www. mmtimes. com the pulse 45 his ideas that were lifted. He said when he started to write poems in 1965, he used to send them to several magazine publishing houses in Yangon.
‘ My band is also my family and we are going to stick together with music.’
www. mmtimes. com the pulse 45 his ideas that were lifted. He said when he started to write poems in 1965, he used to send them to several magazine publishing houses in Yangon.
“ The chief editor rejected my poems but one of the editors from the publishing house wrote a different poem, the style and of which were very similar to those of my poem that had been rejected,” he said.
Thitsar Ni declined to reveal the name of publishing house, but said such instances are not isolated occurrences.
“ There are a few editors who copy the ideas of poems written by others and rewrite them slightly.” Or, he added,“ they print the whole work written by someone else under a pseudonym”, as happened with Nay Min Aung.
Not all editors stoop to such lows, of course. U Myo Myint Nyein, editor of Shwe Amutae magazine, says when assessing submissions he is always considerate of the labour that has gone into the work.
“ For me, I am not reluctant to select a manuscript for publication. But I drag my feet to reject a single story sent by a writer, out of respect for his honest effort,” U Myo Myint Nyein said.
He added that any changes made to a work by an editor should be made to help make it worthy of publication, not to take ownership. U Myo Myint Nyein said he did once find himself unwittingly publishing a poem under false pretences.“ A famous poet sent a poem to me and I published it in my magazine,” he said.“ After publishing it, the well-known poet Maung Sein Win( Padeekone) complained to me about the poem, saying that his work had been copied exactly by someone else.”“ That poet shifted some words … of Maung Sein Win’ s poem and sent it to me as his work.”
In literature, U Myo Myint Nyein said it is acceptable for writers to be influenced by the books they like and for their writing styles to be influenced by the style of other writers they like.
“ But it’ s not acceptable for someone to copy another person’ s ideas, words or work and pretend they are their own,” he said.
To guard against just this problem, U Myo Myint Nyein said his magazine makes it compulsory for contributors to sign their writing, stating their works are their own. And excellent work received out of the blue from an unknown name sometimes elicits suspicion.
“ If a story is too good, I don’ t publish it at once,” he said.“ I wait until two or three more stories [ from the same writer ] come,” he said.
U Myo Myint Nyein said that while copyright is a grey area in Myanmar, artists have a“ moral obligation” not to copy other people’ s works. Sadly, he said, not all do.
“ Copying each others’ books and writings, without the consent of the original authors, is a frequent occurrence in the literary field,” he said, adding it also happens in film too. He cited a director who based a film on a writer’ s novel without consent, something the writer discovered only after the film’ s release.
Lacking legal options, artists must band together to protect one another’ s work. After a recent compilation of short stories was found to contain a piece by writer Khin Hnin Yu that had been published under a different but wellknown author’ s name, the journal Flower News published an article condemning the writer who took credit for Khin Hnin Yu’ s story.
In 2003, writer U Tin Oo( Tuition) caught a writer and translator publishing writer U Min Thant’ s work as his own. U Tin Oo wrote a three-page article and sent it to the editor of Padauk Myay magazine, where the plagiarised story had appeared. The editor at first wanted to keep the matter secret.
“ Finally,” U Tin Oo said,“[ The person who stole the words ] put an apology letter in five prestigious journals and magazines, including The Myanmar Times and Mahaythi magazine.”
But U Tin Oo said such thefts don’ t always lead to apologies.“ I think such incidents rarely happen in the literary industry. … Unfortunately, it happens too often that we don’ t even know that our work is being copied.”
‘ They can’ t complain when there is no proof... and they need to be brave to speak out.’
Thitsar Ni Poet
Darko from Side Effect perfoms in Yangon in June 2013. Photo: Greg Holland
Sold-out Berlin show is‘ Side Effect’ of local fame
LWIN MAR HTUN name @ myanmartimes. com. mm
INDIE band Side Effect will be rocking their way through Germany, Denmark and Sweden this month on a six-show tour.
Most of the dates will see the Yangonbased band spreading their music by playing in the supporting slot for European acts. But they’ re also headlining the first show of the tour, scheduled for July 10 in Berlin – and tickets are already sold out.
“ That day is our day,” Darko, vocalist and guitarist for the band, told The Myanmar Times before flying out.“ We’ ve practised all our old and new songs over and over. Sometimes, I forget my words on stage, but if it happens that day I’ ll keep singing and moving because we’ ve practised again and again.”
If he does flub a few lyrics, no doubt the crowd will be able to help him out. Three of their new songs, with English lyrics, were released July 5 for digital download by a record label in Germany, giving fans a chance to learn some new favourites before the shows.
“ We recorded those three songs on last year’ s German tour,” Darko says.“ It will be easy to get to know our songs all around the world. It’ s a good thing for us.”
After the tour opener, the band will play two more concerts in Germany, opening for rock band Die Ärzte.
“ The July 10 concert is only for us. Nearly all the audience is coming to see us. I don’ t have much worry over that day. But the July 12 concert is different from July 10 because that day is for the Die Ärzte band and all the audience members have come to see them. So, I have to attract their fans to become interested in our music.”
Playing to an audience who is waiting for someone else is never easy.“ At last year’ s tour, no one gave a big applause for the opening band,” Darko said. But someone was paying attention. Die Ärzte invited Side Effect to return to Germany by getting in touch with Alexander Dluzak, who organised last year’ s concert, which has led to other European dates.
After a third show in Germany on July 14, Side Effect will continue to Denmark for shows on July 19 and 20, where they’ ll be playing alongside The Binnacle List from Denmark. The show was set up by an organisation which was arranging events for Myanmar people in Denmark, Darko said, and The Binnacle List will be opening up for Side Effect at this show.
“ The musical style of The Binnacle List is very close to Side Effect’ s music, so we really appreciate their thought for us,” said Darko.
After Denmark, both Side Effect and The Binnacle list will head to Sweden, though the exact dates of the show there had yet to be decided at the time of press.
“ We were contacted by a member of Swedish band Quit Your Day Job,” Darko said, which won’ t be playing but has worked to arrange the concert.
Darko said all involved are looking forward to the trip, and has fond memories of their last trip overseas.
“ Although we performed in a club, the lighting and sound arrangements were perfect,” he said. The professionalism of the
‘ My band is also my family and we are going to stick together with music.’
Darko Side Effect front-man
German crew marked the biggest difference from their usual shows, he said.
He also noticed a difference in the fans.“ In Germany, people want to know about new things. When we went there, they wanted to know what a Myanmar band was like, and they came to see us.” He said it’ s harder to break through in Myanmar, where“ people don’ t want to see a band they don’ t already know”.
He’ s grateful, however, that enough people, both at home and abroad, have supported Side Effect’ s music and made this tour possible.
“ My band is also my family and we are going to stick together with music. I can’ t imagine going to European countries with my own money. We’ re not superstars.”
By the end of the month, though, they may be a few steps closer.