Girl from Ohn Ne Kyaung village near Bagan, Myanmar, sits next to a handmade drum. The main occupations in this tiny village are farming and fishing, with the main crops being peanuts and palm sugar, however this family has taken a departure from the traditional occupations. They specialize in making and repairing percussion instruments from locally available materials. On the day we visited, their lean-to was filled with drums of all shapes and sizes. I later learned that drums are very important to traditional Myanmar music, and that each shape and size has a unique tonal quality. Performances can include up to 21 drums of varying sizes, arranged in a semi-circle in order to be played by a single musician. This was just one of many fascinating destinations visited during my Myanmar Explorer Cruise/Tour with Viking River Cruises.
What a wonderful read, Barbara. You write very well and you manage to tell the interesting aspects of your travels that we all want to read. Thank you!
Thank you Alison. I really appreciate your comment.