both hear and feel. So, anything that can be neither heard nor felt is not music. Some like feeling music with songs, but I know that others enjoy listening to music without song lyrics. Some people like happy songs only, whereas others choose and listen to torch songs. To me, the more love songs and fewer sad songs, the better. Indeed, songs can make us feel unbelievably soothing, pleasurable, happy or sad very quickly. Sometimes sad songs heal our sorrow, but sometimes lead to our depression. My deceased brother Pho Kyaw said to me, ``Never listen to torch songs. It’s no good thing.´´ Different people have different ideas for torch songs. Some superstitious beliefs say that the omens for torch songs are not good. Whatever is said, the music effect must be nothing but a sort of energy to us all. At least we will hum a song to reduce our laziness or loneliness.
