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

pic: Lewis Pragasam Facebook

Thursday the 30^th April is International Jazz Day – officially being celebrated in Phnom Penh tonight at the Starworks Academy in the Boeng Trabek area. Starworks is a new International educational center for Music, Arts and Dance situated in the LYLA Center. Founder and Director Lewis Pragasam has brought in some seriously good and hugely experienced musicians to perform at two concerts this week. Thursday's show is entitled 'Cuba Meets Asia' and will feature Cuban guitarist Marco Alonso, Indonesian pianist Metta Legita and Phnom-Penh based multi-instrumentalist Phil Javelle alongside Lewis Pragasam himself. The Malaysian master drummer will then re-join Alonso and Javelle at Starworks on Friday for a night of Cuban music, with awesome percussionist K.C.M. also appearing. Booking advised for these events via telephone: 077 68 44 38.

Showbox in heavier days – pic: www.kenedgar.com

You may have noticed a little 'doom and gloom' around the Phnom Penh music scene in April, with a number of venue closures (Slur, Equinox, Bodhi Villa) prompting talk of a decline. Fortunately, one doesn't need to look very far to find awesome music happening all over the city. Showbox will be pulling out all the stops this Friday for a special May Day concert. A couple of years ago, the Tuol-Sleng venue ran into neighbour problems when they staged live'n'loud rock shows on a regular basis. Recently, their noise levels have been limited to acoustic open mics held early in the evening. The owners of Showbox have decided to make an exception this weekend and have invited The Kampot Playboys over to headline a super bill of bands including Panic Jerks, Red Tin Dragon and Ziad Samman. Friday's line-up will demonstrate that music is still very much cooking in Phnom Penh and, moreover, there is fresh and exciting collaboration taking place between Barang and Cambodian musicians. The Kampot Playboys also play a full gig at Sharky Bar this Saturday night.

pic: www.kenedgar.com

Miss Sarawan is busy in Phnom Penh this week, with three acoustic gigs across the city. The diminutive songstress is fond of the classic singers of 1960's Cambodia: Ros Sereysothea and Pan Ron. Miss Sarawan has also been working hard on her own original songs, and plans to début a few of them at Alley Bar this Friday, Cabaret on Tuesday night and FCC – The Mansion on Wednesday. Sara-wonderful!

Hot Club de Phnom Penh are 'taking it to the street' on Saturday for a guerilla gig of sizzling jazz manouche. Seb Adnot (double bass), Aymen Ghali (guitar) and Nono (violin) will be jamming on the riverside area of Phnom Penh (opposite the night-market) from 5pm. Later that night, Phnom Penh's outdoor nightclub, Dusk Till Dawn, will celebrate their second birthday with the Phnom Penh Underground DJs. Sequence, Alan Ritchie, Simon C Vent and The Cambo Disco Club will rock the rooftop with drum'n'bass, techno and house. Click the video above to see DJ Sequence and MC Kaztet Dee moving the crowd at the recent Save Boeng Kak Lakeside event.

It's surprising how many people you can squeeze into a Cat

Bacano will play a special acoustic set at Alma Café in Phnom Penh this Sunday lunchtime. The Colombian-Chilean-Cambodian band like to mix up some seriously groovy Latin-rock music, perfect for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration. Across town, Scott Bywater will return to his chair at Alleycat Café on Sunday afternoon for Sunday Sundowners Sessions. The intimate and welcoming acoustic open mic was originally hosted by Scoddy at Rubies Wine Bar before moving venue. Some other guy did host it at The Alleycat for a while but I can't quite remember his name...

Leng Pleng will leave you on an upbeat and positive note – with this video from the Epic Arts organisation in Kampot: