Music industry hits right beat
The Myanmar music industry is changing its tune as album and concert tickets sales rise. The release of albums and music DVDs are becoming more frequent and many artists are moving away from the once-dominant cover versions that were the norm for decades.
“Albums are being released one after another these days. Many more are still to come. The industry is in a better condition than before. Music fans have started supporting their favourite artists by buying their albums. Artists have started focusing more on the artistic quality of their work,” says Bo San from Bo Bo Entertainment, which distributes albums for top artists.
In recent days, R&B artist Yè Lay made a comeback by releasing his seventh album “Nauk Ta Khauk” (Once Again) after a two-year hiatus and rocker Wai La released videos for his hit album “Makeup Ma Kyite Taw Tachin Myar” (Songs that Don’t Like Makeup). Hip-hop artist Jouk Jack is also planning to launch his “Tine Thi Pyi Thi” DVD and pop singer Ni Ni Khin Zaw will release her second album “A Ni Yaung” (Red) next week.
Model Han Thi’s first album and Htun Htun’s “Superstar” DVD are also ready for release. The increasing use of smartphones and the internet has boosted the growth of digital music.
Bo San is optimistic about his artists’ creative development as support grows. “I believe the market will improve if artists continue to move forward with better artistic quality.”
Myanmar’s musical plagiarism has a long heritage after decades of cover versions of western songs while intellectual property rights did not exist. The Copyright Act of 1911 is obsolete and irrelevant to the present entertainment industry. But now more artists create original work although the fans still favour covers. Recent albums feature a mix of original work and covers.
Artists say digital music is helping them to keep in touch with their fans.
“Now we can sell one or two new songs on the internet, we can keep in touch with our fans. Songs about current events and feelings can become old if fans have to wait until the album is released. Now we can release tracks immediately so they remain fresh. These are the advantages. I believe digital music will become more widespread,” said Ni Ni Khin Zaw.
No dampened spirits
Another positive sign this year is that the number of concerts has not significantly dropped during the monsoon season, with events being held every weekend. This seems influenced by the general election being held on November 8, during the peak season, which might disrupt concerts.
Regular concerts are being held in Yangon, Mandalay and other big cities every week with some big concerts being held on the same day. The audience ranges from 5,000 to 25,000 with tickets costing between Ks5,000 and Ks100,000 for the most popular domestic artists.
This year, the Iron Cross rock band’s members have decided to hold solo concerts every month from May so the monsoon concert market will not decline.
It is a tradition to record albums during the monsoon so many records will be ready to hit the streets when the rains stop.
