By MIN TAW LAWI – Amid worries amongst the Mon about the disappearance of their culture, which has existed for hundreds of years one of Southeast Asia’s oldest cultures, some Mon artists in Mon State have begun to offer free traditional musical instrument and dance training to Mon youth.
Training began on March 21st, held at the Mon Assembly Hall in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State. The class was called, “‘Mon Traditional and Cultural Performing.”
“The reason we started the training is because we are worried that our traditional music and dance is going to disappear. We started the training to keep Mon traditions and culture alive,” said Mi Su Su, a training committee member.
Two youths from each township in Mon State were chosen to join the training. Altogether there are 14 men and four women. The training will go on for two months.
Criteria to enter the training included the ability to read and write in the Mon language, and the participants must display an interest in learning more about Mon tradition and culture with the ultimate goal of becoming trainers and sharing their skills throughout their communities.
“We will teach mainly xylophone at the training. After they can play the xylophone, we will teach them how to play different instruments by playing international songs,” said another trainer who is from Poung Township, Mon State.
Many Mon people have not had the chance to learn how to play Mon traditional instruments, such as the xylophone and the crocodile, a traditional wooden instrument, over three feet long, and in the actual shape of a crocodile.
“We have a chance at the training to learn from sheet music. If we know how to play these notes, we will be able to play other songs too,” said a participant who is from Mudon Township.
Training funds were provided by Mon artists and businessmen made contributions for the training, food, and accommodations for the participants.
About 50 people attended the opening ceremony of the training on March 21st. Members of the Mon Literature and Culture Committee as well as Mon politicians, Min Nwe Soe, Min Soe Lin, and Min Kyi Win attended the opening ceremony.
In 1978, a well known Mon musicologist, Nai Htaw Paing, taught the others how to play the Mon “crocodile.” It was only in 2008 that Nai Htaw Paing conducted a second training in a Mon community.
Mon musicians and artists living in Mon State have tried to start other trainings, attempting to share their skills for future Mon generations living overseas. Last year, Mon artists held two trainings, one in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the other in Sangklaburi, Kanchanburi Thailand, in which 35 Mon youth participated from October to December.
