Out of tune with the times
November 15 - 21, 2010
U Sun Tint at home with a don minn. The musician and teacher is one of the few people who still play the instrument in Myanmar. Pic: Kaung Htet
U SUN Tint is a little hard of hearing these days, but while he may not pick-up everything that is said, he always knows when a student makes a mistake on the don minn, or Myanmar zither.
“He notices any imperfection made by his pupils when practising and he is alert to incorrect notes while he is playing, but he doesn’t hear what we say,” says his wife, Daw Khin Hla Nwe, a little baffled.
The don minn is a 33-string zither-like instrument, which is made in a variety of sizes and shapes. U Sun Tint is one of the finest players in the country, but the instrument is gradually losing its appeal to young musicians.
“When I could play well in 1972, I performed on the don minn at wedding ceremonies, for the stage and in film dramas as background music,” says the musician, with the help of his niece who gets close to his ear and speaks in a loud voice.
“At that time the keyboard had not been introduced yet and the piano was rarely used because of transportation difficulties. Instead, the don minn had to be employed as a lead instrument at special occasions and concerts.”
But as new instruments such as the keyboard became ubiquitous, favoured for their low cost and flexibility, traditional instruments have gradually lost favour.
“It looked grand — violinists, mandolin and don minn players, drummers and singers all on the stage but then the industry replaced most of the instruments with the keyboard,” says U Sun Tint, who works at the department of music at MRTV.
The instrument looks unlikely to recover its former status although efforts have been made to continue the musical tradition through the annual Myanmar Traditional Performing Arts Competition.
U Sun Tint won gold medals at the competition in 2003 and 2004 for his don minn performances. For the 2005 competition he joined the judging panel. Started in 1993, the competition encourages young people to take up a variety of wind and string instruments and, for a time, the don minn attracted attention but most youngsters have since lost interest and abandoned their studies.
One reason is the lack of teachers, both for the don minn and other less practiced instruments.
“In 2004, the [performing arts] competition invited banjo players but there were no experts from Yangon or the other states and regions,” says U Sun Tint. The banjo is no longer included in the competition.
“Years ago I had a hectic schedule every weekend performing at weddings, noviciate ceremonies, donations and religious festivals, but for a long time now the events have been rather sparse,” he says.
Still, U Sun Tint hopes the annual performing arts competition will at least keep the instrument going.
“The don minn has been lost in concerts yet enthusiasts ... still participate in the annual competition so we can expect to see the instrument and its musicians exist for a while yet.”
