The ATC...part 4

The ladies in this photo are from Indonesia. We sang Burong Kaka with them.

Music always bring people closer together no matter what their colour, nationality, language, religion or beliefs are.

This has been my life-long experience and has once again been in abundant evidence last night at the ATC....with all these happy people.

Music to me not only adds spice to life but is a bridge that can link up people from many countries and therefore helps greatly in breaking down artificial barriers in people to people friendship and communication.

May I wish all the delegates at the ATC a fruitful and successful conference and do continue to...SING!

The ATC...part 3

Our friend from Myanmar, the music teacher, was introduced to us. I asked him," Would you like to join me in a song from Myanmar?"

"Yes!", he said.

So, without telling him a thing, I strummed and sang this Burmese song with no reference to any book.

Apo gi oh ka kon kon

Ma ta ba ne oh

Nau ga ni ga tau sa mon

Kyi ah chi pa ron

He knew the song too! And we sang with the others.

He then said he would like to try a native folk song to be played in the Key of G. Testing out the chord of G, C and D7 with him, he did that number with very great emotion. All of us enjoyed that soulful tune very much.

Btw, this is one of the ways I used to learn songs. Get the oversea chaps to sing, then I listen carefully and if I like the song, they will only be too happy to teach you. That was how I learnt so many native songs from Vietnam to Mongolia.

But to learn in this fashion, without a tape-recording and with my lack of formal music training to write the scores down, meant I MUST BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE TUNE INTO MY HEAD ! AND TO BE ABLE TO RECALL IT...10,20,40 years later!

Fortunately, unk Dicko has been greatly blessed with this facility.

Next I asked if there was anyone from Laos or Cambodia present.

"Yes!"
Out stepped these 2 gentle young men from Cambodia.

I offered,"Shall I also sing you both a Cambodian song which I knew from the '60's ?"

" Yes!"

And unk Dicko obliged them with...

Chap chap ma lai [ a Cambodian song]. I sang the full version of the song. Surprised looks all round!

This song has a very catchy beat too and in no time at all, everyone was clapping to the wonderful rhythm of the tune.

The 2 guys sang a Cambodian song with each group singing one verse in their own lingo.

Really good singing!

The ATC...part 2.

Most people love singing provided they know the songs. That's why when we moved from group to group, I asked them," Hi, where are you people from?"
The people from this table are M'sians. So, we strummed for them that ever popular.... Rasa Sayang.


This group was very quiet at first. They were seated at the end of the mess hall. I asked the same question and they chorused "we are from the Philippines! "
Wonderful, I responded because I know most Filipinos can sing very well! They laughed heartily whether in agreement I know not. But unk Dicko has many different ways to get people to join in and sing.
I announced to all of them,"I like to do a local Filipino song with you. Do you know the song Leron, Leron Sinta?"
" YES! they chorused again. "

That song has a very sweet and catchy beat and immediately we were like an award winning singing team!

Leron,leron sinta
Buku ng papaya
Dalai dalay buslo
Si si dla ng sinta
padating sa duloy
Nabali ang sangka
Tapos kepalaran
Humanap ng iba.

Didn't I tell you in an earlier post that I was able to sing the songs in their native language of most of our ASEAN/ASIAN countries. ( See... Have Ukulele will travel )


This group was excellent. Their singing was melodious and really sweet. More participants soon joined in.
Richard soon led..."Planting Rice"and they were now really into it!

We entertained them with some super songs that always sounded good when accompanied by ukeleles.

Then, I asked, " anyone from Myanmar here?" "Yes," said this nice, handsome gentleman . It turned out that he is a music teacher.