Yangon Weather Forecast, Burma

Rocky path for experimental violinist

CHAN Hein Kywe doesn’t like to be stereotyped. The violinist created a stir when he began performing with some of Myanmar’s top rock bands. At 28-years-old, he is now teaching at ILBC international school and is currently caught up in recording Buddhist religious music.

Why the violin?

Since I was a child I have really liked the sound of the violin. It’s not like other instruments. My father is a violinist and his friends would always come to our house and play other instruments.

Who was your first teacher?

My father was my first teacher and he started to teach me when I was in Grade 3 back in 1988. After a year or two he sent me to learn Myanmar classical music at U Tin Yee’s violin school.

How did you get into contemporary music?

I was familiar with only Myanmar traditional songs until high school. When I reached high school a restaurant offered me a chance to play traditional violin since I had won prizes in traditional art performance competitions. From there, I met with Ko Naing Zaw (of Lazy Club fame) who played keyboard at that time. So I started to play contemporary music as I heard it everyday at the restaurant … I noticed that you have to change the way you think (the mood) with contemporary music as it’s completely different.

When did you get involved in the music industry?

I stepped into it in 2000 when I played violin on the albuym “Myat No Khwint” (A Chance To Adore).

How did it work out?

When I first performed with the rock band in 2000 it was rare to see a violinist perform with a rock band and some questioned what I was doing with rock musicians. But I just ignored them and continued.

Do you have any memorable experiences?

In 2002, I was attacked by some people who thought I was someone else and two of my fingers on my left hand were broken. The doctor told me that I wouldn’t be able to play instruments any longer. When I thought that I might only be able to listen to music rather than have the chance to create and play it, I was very downhearted. I couldn’t even step out of my house. At that time I had already accepted to work with bands such as Emperor.

How did you overcome it?

Looking at intsruments I couldn’t help but play them. Even though the doctor said not to play, I ignored what he said and played even though it hurts me a lot at first. I started playing the mandolin to get my fingers working well again. Even though I felt downhearted at first, I felt a stronger will to practise the violin after I was attacked.

So then what happened?

After six months I got a scholarship from a music school in Thailand. I went there in 2002 and specialised in violin, but I couldn’t practise when the teacher taught complicated lessons on classical music, even though I could understand the lecture and how to do it, my fingers could not follow those lessons at all. So I was sent to the jazz class, which my fingers could do. .

 

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