Buffalo Herding Song - Khaing Kyaw Lun

First of all, it will need to introduce what is Makkala? Makkala is a type of traditional hand made hats used in Arakan. It is made up of bamboo and foliage of palm trees . It is used in Arakan by its own people since ancient time. Nowadays, Makkala is well-known for throughout Myanmar as of it was used as a symbol of the leading political party in Myanmar, National League for Democracy. The origin of this song is famous, ancient poem about buffalo-boy (not cow boy).

In country sides of Myanmar, buffalos are used for farming as like cows. Some says that strength of buffalo is better than that of cows and productivity of the farming with buffalo too. After using them in farming, in their leisure hours, teenagers from the villages bring them to wander around the nearby mountains and dells to allow them to relax.

There is a bell made up of wood hanged around the buffalo’s neck, it makes sounds as the buffalo moving, helping the buffalo boy to find out where are they if they got lost inside the forest near to small mountains. In my childhood days, I asked my dad what those things are hanging around the cows’ and buffalo's neck, my dad gave me a funny answer as a joke, he told me that is buffalo's radio, they were listening while they wandering around the forest.

Buffalo herding song is derived from the buffalo teaming poem, and it was used as a poem in text books in high school in Myanmar once a few decades ago. Then, it was omitted in the updated text books already. Now it was renewed as a song by famous Arakanese singer, Khaing Kyaw Lun.

Here is the song of Buffalo Herding, I hope you should have fun by listening and watching MTV of it.


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