Last
night well over one-hundred guests showed up to see the musicians of
Cambodian Living Arts performing at a restaurant in a slightly
out-of-the-way location in Phnom Penh. The venue, normally hosting
jazz, pop or other 'Western' music gigs, was packed to capacity with
guests waiting to see, listen to and interact with a large troupe
dressed in traditional Khmer clothes, playing traditional Khmer music
on traditional Khmer instruments. The buzzing atmosphere at the gig
and the attitude of the smiling young performers, who incorporated
modern pop songs and drum kit and guitars into their show, was a
long way removed from the dry recital or quiet concert hall that one
might normally associate with a performance of 'traditional' music.
It
is nearly forty years since the sudden demise of the so-called
'Golden Era' of Cambodian music, yet interest in the music emanating
from the dance halls, karaoke parlours and high-class establishments
around the country seems to be increasing. This is evidenced by a
range of great happenings. Phnom Penh-based pioneers Krom
and the Cambodian Space Project
are breaking
into the international world music festival scene. The
first
annual
Cambodian Music Festival
will be taking
place in Los Angeles early
next month. John Pirozzi's
documentary film
Don't Think I've Forgotten,
first
shown at the Chaktomuk
Theatre
in
Phnom Penh earlier this year, will
be having
its
world festival première
(according to the movie's Facebook page!) at the Melbourne International Film
Festival
in August. Additionally,
the
Drakkar Band
(one of the true epic bands from the Golden Era)
will, either this year or early next year and
with
the help of Leng Pleng,
remaster and re-release their classic album of 1974. Also,
German
documentary
film-maker
and
music video producer extraordinaire
Marc Eberle
is currently editing a
documentary focussing on the life of Srey
Thy
and
her rise to the international stage within
the Cambodian Space
Project.
There
is truly worldwide interest in the 'lost' recordings of the Golden
Era Cambodian artists. These
precious recordings are being
kept alive in the few libraries of cassettes, vinyl records and
album covers by collectors
such as Oro
and Maya of Cambodian Vintage Music Archive.
Also,
enthusiast
DJane Sao Sopheak
continues
to bring the music to new audiences at her monthly Cambodian
Rock Night – with
the next instantiation
taking place this Saturday at Meta
House. This
is the
kind of night that finds one torn between jumping up and down to the
next nugget of classic Cambodian psychedelia and rushing up to the DJ
to ask 'who is this
?!!'.
![]() | |
CSP by Film Noir Studios. Read an interview of the band with Soundblab.com. |
The
Space Project play Equinox
on Friday night – a rescheduled gig following last week's spate of
last-minute cancellations. It seems
that the powers-that-be suddenly decided to tell venue managers
across Phnom Penh on
the Thursday
that
there would be no live music happening on
the
Friday (and, in some cases, Saturday) on
account of the national holiday and internment of King Father
Sihanouk's ashes.
Therefore
the CSP gig this Friday will clash with a performance of Miss
Sarawan All-Star Band
at Sharky Bar.
Miss Sarawan is diminutive diva and 'Golden Era' acolyte Mealea
Lay –
backed by a band of musicians comprising
Peang Kannika
of Kok Thlok,
Bunhong Cheak
of Mekong Pirates,
Joe Wrigley,
Chris Hilleary
and.... Mealea's twin sister Mealai! Miss
Sarawan
also performs as an acoustic duo on Wednesday at FCC
– The Mansion.
The
incredible force of fusion known
as Dub Addiction
returns
to Equinox
on
Saturday night, featuring one of the young stars of Cambodia –
Jimmy Kiss
– adding his powerful vocals into the singular DA mix of dub
reggae, raggamuffin, rock, dance and traditional Khmer sounds.
Meanwhile, gig-goers who missed Cambodian
Living Arts at
Doors
last night can see them perform Children of
Bassac each
Friday at 7pm and Mak Therng
each
Saturday at 7pm at the National Museum.
Miss Sarawan by Jim Heston |
Over
at Sharky Bar on Saturday, an
impressive line-up of musicians gather to pay tribute to Tommy
Ramone. The
last surviving founding member of hugely influential punk band The
Ramones passed-away
this week. Blitzkrieg
Ramones
will play a set of 100% 'Gabba
Gabba Hey!'
Ramones classics, featuring fearsomely
good
front-woman
Laura J
Snook
of Psychotic
Reactions,
Stuey Gallagher
of Mad-fer-it,
ace
rock drummer Boom
Baar
and Robby G-String
(he only plays the g-string, apparently) on bass guitar. The Ramones
night will also feature a full support set from accomplished pop-punk
rockers Adobo
Conspiracy.
As bar manager Dave
Rabie told
Leng Pleng,
Sharky's has a bona-fide connection to, as well as a spiritual
affinity with, the legendary American band:
“[Sharky
Principal Partner] Mike used to work as a manager at CBGB's in New
York City. The Ramones, The New York Dolls and Iggy Pop started the
punk movement in America via CBGB's. Niki Buzz was in the house band.
Tommy Ramone was right in there, the pulse, the drummer who inspired
the likes of Metallica and all the bands that came later. Nobody
drummed that fast before! It's not just about the Ramones, but the
movement that the Ramones started...”
Until next time, stay safe out there and.... see you around the traps!
JACK DIAMOND
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