Myoma Nyein (; born Kyaw Nyein, 25 January 1909 – 15 September 1955) was a renowned Burmese musician and composer. He was a founder of '' Myoma Band'', the longest surviving music band in the modern Burmese history. Between 1935 and 1939, he recorded over 40 albums and composed a couple of Myanmar New Year (''

Thingyan Thingyan (/sɛŋkəmɑ/ ; , Old Mon language, Old Mon: သင်ကြာန် ), also known as the Myanmar New Year, is a festival that usually occurs in middle of April. Thingyan marks the transition from the old year to the new one, based on ...

'') songs that became iconic, performed on Myoma's Silver Swan parade floats, which became a trademark of Thingyan celebration in Mandalay.

Early life and education

Nyein was born on 25 January 1909 in

Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...

British Burma British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

, son of U Nyi, a goldsmith, and mother Daw Chit Oo, a

lacquerware Lacquerware are objects decoratively covered with lacquer. Lacquerware includes small or large containers, tableware, a variety of small objects carried by people, and larger objects such as furniture and even coffins painted with lacquer. Before ...

merchant. He was educated at Central National School, Mandalay. At the age of ten, he learnt a Burmese classic titled "Jambu Kyun Lone" (Universal) from ''Deva Einda'' Maung Maung Gyi in a single day much to the surprise of the famous harpist. In 1925, he co-founded the Myoma (meaning 'City Proper') music band or Myoma Amateur Music Association with his teacher artist and musician U

Ba Thet Ba Thet (1903–1972; ) was a Burmese painter who worked in Mandalay, Myanmar and who was known as an advocate of experimentation in the arts. He was an associate of Kin Maung, who is known commonly known in Burma as Kin Maung (Bank) to differ ...

and a city burgher ''Dahdan'' U Thant.

Repertoire

Myoma Nyein's greatest love song was " Chit Da Phadana" (Love is Fundamental), the gramophone recording made circa 1935–1938. Old Myoma Thingyan

One of his earlier songs written in 1939 was "Eindawya Paya Zay" in support of Mandalay's central

Zegyo Market Zegyo Market (), located in central Mandalay, is the oldest and most important market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market ...

shopkeepers' all out strike against Section 23(7) enacted by the British colonial government when they relocated to the Eindawya Pagoda precincts. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the music troupe along with the townspeople of Mandalay fled to

Sagaing Sagaing (, ) is a town in the Sagaing Region of Myanmar. It is located on the Irrawaddy River, to the south-west of Mandalay on the opposite bank of the river. Sagaing, with its numerous Buddhist monasteries, is an important religious and ...

Hills across the

Ayeyarwady River The Irrawaddy River (, , Ayeyarwady) is the principal river of Myanmar, running through the centre of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. Originating from the confluence of the ...

, and Myoma Nyein came up with the song "Sagaing Taung" (Sagaing Hills) among others. After the war in 1945, when Mandalay held a major sporting event, Myoma Nyein wrote for the occasion songs titled "Olympics" and "Yin Dago Me" (Beauty Contest). His song for the 1947 Burmese New Year

" Shwe Man Taung Yeikkho" aka "Mya Nandar" (In the Shade of

Mandalay Hill Mandalay Hill ( ) is a hill located to the northeast of the city centre of Mandalay in Myanmar. The city took its name from the hill. Mandalay Hill is known for its abundance of pagodas and monasteries, and has been a major pilgrimage site for ...

) has become a perennial classic during the festive season. In 1952 he wrote "Lu Chun Lu Gaung" (Good and Able) in honour of Prime Minister

U Nu Nu (; ; 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995), commonly known as Burmese names#Honorifics, U Nu and also by the honorific name Thakin Nu, was a prominent Burmese people, Burmese statesman and the first Prime Minister of Union of Burma. He was ...

's Pyidawtha (

Welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the State (polity), state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal oppor ...

) Conference in

Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

. The following year he composed "Gaba Nyeinchan Yay" (World Peace). He started collaborating with Mandalay Motion Picture Company the next year.

Family

In 1928 Myoma Nyein married Than May, a school teacher from

Meiktila Meiktila (; ) is a city in central Burma on the banks of Meiktila Lake in the Mandalay Region at the junctions of the Bagan- Taunggyi, Yangon- Mandalay and Meiktila-Myingyan highways. Because of its strategic position, Meiktila is home to Myanm ...

. His oldest daughter Tin Kyi was married to the artist

Paw Oo Thet Paw Oo Thet (, ; 1936 – 13 April 1993) was a Burmese painter, prominent in the Mandalay art scene who became one of the initiators of a modernistic art movement in Burma in the early 1960s. Early training Paw Oo Thet was born in 1936 in ...

. His oldest son Shoon Myaing has carried on with the band which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2005.

Death

Nyein committed suicide in 1955, aged 46, by walking in front of a lorry driver.

Discography

* Thet Wai *

Natshinnaung Natshinnaung (, ; 1579–1613) was a Toungoo prince who was a noted poet and an accomplished musician, as well as an able military commander. He later became a rebellious ruler of Toungoo, and went over to ally himself with Portuguese at Tha ...

* Sagaing Hill * Hna Yaut Tae Nay Shin Tae * Yae Cho Seik *

Soe Naunt Byar Bwae Soe or Søe may refer to: Places * Soe, Timor, a city in Indonesia * Soe, Võru County, a village in Võru Parish, Võru County, Estonia * Soe, Viljandi County, a village in Viljandi Parish, Viljandi County, Estonia * Soé River, a river in Paraíb ...

* Ka Thit Pann * Tain Lwar Mohh Mo Lwin * Lu Chun Lu Kaung * Turiyar Luu Lin * Eain Taw Yar Pha Yar Zay * Myin Khin Taw * Nann Myo Taw * Mae Zar Shwe Li/ Lat We Thon Da Ya * Pyo Mhar Tann * Parami Taw * Sar So Khan La Lone * Hla Myint Zu * Man Dar Li * Mae Dar Wi * Thissa *Eain Thu Pe Pe * Binjo *

A Hla Pyaing Pwe A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

* Ko Duu Ko Chun

Notes

External links

Official website of The Myoma Amateur Music Association Myanmar

VOA Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American international ...

Burmese inc. audio, 2007-02-05
A portrait sketch of Myoma Nyein by Min Kyaw Khine, 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myoma Nyein Burmese musicians People from Mandalay 1909 births 1955 suicides 1955 deaths Burmese composers 20th-century composers Recipients of the Alinkar Kyawswar Pedestrian road incident deaths Suicides in Asia Road incident deaths in Myanmar