Leng Pleng - Live Music and DJ Gig Guide of Cambodia: Weekly Wrap

http://www.tippairie.com/

Anthony 'Tippa Irie' Henry is a raggamuffin and reggae-dancehall artist hailing from the UK. Slur Bar and Wat A Gwaan have secured his services for a special gig on Friday night. Tippa Irie is a vocalist and DJ of the highest calibre, with a résumé that boasts collaborations with the Black Eyed Peas, UB40 and the Long Beach Dub All Stars. The 25-year veteran MC is a hugely respected and influential figure on the UK music scene and a progenitor, in the 1980's, of the 'Raggamuffin' reggae style. British artists such as Anthony Henry and Pato Banton embraced the ragga sound exemplified in 1984 by Wayne Smith's 'Under Me Sleng Teng' – wherein the traditional live reggae backing band were ditched from the recording session and replaced by the digital and brutal, yet utterly immediate, sound of primitive synthesisers and drum machines.

Tippa is visiting Cambodia for the first time in conjunction with shows in Manila and Saigon. He headlines an evening of entertainment at Slur that includes Wat A Gwaan DJs Alan Ritchie and DJ Bree, MC Kaztet D and a full live set from Dub Addiction. It is only fitting that when a genuine international raggamuffin comes to town, he should be supported by the 'only ragga-dub band in Cambodia'. Professor Kinski and his Dub Addiction team, still working on their second album of innovative genre-defying Khmer-fusion music, must surely be looking forward to Friday with great relish. While we're at it, Television Ted would like to make a correction and an apology to Dub Addiction and Leng Pleng readers – Dub Addiction are playing a show at Equinox on the 19^th July, not the 19th of June as reported in last week's wrap.

Joe Wrigley by Ken Edgar

There will be less raggamuffin and more rockabilly at Sharky Bar on Friday when Joe Wrigley & The Jumping Jacks return to the live stage following a two-month break. The unabashedly retro band purvey two sets of stomping country and rockabilly-swing and will be aided and abetted on this outing by Psychotic Reactions lead guitar hero Jan Fex. Jan lends a hard edge to the band's material, which is selected from the mid-to-late 1950's period. It was the magical musical heyday of early Elvis, Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly – when country, blues and elements of jazz guitar-playing combined with an explosive energy to create something called 'Rockabilly' “...long before they called it rock'n'roll”. Tip: the impassioned, affected Southern drawl and driving sound of Joe and his Jacks goes particularly well with cheap bourbon whiskey.

Jimmy Kiss pic courtesy of Jimmy Kiss

Bears are the unlikely topic for Saturday's gig of choice at FCC – The Mansion, when rising Cambodian star Jimmy Kiss will perform at the event entitled Beers4Bears. This show has been organised by Free The Bears – an organisation “working with local governments to protect Asia's threatened bear populations by strengthening wildlife laws, rescuing and providing sustainable sanctuaries for bears and educating and empowering local people to protect their forests and wildlife.” Jimmy let Leng Pleng know that he will be performing his own original songs and covers with a full live band for this gig. Read more about Jimmy's life and his music in Leng Pleng's 'An Interview with Jimmy Kiss'.

Meta House offer another great classical music experience on Wednesday. Italian pianists Giovanni De Cecco and Alberto Firrincieli visit the ground floor exhibition/performance space to give a recital of works by composers Schumann, Brahms and Rubinstein.

Leng Pleng has been in touch with pianist, songwriter, vocalist and all-round creative talent Amanda Bloom in order to acquire some tantalising low-down on her forthcoming album entitled Atlas – Journey of Hope:

Pic: Amanda Bloom Facebook page

“I’m currently in Nashville getting the album mixed by Leslie Richter of RCA studios. It has been really exciting to be here in Music City - the sheer level of talent and concentration of world class musicians all in one tiny city has been overwhelmingly inspiring. But equally it makes me realize how unique the music scene in Phnom Penh is. The diversity and supportive community in Cambodia is what is really special... I'm really excited to share these songs finally. I have poured every part of myself into the process and it has been an incredible journey.”

Watch this space for more from Amanda Bloom in the weeks leading up to the release of what promises to be a profoundly influential and significant collection of original musical creations.

Guitarist and singer Roxane Dumont continued her own musical journey this week in leaving Phnom Penh and returning to Europe. In the few months that Roxane has been here she has brought a smile to everyone she has met on the local music scene. She has made a great impression with her prodigious talent and hugely endearing personality. Jack sincerely hopes we will see her again around the traps. In the meantime, here is a tape from Video Free Equinox to remind us what it is we will be missing: