NAY PYI TAW October 14
The opening ceremony of the silver jubilee commemorative 25th Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competitions was held at MICC 2 here this morning, addressed by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, wife of the Senior General, Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win and wife Daw Than Than Nwe, the SAC Joint Secretary and wife, SAC members and wives, union level officials, union ministers and wives, the Nay Pyi Taw Council chair, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the Nay Pyi Taw command commander, deputy ministers, members of the steering committee, work committee and subcommittees to hold the competitions, state/region chief ministers, judges, managers, coaches, supporting teams, national races contestants from regions and states and officials.
Patron of the Steering Committee to hold the Competitions Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Chair of the Steering Committee Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Tin Oo Lwin and Nay Pyi Taw Council Chair U Than Tun Oo formally opened the competitions.
Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min ung Hlaing pushed the button to unveil the signboard of the competitions.
At the second part of the ceremony, a collective performance of traditional musical instruments of national races of the Union was staged.
In his address, the Senior General said may all the attendees here enjoy happiness and become persons who love and conserve national culture and the persons who are able to raise the dignity of race.
National races of the Union have lived in harmony in Myanmar throughout the thousand years of history. They could lay a large and strong foundation of Myanmar culture. Moreover, they are standing tall among the global nations with their own Myanmar culture which is unique and profound.
There are a number of national level festivals for the ever flourishing of Myanmar virtues through the national efforts.
The annual holding of the competition amounts to conserving the national fervor and pride and national culture of Myanmar.
In other words, it is an effort to further activate national spirit.
The competitions has now reached its silver jubilee thanks to the participation of all the national races of the Union to successfully hold every competitions.
The competitions play a pivotal role in ensuring sustainability of national culture and strengthening self-esteem.
The amateur new generation of the early events of the competitions that began in 1993 are now professional artists at the current competitions. It is satisfying that the cultural heritage is handed over to amateur kith and kin from regions and states through the competitions.
Myanmar is a country where major races, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Bamar, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, are living in unity and embrace Myanmar country, Myanmar race and Myanmar culture as a common term for national characteristics. When performing arts of Myanmar races is analyzed, however they differ from one another, they all have the same basic musical instruments — bronze, string, leather, aerophones, and clapping.
Likewise, their dances may look different, but they all are the movements of body parts including head, waist, legs and hands. So, they are evolving from the same foundation and source.
Therefore, it can be seen that traditional dances of respective states are chosen by lot every year and then artistes from all regions and states are required to join the dance competitions for the traditional dances as cultural exchange in traditional cultural performing arts competitions.
It is believed that national races will understand each other’s cultures by exchanging them, not only strengthening friendship but also contributing much to identification, preservation and promotion of traditional arts of national races.
Moreover, not only music was jointly performed with traditional musical instruments of national races but also traditional music of national races, which are distinct characteristics of states, was presented at the opening ceremony of this silver jubilee event.
This amounted to appreciation of values of legacies of traditional arts as well as proving the solidarity through arts.
Myanmar traditional arts, which had been thriving in successive eras, were suppressed by colonialists when Myanmar was enslaved by them. As Myanmar artistes, however, resisted the oppression relentlessly and exerted efforts to preserve them out of national spirit, it can be seen proudly that Myanmar traditional cultural arts have continued to thrive with their original traditional characteristics.
Laypersons and monks of great wisdom including monk poets composed 550 life stories and 10 Jataka tales of Buddha into various works including stories, verses and oral stories to enable all three age groups to enjoy them through ways and means of their choice.
It is believed that the performances of Maha Janaka Jataka tale at this year’s event will be able to vividly depict its moral that noble men will be able to overcome any difficulties and achieve their goals if they exert efforts properly through relentless perseverance, diligence, endeavour and enhanced commitment.
Similarly, it is also expected that Vessantara Jataka at the professional level puppet competition will be able vividly depict the merits of precepts observed by noble ones who fulfil the needs of others and rivalries between justice and injustice.
In conclusion, the Senior General urged all artistes to exert efforts through their artistic talent to continue to flourish the culture, arts and national characteristics of Myanmar people, which have been thriving magnificently for millenniums, to preserve the deep-rooted Myanmar history and high standards of Myanmar culture as long as the world exists and to inspire and strengthen the national spirit in new generation youths.
Then, chairman of the steering committee for the event Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture U Tin Oo Lwin reported to the Senior General on arrangements for the event.
After the ceremony, the Senior General and wife and party cordially greeted the judges of competitions.
Then, the Senior General and wife cordially greeted national race musicians from the traditional orchestra of the national races and presented honorary cash rewards for them.
The silver jubilee 25th anniversary of Myanmar Traditional Cultural Performing Arts Competition is being organized in accordance with four objectives to uplift national prestige and integrity and to preserve the cultural heritage and national characteristics, to explore, preserve and uplift the traditional cultural heritage of performing arts of ethnic nationals and national cultural characteristics, to explore and preserve the traditional cultural heritage for the young generation and further propagate the national spirit and to serve as a national cultural entity for State development, peace and stability.
