Arakanese Singers Debut in Bangladesh

3/3/2010

Cox’sbazar : Six famous Arakanese singers and one keyboardist from Burma performed in Bangladesh for the first time with a three-night stage show in Cox's Bazar in southern Bangladesh from 25 to 27 February.

The singers are Mrat Khaing Kyaw, U Maung Thein, Myo Rakhine, Re Hlaing Pyr, and Waddy Soe Moe from Sittwe, the capital of Arakan State. Myo Min Lay is an expert keyboard player who also performed.

Singer U Maung Thein said, "We had never been in Bangladesh before to perform such concerts. We were happy to get the chance to perform for our Arakanese people who are living in Bangladesh during the three nights' stage shows."

Thousands from the Arakanese community in Bangladesh, primarily youth, attended the performance.

The performance was held at the Abyathuka Htit Kyin Daung Pagoda religious festival in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. The festival is usually held on the full moon day of the month of Tabound on the Arakanese calendar.

A youth from Cox's Bazar said, "We were happy to get the chance to participate in the concert. It was a great performance for the Arakanese community in Bangladesh and I had never seen such a concert before. It is the first time Arakanese singers came to Bangladesh to perform a stage show."

The singers traveled to Bangladesh on seven-day visas that were issued by Bangladesh authorities and they traveled from Arakan in a ferry boat across the Naff River, entering the country at the Maungdaw - Teknaf border point.

Burma's border security force, Nasaka, also issued permission for the singers to perform at the festival in Bangladesh.

Re Hlaing Pyr, a female singer, told Narinjara in an interview, "It was a wonderful performance for me because there was a large number of Rakhine people joining in the concert. I did not think before that such a number of Rakhines were living in Bangladesh. I am happy I met many Rakhines in Bangladesh."

A 17-member traditional Arakanese dance team from Maungdaw on the western Burmese border also performed at the festival along with the Arakanese singers.

Ref: Narinjara