A bunch of Burmese folk live in Railay. They work in tourist places around the village. They probably get paid a pittance for working in sub standard conditions. They live cramped into tiny makeshift tin sheet single rooms that can barely keep the rain out. But they get together in the evening, pass around cups of cheap whisky, light a few cigarettes, and sing a few songs.
Ao Ong is the star. He plays the guitar like nobody's business. His friends join in the singing on and off, and they all have a jolly good time. When I stopped at the door to listen, they let me sit in the circle. I guess all of us were curious!
I don't speak a word of Burmese, and Ao Ong could barely manage a dozen words in English, so communication was mostly restricted to hand signals and monosyllables. But the lack of a common language was just a minor irritant in having a good time enjoying the music and each other's company.
It did not take me long to realise that he was playing Clapton, John Denver, Metallica, the usual suspects, except that all the songs were in Burmese. The guys were glad they found someone to sing the original English words for them, and there is noone who can dispute that I could give John Denver a run for his money that night (at least, noone who can dispute it in English :) ). A couple of swigs of the whisky, and I was in prime form. Shantanu joined in a little bit and and I was glad for the reinforced vocals.
They had the Burmese version of every song in our favorite list. They even had one for the Hindi 'Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye'! And even if he did not know the song, it took Ao Ong only one hearing to figure out how to play it while we sang. We rocked the town that night... till the neighbours sent someone to shut us up! Unfortunately, not everyone has the taste to appreciate good music!
Sitting in a group of strangers singing songs and talking to each other without a common language, that evening we went away knowing that people are all the same everywhere. And there's no reason for our differences to stop us from being friends.
Ao Ong is the star. He plays the guitar like nobody's business. His friends join in the singing on and off, and they all have a jolly good time. When I stopped at the door to listen, they let me sit in the circle. I guess all of us were curious!
I don't speak a word of Burmese, and Ao Ong could barely manage a dozen words in English, so communication was mostly restricted to hand signals and monosyllables. But the lack of a common language was just a minor irritant in having a good time enjoying the music and each other's company.
It did not take me long to realise that he was playing Clapton, John Denver, Metallica, the usual suspects, except that all the songs were in Burmese. The guys were glad they found someone to sing the original English words for them, and there is noone who can dispute that I could give John Denver a run for his money that night (at least, noone who can dispute it in English :) ). A couple of swigs of the whisky, and I was in prime form. Shantanu joined in a little bit and and I was glad for the reinforced vocals.
They had the Burmese version of every song in our favorite list. They even had one for the Hindi 'Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye'! And even if he did not know the song, it took Ao Ong only one hearing to figure out how to play it while we sang. We rocked the town that night... till the neighbours sent someone to shut us up! Unfortunately, not everyone has the taste to appreciate good music!
Sitting in a group of strangers singing songs and talking to each other without a common language, that evening we went away knowing that people are all the same everywhere. And there's no reason for our differences to stop us from being friends.
2 comments:
Was looking for something on your latest laddakh adventure, when i came across this. Loved it...wish I could join you on these trips!! Hopefully sometime soon :)
write something on Ladakh ! or are you gonna scribe something after a year or so ??
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