Searching for the Burmese Harp

« There is no color in music, no Western nor Eastern.

Music is complete purity. »

Dr. Su Zar Zar, burmese harp player

Our journey along the Silk Roads, meeting string instruments, began with China and continues with Myanmar (Burma).

From ancient Bagan to the capital Yangon, I travelled this country in search of an instrument that fascinates me: the Saung or Burmese Harp. The gentle and melodious notes emanating from this harp envelops me an enchanting and mystical atmosphere.

On the path to the Saung, I had the chance to meet an extraordinary woman, Su Zar Zar, a Burmese harpist and Doctor of Musicology at the University of Art and Culture in Yangon.

Should music be either Eastern or Western? Not for Su. Traditional music is certainly rooted in our cultures, but it has above all the ability to elevate us in a purity that transcends our differences.

I dedicate this short film, "In Search of the Burmese Harp", to this woman who carries a message of peace and who fights every day for a better musical education in her country, Myanmar.