Sai Sai Kham Leng

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Sai Sai Kham Leng was born on 10 April 1979 in Taunggyi to Cho Cho San Tun and Kham Leng of an ethnic Shan aristocratic family. His great-grandfather Sao San Tun, Saopha of Mongpawn, was a signatory to the 1947 Panglong Agreement that was the basis for the formation of modern Myanmar, and one of nine senior government officials assassinated on 19 July 1947.

Sai Sai Kham Leng is the eldest son and has two younger sisters and a younger brother. Soon after he was born, his parents moved to nearby Aungban for two years before moving back to Taunggyi. He went to B.E.H.S (1) Taunggyi. His parents divorced when he was in the 4th standard (4th grade) . He was living in two homes soon after divorce but ended up with his father. He would not see his mother for another six years.

Sai Sai attributes his interest in music to his father. He grew up listening to songs by Sai Htee Saing and Aung Yin that his father listened to on a "small mono cassette player". Sai Htee Saing and his father were friends. But it was after his parents' divorce that Sai Sai earnestly took up music. His father bought him a guitar in 5th standard, and he learned to play it by 6th standard. Sai Sai became a judo player in the eighth standard. He won district level competitions in high school, and even participated in national youth competitions in Yangon.

Sai Sai moved to Yangon and enrolled in the English major program in Dagon University. He received his bachelor's degree in English from Dagon University and a graduate diploma in English from the University of Foreign Languages, Yangon. His mother lives in Australia and his father died in 2006.

Career

Like most children of well-to-do families in Myanmar, Sai Sai entered the Myanmar entertainment industry through connections and self-financing. At Yangon, Sai Sai first tried to break into the modeling industry but could not get any offers. He then tried a role in a direct-to-video movie that he and four other friends self-financed in 2000. In the same year, he launched his debut album Chocolate Yaung Yayge Einmet (Chocolate-Colored Ice Dreams). The follow-up album Thangegyin Myar Swar (Graduation: Friends Forever) released in 2001 made him a household name.

In his 2012 album Date Date Kyal, he included a song named "ပြီးခဲ့သောဇာတ်လမ်းအကျဉ်း" (Summary of the story till now) about his 33 years of his life. He celebrates his Birthday shows in April every year, gaining thousands of ticket sales which is a large number in Myanmar. He has celebrated 12 shows from 2004 to 2016 so far.

Personal life

Sai Sai is still single, and lives in Yangon. In an interview with People Magazine Myanmar in May 2009, he expressed that he was unsure about marriage as he comes from a "broken family". SAI Cosmetic, he's starting his own cosmetic brand in 2016.

His relationship with Myanmar Actress Wut Hmone Shwe Yee was one of the most controversial relationships. They never made their relationship public and they broke up after some years.

He is a Theravada Buddhist.

Humanitarian work

In 2015, Sai Sai was involved in the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) Cover Your Cough Campaign, which aimed to increase knowledge about how tuberculosis spreads through droplets in the air and the importance of covering your nose and mouth when you cough. In 2016, he continued his advocacy in this area with the Myanmar Unite to End TB Mass Media Programme with the NTP, supported by The 3MDG Fund

Studio Albums

Collaborative albums

Filmography

Novels

Political views

In 2014, there are several celebrities signing a petition to change a part of the constitution. He wrote on his official Facebook that he has only one small brain and one body, so he don't want to be responsible for many things, hinting that he is not interested in politics. Netizens assume that he was referring to signing the petition but the intention of that post was unclear and later deleted after it was shared on Facebook page of Irrawaddy News. Film director Kyi Phyu Shin stated that she also has one small brain and one body but she will sign on the petition and be responsible for many things, clearly dissing him. Despite controversies, he signed on the petition later.