Me N Ma Girls
When music is used to challenge and really make a difference, it is when it is at its strongest. No one is challenging preconceptions more than the Me N Ma Girls, the first all-girl pop group to come out of Burma.
Me N Ma Girls
….I thank Nathan for taking the time to get on the politics of music, which isn’t his natural space. The music Me N Ma Girls release isn’t natural space for the website, but the sheer drive in a politically restrained country is deserving of support as much as is possible from music fans across the globe….
The building blocks of the band came together in February 2010, overseen by Australian performer Nikki May and Burmese businessman Moe Kyaw. At the time the band where known as the ‘Tiger Girls’, deciding to change their name in order to chose self-ownership over sponsorship. This attitude of going it alone, and working for all they have is also in their determination to only perform original tracks. The girls are currently based in the city of Yangon and comprise Cha Cha, Htike2, Ah Moon, Wai Hnin Khine and Kimmi.
With the grip of the military rulers slipping and with it the strict censorship, the girls are becoming more and more politically charged in their work and using songs sung in English to make sure their message is understood all around the world.
The girls’ creative control extends through music composition, lyrical content, choreography, costume design, and even music video ideas; seemingly the band are able to retain more creative control than many western pop acts!
The bands’ sound is ever evolving, but is described as a fusion of ‘80’s rock and 90’s hiphop’. The music has a Western influence, without doubt; however the girls are proud of their country and are still seen to be wearing traditional Burmese clothing in many of their music videos.
(13 seconds of black – not your screen)
Me N Ma Girls have a message, that due to the recent changes in political power in Burma, they are now able to deliver. Let’s hope that they are able to deliver it to the whole world, and that the world listens!
(Once again Tim interjects – sorry Nathan) …
May not inspire so let’s take a back step to what Me N Ma Girls have to battle.
Thank you to the quintet for fighting for the right to play music. This is a fight for the right to exist, not the mere squeal of fiscal equality….
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