"Kyar Pauk"

Suzanne and Ruth are joined by Kyar Pauk, a Burmese writer, singer, producer, artist and founder of Bipolarbear Records. Following the coup in February, he was active in the anti-coup movement. During this time he worked with Raymond, Han Nay Tar and Novem Htoo to release a single, Headshot, which highlighted the human rights abuses by the military and the courageous counter-protests of the people. He is the son of Ringo, one of Myanmar’s famous classic rockers. Kyar Pauk has carved out a niche in Myanmar’s music industry with his punk / funk / hip-hop infused rock and mind-bending electronic creations. He is best known for his famous punk rock band, Big Bag, which has released 10 albums. After almost 20 years of producing nationwide hits for the band and other top 10 artists in Myanmar, Kyar Pauk finally decided to release his very first solo album, Cinematicüs, in 2020. Despite his huge success and fame he has risked it all to show his opposition to the military junta by standing with the people and joining the protests. On 3 April 2021, warrants for his arrest were issued by the military under section 505 (a) of the penal code, for speaking out against the coup. Here he talks about his involvement in the Civil Disobedience Movement post-coup, the brutality of the military and the plight of his country, his music, his art, and his family’s situation now that they have been forced to flee Yangon. [Please note this conversation features some strong language] The ah nah: Conversations with Myanmar podcast was born from a desire to bring into public consciousness the atrocities that are currently being committed in Myanmar (also known as Burma). Our goal is simply to keep the conversation going, and to let the people of Myanmar know that they have not been forgotten. You can continue to support the people of Myanmar by keeping this conversation going. You can subscribe to this podcast on all major podcasting apps, including Apple, Spotify and Acast. You can also follow us on all our social media pages, linked below. If you’d like to reach out, please email us or fill out this form to add your voice to the conversation (https://tinyurl.com/3ee7ssm9). Credits: Song: Kabar Makyay Bu (Until the End of the World), was written and recorded by Naing Myanmar, it became the revolutionary anthem of the 1988 pro-democracy movement and could be heard once again all over Myanmar during the 2021 Coup. Naing Myanmar maintains that the song is no longer his, since the '88 uprising “it belongs to everyone”. Graphics: SelinaXin Sound Effects: https://mixkit.co *Special thanks to Kyar Pauk, and all artists, musicians and writers who continue to use their creative talents to show their resistance to this brutal military regime and bring awareness to the plight of the people in Myanmar who are suffering under the weight of the dictatorship. We are so grateful to Kyar Pauk for adding his voice to the conversation, you can follow him on instagram @not_kyarpauk and facebook @kyarpauk.artist Check out his incredible album Cinematicüs here: https://tinyurl.com/s45vc2hf Follow ah nah: instagram.com/ahnahpodcast facebook.com/ahnahpodcast twitter.com/ahnahpodcast Thanks for listening, and remember to #KeepTheConversationGoing! Myanmar, we have not forgotten you. Follow us at @ahnahpodcast on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.