Ye Lay is a Myanmar Hip Hop and R & B singer who is popular among young listeners.

He also acted in several films in the past. His latest album was entitled “third rhyme.”

“Struggling to establish a place for himself in the music industry for the past seven years, hip hop star Ye Lay has just released his third album, First Live Concert, on July 26. Like the previous albums, the hip hop icon has released five new songs together with a few new versions of his famous works.

The Myanmar Times met up with Ye Lay at a hip hop concert to ask him a few questions about his new album and how he works…

How long did it take to make the album?
It took about seven months to finalise this album. It is successful because I always make my works honestly and I get a lot of support from my fans.

How satisfied are you with the new album?
I’m very satisfied with it because it is really cool and I did my best. I even have a VCD and DVD, which I hope to release soon. After cyclone Nargis struck, people haven’t paid much attention to music. We had loss and tragedy but it is now time for people to try and rebuild their lives. So I released this album to make people happy with my songs.

You are a good composer. Where do you find inspiration for your rhymes and lyrics?
I never use other sources when composing a song. The words come to me automatically. I guess I’m just lucky.

If you had the chance to hold a live performance the way you want, how would you make it great?
I want to hold a one man show at a football pitch. I hope I can do this very soon.

At performances, how do you feel when people boo you?
I don’t care and I forgive them their rude behaviour. I may have 90 out of 100 fans, so why should I care about 10? I don’t neglect them though, it’s my duty to persuade them to accept me. So I always try and I like that kind of challenge.

What was your first experience of live performance?
I was treated as if I was inconsequential but the fans encouraged me so I became more confident. I realised that the encouragement from my fans is one of the most important reasons why I make music.

So, for you, music is..?
It means a lot to me. If I had to choose between love and music, I would choose the latter.

Wow, that’s great. Is it also because of music that you have recently halted your acting career?
Yes, it’s true. I’ve stopped acting because I want to focus on making music. It is really difficult to balance these careers, both music and acting. You can act whenever but in singing, your vocal tones get lower as you become older.

How important are live performances for a singer?
They are really important as they are the events by which people judge your career. If you get an opportunity to perform you should accept without hesitation.

What kind of changes do we need to make for a better music industry? And, as an artist, what are you doing to help?
It will be a change for the better if there was less music piracy, to create more opportunities for the new artists. And I want the standard of live performance to be higher than at present. I’m doing my best and always try to give my best performance for my fans. So, as a reflection, I want the recognition for my works from my audiences.

-taken from Myanmar Times Timeout Article

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Department of Anthropology
University of Hawaii at Mānoa
Deadline: 15 December 2010
Other Conditions: Pending position clearance and availability of funds, beginning 1 August 2011.

* Teach undergraduate and graduate courses
* Supervise graduate students
* Seek extramural funding
* Maintain an active research program
* Publish research results
* Assist in the Development of ecological anthropology in the department

* Ph.D. (completed by the date of appointment) in anthropology
* An active field-based research site and engagement with local communities
* Ability to contribute to the development of ecological anthropology in the department’s instructional and research programs
* We are most interested in applicants who complement existing departmental and university strengths in ecological and environmental studies
* Someone who can work collaboratively within a four-field Anthropology program

* Teaching experience
* Active research program
* Ability to attract extramural grants
* Geographic area specialty is open but preference will be given to candidates whose experience will contribute to the department’s identity as a leader n Asian and Pacific anthropology

Apply online at http://surveys.socialsciences.hawaii.edu/ework/. Submit cover letter indicating how you satisfy the minimum and desirable qualifications, curriculum vitae and names (including mailing address, phone number and email address) of 3 professional references.

Inquiries:
Geoffrey White; 808-956-8193; anthchr@hawaii.edu

The University of Hawaii is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender identity and expression, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, status as a protected veteran, National Guard participation, breastfeeding, and arrest/court record (except as permissible under State law).

Employment is contingent on satisfying employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986; reference checks of previous employers; and for certain positions, criminal history record checks.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, annual campus crime statistics for the University of Hawaii may be viewed at: http://ope.ed.gov/security/, or a paper copy may be obtained upon request from the respective UH Campus Security or Administrative Services Office.

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12:00 p.m., Friday, 19 November 2010, Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Presented by Dr. Miriam Stark, Faculty of Department of Anthropology – UH Mānoa

Angkor Wat was a Hindu temple, built to honor God and King in the early 12th century CE in northwestern Cambodia. Through the centuries, the Khmers never abandoned Angkor Wat as their spiritual center. This lecture will review our current knowledge of Angkorian period economy and social organization, and discuss findings from the 2010 field season.

Dr. Miriam Stark joined the University of Hawai’i-Manoa in August 1995 as a Southeast Asian archaeologist. In 1996 she began co-directing the Lower Mekong Archaeological Project (LOMAP) in southern Cambodia, and have continued work in this region over the last 12 years. She edited the journal Asian Perspectives, the leading archaeological journal devoted to the prehistory of Asia and the Pacific region, published by the University of Hawai’i Press, from 2000-2006. Since 2007, with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation Initiative in East and Southeast Asian Archaeology and Early History, Dr. Stark has directed the Luce Asian Archaeology Program.

Saykoji gained popularity in 2006 with his hit single ‘So What Gitu Loh’. At the time, he was one of the few prominent rappers after Iwa K’s era came to an end. Following his successful debut album, he released a second album with the hit single ‘Jomblo’, again a crowd favorite among Indonesia’s youth. They also sang ‘Kecoa Ngesot’ as part of a rap compilation under EMI label.

Saykoji is none other than one singer/rapper, Ignatius Rosoinaya Penyami a.k.a. Igor. Before his exposure to Indonesian rap, he was a not a fan of the genre because of its unclear lyrics. After listening to prominent Indonesian rappers like Black Skin, Iwa K, and Neo, he became a believer and started to get deeper into rapping. At the time, he was a loner in school and got the nickname psycho. From this name calling, came the inspiration for his name Saykoji (Psycho-G).

For shows, Saykoji normally has Guntur Simbolon and Della MC of Batik Tribe as his posse. Igor also have a gospel rap group called Disciples made up of him and his friends, JFlow, Guntur Simbolon, and Rendy Rainhard.

In mid-2009, Saykoji came out with a new single entitled ‘Online’. Even though it was released as single only, it gained popularity fast and gone viral among Indonesians, especially those in online communities. ‘Online’ even became a jingle for one of Indonesia’s leading cellphone provider, which in turn, made it even more popular. He also released a controversial song ‘Copy My Style’ telling the story of other rappers plagiarizing his piece called ‘Tahukah Kau’. Currently, Saykoji is finishing up his third album Narsis slated for late 2010.

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EXPLORATIONS is edited and published by graduate students at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa with administrative support provided by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS). The journal provides a peer-reviewed forum for graduate scholarship on Southeast Asia. Submissions are welcomed from all disciplines, however the author must be currently enrolled in an academic program or a recent graduate (within the last year). The journal is produced through a blind review process, by volunteer editors with the guidance of a faculty advisor. EXPLORATIONS is published electronically and in hard copy, and is distributed to Southeast Asian Studies programs, centers, and university libraries both nationally and internationally. Works published in EXPLORATIONS are not necessarily representative of the views of the editors or CSEAS, and responsibility for the opinions expressed and the factual accuracy of papers lies with the individual authors.

HOW TO SUBMIT:

• Submissions should be sent to explore@hawaii.edu.
• Submissions should be in any of the following formats: Word (.doc), MPEG, MP3, Quicktime, or WMV.
• Submissions should follow APA or Turabian style, and essays must include a complete bibliography.
• Submissions should not be currently under review for another publication or previously published.

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS CONSIDERED:

• Original essays (up to 30 pages in length including bibliography)
• Reviews of films, music, online resources, archives, museums, libraries (up to 3 pages in length)
• Travelogues on airports, harbors, bus stations, train depots, river ferries, taxis (up to 3 pages in length)
• Photo essays and “Notes from the Field”

QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT US AT: explore@hawaii.edu or amedrano@hawaii.edu

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Hady Mirza (born January 28, 1980) (Jawi: حدي ميرزا) is a Singaporean singer of Bugis descent, with his grandparents hailing from Sulawesi. He is the winner of the second season of the reality TV show Singapore Idol. He was crowned the winner on 25 September 2006 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium after garnering 70% of about one million votes cast by television viewers.

He was also the winner of the world’s first Asian Idol competition held on 16 December 2007 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Asian Idol is a competition between six Idol winners from several different Asian countries, namely Singapore Idol, Malaysian Idol, Indonesian Idol, Indian Idol, Philippine Idol and Vietnam Idol.

Hady is most known for his smooth R&B voice and charming personality. He is the second male winner, following in the footsteps of his favourite idol, Taufik Batisah.

Hady started singing at the age of 18 and instantly fell in love with it because of the variety of genres he could get involved in. On the show, Hady was known for his diverse versatility, singing not only R&B hits, but Pop, Emo Rock and Heavy Metal.

Hady studied engineering at the Temasek Polytechnic. He was a pub performer but wanted to be a professional club entertainer when he was growing up. The song that would describe him best is “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen because of the conflicting themes present in the lyrics.

His favourite singers include Michael Jackson, Babyface, Boyz II Men and Jamie Cullum.

Hady’s debut album, self-titled Hady Mirza, was released in Singapore on 13 November 2006 and achieved Platinum status within 4 days of its release. The album is due to be re-released in 2008 with additional material.

In June 2007, Hady was awarded with two major awards in Anugerah Planet Muzik 2007, a yearly Malay music award show awarding the best musicians in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hady was voted “Most Popular Artiste (Singapore)” and his self-penned Malay single Merpati was voted “Most Popular Song (Singapore)”.

Hady was also chosen to sing an exclusive song You and I for the Police Week 2007 which was held in conjunction with the Police Day Parade 2007. In October 2007, to coincide with the grand opening of the KPE Tunnel, a special compilation album Sounds of the Underground was recorded, and Hady was featured on the track Jangan Memandu di Pinggir Jalan (Don’t Drive on the Side of the Road).

One year after his Singapore Idol win, Hady won the world’s first-ever Asian Idol, featuring Idol winners from six countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and India. With his unique soulful voice and charming looks, Hady will now represent Asia to promote the diversified Asian music to the world. Hady’s two performance choices were: Berserah (Surrender), composed by Taufik Batisah, and Beautiful Day by U2.

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