Mar Mar Aye

Born July 26, 1942 in Myaungmya, Burma. Burmese singer. Died January 8, 2024.

Probably the most famous Burmese traditional singer, Mar Mar Aye started singing when she was eight and made her second album, Let’s Play on the Rainbow, which was a national breakthrough, at the age of thirteen. She worked for Burma’s Broadcasting Service for 16 years and became a member of the National Music Council. A politically active artist who has written songs in support of the Saffron Revolution and advising citizens to “Vote No!” in a national referendum on a new planned military-backed constitution, Aye left the country for the U.S. in 1998 and had lived there ever since. Because she left Burma, she wasn’t allowed to release her albums and her songs were banned on the radio. She has written two novels, founded a singing academy, and run a music publication house and recording studio. In 2012 she visited Burma for a solo outdoor concert in Yangon, though for medical and financial reasons she was still located in USA.