Rohingya Music Online Library
Melodies of Love, Suffering, and Hope in Exile
Explore the Library
You can explore more about the Rohingya musicians – their music, culture, and life experiences – in our library below.
About Rohingya Musicians
For generations, Rohingya musicians have been the keepers of their people’s stories, carrying the weight of history, identity, and resilience in their melodies. From joyful celebrations to important community rituals, music was woven into the fabric of life in Arakan, Myanmar. But as persecution intensified, so too did efforts to silence them. Despite the hardships of exile and displacement, Rohingya musicians continue to play, their songs echoing through the refugee camps of Bangladesh, bearing witness to both loss and hope. Recognizing the urgent need to document and share this endangered tradition, Rohingya musicians shared their stories, songs, and insights with the hope that Crossing Borders Music would document them and share them with the world. This Rohingya Music Library project is the outcome of that fervent desire, to preserve a musical heritage that refuses to be erased and stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Rohingya.
On their ancestral lands in Arakan, Myanmar (Burma), Rohingya musicians played important roles in community life. Their music filled the air at celebrations—parties, picnics, coming-of-age ceremonies, graduations, and even ear-piercing rituals. They performed at commercial expos, drawing in crowds with their melodies, and at local gatherings where music brought people together.
Some Rohingya musicians shared devotional music as part of Sufism, a spiritual tradition passed down from parents to their children through generations that combines song and dance as a form of worship.
Music was not only a source of entertainment but also a means of survival and communal support. Master musician Liyakat Ali remembers how, in 1989, three performances of Rohingya music generated enough ticket sales to fund the construction of a school.
Yet, ongoing persecution of the Rohingya suppressed Rohingya music.
For example, the Burmese government refused to hire Rohingya musicians for state events, reinforcing their marginalization. By 1991, the Burmese government banned all public Rohingya arts events altogether. Further restrictions followed—by 2012, even microphones were forbidden, suppressing not only Rohingya music but also Rohingya calls to prayer. With formal music schools not permitted by the government, instruction was forced into private homes, with musicians passing down their art form informally in one-on-one lessons, just to keep their traditions alive.
In 2017 and 2018, immediately following the Rohingya Genocide and the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh, armed groups prevented Rohingya musicians from making music in Refugee camps. Eventually, they relented. Now, in the camps, musicians once again perform at weddings, religious gatherings, and community events—just as they had in Myanmar. However, life in the camps introduced new roles for music. Songs now carry messages of public health, family planning, and women’s rights, offering vital information to the displaced community. Musicians also perform at events hosted by NGOs, for World Refugee Day, and at discussions organized by camp authorities.
Yet, within the refugee camps, making music remains a challenge. Musicians and event organizers must obtain permission from camp authorities, and travel restrictions make it difficult for artists to move freely with their instruments. Musicians’ travel can also be difficult because security officers can seize people’s personal items if they believe those items show evidence of crimes, or assess fines if they believe people have taken part in criminal activity. While some performances take place in homes, they depend on the goodwill of neighbors in the densely populated camps, where privacy is scarce.
The Rohingya Refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
The Rohingya Refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
About Azardir Abas Touli Rohingya Olay Hauto Zahn Shohid Gorilo Loway Arakan Lal Goilo (“Let’s Raise Our Voices for Justice. Thousands of Our Rohingya Brothers and Sisters Were Killed in Bloodshed in Arakan”). This is a tarana by Osman.
Find more by Osman! “Arakan Rohingya Tarana” on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and X. Contact Osman at +8801950181300 or osmangonimusic@gmail.com.
Among the most powerful forms of Rohingya music is tarana—songs that document oppression and struggle, carrying deep emotional weight. In Myanmar, performing tarana was dangerous; musicians faced detention and arrest if authorities heard them.
Today, in exile, these songs can be sung freely, recounting the horrors of the Rohingya Genocide, the loss of citizenship, and the longing for a homeland left behind.
Despite their sorrowful themes, some tarana also express hope—the dream of returning to Arakan and reclaiming a life stolen from them.
Osman here teaches Crossing Borders Music co-director Tom Clowes the notes to the Rohingya classic “O Sham Rangum Naw Zayore.”
Music in the Camps
As in Myanmar, music education in the camps remains informal, limited to private lessons in people’s homes. Decades of repression have left the Rohingya music tradition fragile, and many musicians fear it is slipping away.
Elders worry that younger generations, growing up in exile, are losing touch with their cultural identity. They see it in small but telling ways—fewer young people wear the traditional lungi, opting instead for modern trousers. Where once only live musicians played at events, recorded music is becoming increasingly common.
For many, these shifts serve as painful reminders of all that has been lost. With limited opportunities for education, elders worry that young Rohingya may never know the full richness of their heritage.
And yet, despite displacement and oppression, Rohingya musicians continue to play. Their songs remain a living archive, a thread connecting past and present, a voice that refuses to be silenced.
“In exile, the younger generations are starting to lose our culture. If we stay for a long time in exile, they will forget their customs, their cultural practices, and the elements that create our Rohingya identity.”
—Osman
Principles of Rohingya Music
In a Rohingya song, one member of the ensemble will sing, play an instrument, and lead the ensemble. However, as the performance unfolds, different musicians may take turns leading and singing different songs, giving listeners the opportunity to enjoy a variety of timbres and styles throughout the performance.
At the heart of the ensemble are five main instruments: the mandolin, harmonium, violin, tabla, and zuri (finger percussion). The mandolin most often takes the lead, though sometimes the harmonium or even the violin player may lead the song. Accompanying mandolin players echo the melody, perhaps with slightly different embellishments, or improvising a harmonious accompaniment. Between sung phrases, the singer keeps the music grooving by playing rhythmic patterns on their instrument. An accompanying violinist can either reinforce the melody, perhaps while adding unique embellishments, or can play accompanying melodic ornaments and rhythmic patterns using frequent open string double stops, like a fiddler.
The tabla anchors the ensemble, keeping the beat steady and maintaining the music’s intensity and groove, while the zuri adds a percussive brightness, played as finger cymbals when the mandolin leads and as a tambourine when the harmonium takes the lead.
As they gather to play, Rohingya musicians take care to position themselves respectfully, ensuring that they are not facing Mecca (as they would during prayer), and also that their backs are not turned toward Mecca. To the right of the mandolin player typically sits the harmonium player, with the violinist immediately to their left, followed by the tabla and the zuri player. But these placements are not rigid—before beginning, musicians check in with one another, adjusting as needed so that all are comfortable. Though these five instruments form the core of Rohingya ensembles, others sometimes find their way into performances. Flutes, drums, and even the harmonica—played most often in women’s ensembles—add different timbres and colors. Each performance, whether played for a small gathering or a large celebration, is not just a musical expression but a reaffirmation of culture, tradition, and community.
Some types of Rohingya music are:
- Kawali: Historically used for debates about Islamic knowledge, kawali music is also used for graduations and weddings – sometimes including music to accompany a Rohingya bride as she travels through town to her new home with her husband’s family. Kawali music uses the tabla drums and zuri (finger percussion) and does not use the mandolin or violin.
- Love songs
- Tarana: songs that document, lament, and share about the persecution of the Rohingya
- Folk songs
- Music for awareness about important social or health issues
However, many Rohingya musicians don’t worry about labels—a song is a song! No need to overthink categorization!
Renowned and talented Rohingya musician Setara shares songs to raise awareness about important social issues in the Rohingya refugee camps.
Cultural Preservation in Bangaladesh
Many Rohingya musicians have their own online platforms, including YouTube channels and social media pages, which they use to share their music and raise awareness about the Rohingya refugee crisis. We encourage people to explore and support these pages, follow the musicians on social media, and listen to their stories. You can start by visiting Osman’s YouTube channel and musician Tahir’s channel.
The Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre is a project of the International Organization for Migration of the UN. Opening in 2022 and located inside the Rohingya refugee camps, its goal is to preserve and share Rohingya cultural memories, including Rohingya music and other Rohingya arts. The RCMC holds one of the largest English-language collections of information about Rohingya music.
This Rohingya Music Library of Crossing Borders Music offers its own contribution—not only archiving Rohingya music but also documenting the personal stories of individual Rohingya musicians and their life experiences. This emphasis on oral history and personal narratives provides invaluable insight into how music shapes and reflects the Rohingya identity.
Rohingya people’s fundamental rights aren’t often recognized—their official documents in Myanmar have been stripped away, and their contributions to society frequently go unrecognized. That’s why official recognition of their cultural and artistic work is so vital. On the advice of Rohingya community members and supporters, Crossing Borders Music co-executive director Tom Clowes created official, signed certificates of honor and merit. These certificates acknowledge the musicians’ successful completion of a one-month cultural exchange program, made possible by the Asian Cultural Council.
More than just a formality, these certificates serve as a testament to each musician’s lifelong dedication to preserving and sharing Rohingya music and culture. Presented on the final day of the project, they recognize the artists’ invaluable contributions— without which this project would not have been possible.
Please join us in expressing our deepest gratitude to Sharif, Khaleda, Liyakat, Mustafa, Yousuof, Tahir, Salam, Dildar, and Osman for their incredible service to this intercultural project and to the Rohingya community!
Concluding The Journey
Just as in cultures around the world, sharing a meal is a meaningful way for Rohingya musicians and community members to come together, celebrate, and create lasting memories. Their cuisine is rich with flavors—varieties of rice, meats, eggs, daal (lentils), vegetables, chili peppers, and fragrant seasonings. On this final day of our program, the meal was made even more special with an abundance of local sweets, marking the success of our intercultural exchange and our hopes for continued collaboration. The musicians found it amusing—and perhaps a little surprising—to see our co-executive director, Tom, embracing tradition by eating with his hands!
As we conclude this journey, we encourage you to explore the stories of these musicians, preserved in the Crossing Borders Music Library, and to engage with their music, which carries the voices, history, and resilience of the Rohingya people. Follow and support their platforms, share their music, and help amplify their contributions to the world.
The Rohingya Music Online Library was created as a result of the cultural exchange spurred by an Organization Grant from the Asian Cultural Council. Funding for the Rohingya Music Online Library was provided in part by Illinois Humanities.
Thank you as well to this project’s Chief Designer, Scout Fynn. Technical support was generously provided by Thomas Kepler. Most of all, we would like to thank the inspirational Rohingya musicians and other Rohingya Refugees who encouraged Crossing Borders Music to document and share their cultural traditions, and without whose encouragement, collaboration, and generosity this project would have been completely impossible