• Burmese
Saturday, July 19, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Environment

Rangoon’s Independent Music Scene Comes Alive

Naomi Gingold by Naomi Gingold
September 13, 2013
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Rangoon’s Independent Music Scene Comes Alive

performs at a Jam It! event at Rangoon’s Right Track Bowling Centre last weekend on Sunday. (Photo: Greg Holland)|Burmese band Skunx performs at the Jam It! event in Rangoon. (Photo: Greg Holland)| Side Effect

5.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON — Rangoon’s independent music scene shook the city last weekend. At a closed bowling alley in the eastern part of town on Sunday, DJs, underground hip-hop artists and alternative Burmese rock bands united under the banner of “Jam It!”  to entertain a crowd of young revelers into the late hours of the night.

Frustrated at the lack of live music and music venues that would agree to host alternative and underground acts in Rangoon, two independent musicians started Jam It!, an organization that strives to put on monthly live music events, late last year. One of those musicians, Eaiddhi, has since become the guitarist of Side Effect, one of the country’s most internationally known bands, while the other, Ye Ngwe Soe, is the lead singer for No U Turn, another major band in Burma’s underground punk scene.

The group’s first show was held outside a famous amphitheater in Kandawgyi Park and consisted of a few bands playing acoustic guitars for a handful of friends. Jam It! eventually found a home at a local restaurant but turned to Right Track Bowling Centre for their latest event.

RelatedPosts

Martyrs’ Day Openly Commemorated by Thousands Nationwide

Martyrs’ Day Openly Commemorated by Thousands Nationwide

July 19, 2016
17.3k
Migrants’ Hopes and Fears in Little Burma

Migrants’ Hopes and Fears in Little Burma

July 16, 2016
10.3k
YCDC Takes to the Streets to Sterilize Stray Dogs

YCDC Takes to the Streets to Sterilize Stray Dogs

July 15, 2016
7.4k

In terms of ambience, the Jam It! organizers couldn’t have made a better move. The vibe of the darkened, after-hours bowling alley complimented the raw, DIY mood of the event, and concert-goers loved it.

Sunday night was the biggest show yet for Jam It!, with a crowd of about 250 people. The evening began with DJ Zaw Gyi spinning tracks—followed by the band Allergic Reaction—but really started to gain steam when the spunky lead singer and guitarist from The Myth took the stage with her band.

Hip-hop trio Cyclone descended on the crowd after The Myth, bringing with them a wave of appropriately dressed fans that seemed to spread out across the space. The beats were catchy and the raps were tight, with concert-goers singing along from the trio’s very first number, a song called “24-7.” Cyclone was quickly followed by Snare, a duo of former Cyclone members that have recently been riding high in the world of Burmese hip-hop.

After Cyclone and Snare finished their ear-catching sets, Skunx, a group whose style is probably best described as a mix of metal and electro-hip-hop, stormed the stage. The lead MC, sporting dreadlocks down past his shoulders, performed a number of high-energy, well-crafted songs with his crew that really roused the crowd.

Side Effect, fresh off their European mini-tour, took the stage as the last band of the night. Introducing the set, lead singer Darko told the band’s excited fans that although he was glad to have performed for such huge crowds in Europe, he couldn’t be happier to be back in Burma, performing for a local audience.

At the bowling alley, fans danced along to the music, jumping and pumping their arms, occasionally singing along and even chanting the band’s name. At one point, Darko jumped out into the crowd, still singing, and joined the dancing.

One of the songs Side Effect played was “Meiktila,” which Darko wrote out of sadness at recent violence against Muslims in Buddhist-majority Burma.  Speaking after the show, he said, “I wrote this song in English because I want the world to understand there are also people who don’t think like that. For us, we don’t really hate Muslim people. We can live in harmony. We totally believe that.”

Side Effect is a Burmese alternative punk rock band that first gained recognition overseas when their successful fund-raising campaign on Indiegogo, an international crowd-funding website, went awry last year because of US government sanctions on Burma. They have since won a large overseas following—a fact that was reflected in the makeup of the crowd this weekend, which included a number of expatriates.

Sunday’s iteration of Jam It! was officially the closing party for the Wathann Film Festival, held annually since 2011, and it featured some of the top acts in Burma’s underground and alternative music world playing alongside unknown bands. Both Jam It! and Wathann are part of a recent flowering of an independent arts culture in Rangoon that has taken off since the easing of repressive government measures.

At the end of Side Effect’s highly enjoyable set, Darko announced, “The party’s not over. We’re still going to be here and party with you!” before he jumped off stage and an electronic dance beat filled the darkened bowling alley.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: Multimedia
Naomi Gingold

Naomi Gingold

Similar Picks:

A Chronology of the Kachin Conflict
Military

A Chronology of the Kachin Conflict

by The Irrawaddy
November 20, 2014
42.8k

On Wednesday, the Burma Army shelled a Kachin rebel base killing 22 cadets, making it one of the deadliest incidents...

Read moreDetails
Astrologists Tell the Future
Photo Essay

Astrologists Tell the Future, Offer Hope in Burma

by San Yamin Aung
September 26, 2013
4.7k

Fortune-tellers around the world tap into a natural desire to know what’s in store next, and the Burmese seem to...

Read moreDetails
The Last of the Old Irrawaddy Flotilla
Photo Essay

The Last of the Old Irrawaddy Flotilla

by Tim Willasey Wilsey
March 4, 2013
12.4k

If you go on Burma’s Irrawaddy River you can find 70-year-old, Scottish-built paddle steamers still plying the waters—the last of...

Read moreDetails
Iron Cross
Photo Essay

Iron Cross, Burma’s Biggest Band, Rocks Mae Sot

by The Irrawaddy
January 14, 2013
4.3k

After two decades as Burma's hottest rock band, Iron Cross plays its first concert for an appreciative crowd of thousands...

Read moreDetails
8888 Remembered: Archival Images Offer Glimpse of Burma’s Uprising
Military

8888 Remembered: Archival Images Offer Glimpse of Burma’s Uprising

by The Irrawaddy
August 8, 2015
27.7k

The Irrawaddy revisits the 1988 pro-democracy uprising with this series of archival images.

Read moreDetails
Kengtung—Shan State’s Hidden Gem
Photo Essay

Kengtung—Shan State’s Hidden Gem

by Hseng Noung Lintner
June 7, 2012
4.6k

The picturesque eastern Shan State town of Kengtung lies just three hours from the Thai border and is becoming a...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Burma Govt Denies Reports That It Holds $11B in Singaporean Banks

Burma Govt Denies Reports That It Holds $11B in Singaporean Banks

At ‘Custom Mountain

At ‘Custom Mountain,’ an Abbot Fights to Protect Ancient Carvings

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

4 days ago
1.4k
Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

1 week ago
3.5k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Protecting Irrawaddy Flotilla Kill 20

    Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Protecting Irrawaddy Flotilla Kill 20

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta’s Recapture of Nawnghkio Shows Strategic Missteps by TNLA

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • More Than 20,000 Displaced As Myanmar Junta Burns Homes Around World Heritage Site

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta’s Power Transfer Looms, but Real Control to Remain With Regime Boss

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Indian Top Brass Visit Myanmar After Cross-Border Drone Attack

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.