Feast of Music
The musicians and venues
of Cambodia will cook up an extra-large serving of delicious,
life-affirming, live music goodness this weekend in celebration of
Fête de la Musique or World Music Day.
No fewer than sixteen live acts will grace a specially-constructed
stage in Siem Reap between 2pm on Sunday and 2am on Monday morning!
Meanwhile, in Phnom Penh, several venues are hosting a wide and
varied selection of the city's best live music performers.
Check out the packed Leng
Pleng Weekly Gig Guide below and click on
the
event links for
more information.
Leng
Pleng has
heard
news
of gigs
being cancelled in Phnom Penh this Friday the 19th
June – which is an official national day of mourning in respect of
Senate
President Chea Sim. Sangvar
Day,
who were set
to
play at Sharky Bar
this Friday, will
now perform
at
Oscar Bar
on Street 104 tonight
(Thursday). The
hardcore rockers will be saying
goodbye at
end of the gig to
bassist Mat before his return to France... and saying hello to new
bassist Andry
Rakotoniaina.
Lead singer Robin
Narciso
also
let us know that the band will be premièring a brand new original song at the
Oscar gig.
![]() |
Video from Sangvar Day |
Kampot
Special
![]() |
Anna
Smyrk – pic: http://annasmyrkandtheappetites.com.au
|
We
also
expect many gigs will go ahead just
as planned on the 19th of June – please check with venues
to get
accurate
information.
Anna Smyrk will
be playing a special solo acoustic set at Madi's
Bar
in Kampot on Friday. The singer-songwriter,
pianist and
guitarist is currently taking
a break from touring Australia 'in
a second-hand
Jim’s Cleaning trailer'
with
her band 'Anna
Smyrk and The Appetites'. Check
out some of her fantastically
dark and atmospheric alt-folk tracks via
the Anna
Smyrk
Youtube channel and Soundcloud page.
The
Bokor Mountain Magic Band
will be rocking
KAMA's 'Sun
Ra Space Bar' in Kampot on Saturday night. The
band play a similar brand of female-fronted intergalactic Cambodian
psych-rock to their sister group The
Cambodian Space Project.
The
Bokor Mountain Magics have also recently added a red-hot keys player
into the mix. Check
out the really cool video below of the C.S.P. playing Pan Ron's 'Rom
Rom Rom' as part of the 'Cosmic Cambodia' show at the
Casula Powerhouse in
Sydney,
Australia.
Super Saturday in Phnom Penh
The 'exclusive and
reclusive' Krom will be
making a rare live appearance at Meta
House in
Phnom Penh on Saturday. The
band have forged their own completely unique style of Cambodian
crossover music - marrying two of the most beautiful soprano voices
in the country (sisters
Sophea and Sopheak Chamroeun)
with
spoken-word 'Asian
Noir'
poetry
(by Australian
singer/guitarist
Chris Minko). The
show on Saturday will provide
a chance
to hear songs from their forthcoming album 'Mekong
Delta Blues'
and will also mark the live
début of new bassist and keyboardist James
Mao Sokleap.
Check out the video below to hear a
new song from Krom
called
'Cambodia'.
Odd
Bar
is
a brand-new live music venue opening this week on Street 294 in Phnom
Penh. Odd Bar
is brought to you by Mel and Bona, the team behind the legendary
Memphis Pub. The
welcome arrival of Odd
Bar
on the the city music scene will
be celebrated
on
Saturday night at
a pre-World Music
Day
party. The
line-up of performers has not been officially released to the public,
but it is safe to assume that the extravaganza
will
involve some first-class blues rock from Bona's band together with a
guest-list
of specially-invited Phnom
Penh musicians.
Live
music will continue at Odd
Bar
on Sunday night.
Should be a great party!
Also
in Phnom Penh on Saturday, Joe Wrigley & The
Jumping Jacks will be crossing
their fingers
and toes for a rain-free gig at FCC
– The Mansion.
The
rockabilly trio
of
reprobates will be joined
by multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire
Phil
Javelle
in
an early Fête de la Musique celebration
with
a
1950's rock'n'roll
theme.
One
can never be quite sure which
instrument Phil
will pull
out of the bag
for
his next solo - keyboard,
saxophone, clarinet,
melodica
or... tin-whistle?
A Very Busy Day for Musicians
Phil Javelle is
one of many great artists appearing at
the 'Asean
Beats'
World Music Day
mini-festival – taking
place at Sofitel
in
Phnom Penh from 8am
(!) on Sunday morning. Music-lovers willing and able to untangle
themselves from their beds at this very unsociable hour will be
rewarded with music from
a great live
jazz trio comprising of
Lester Ang
(keyboards), Lewis Pragasam (drums)
and Phil himself.
Later on in the day,
more excellent live music will be provided at
the Sofitel
by Lindee La, Metta
Legita, Lisa
and Joshua
Chiang.
Such is the quality and
quantity of the events taking place in Phnom Penh this Sunday, it
will be possible to start listening to bands over breakfast and
continue with excellent live music at a different venue for brunch,
lunch, afternoon tea (as they say in England), dinner and
after-dinner drinks. Check out the Leng Pleng Weekly
Gig
Guide
to find out more details about
the great events taking place at Sofitel,
K-West, Le
Museum, Alley Cat Cafe, Links
Music Store, LYLA Center,
Cabaret and
Meta House.
The
timings of the Sunday
shows
are appropriately staggered to allow time
between bands for
you to
finish your drink and hail a ride
to your
next destination. It's
almost as if someone has planned it! Please don't drink and drive
during Fête de la Musique –
a
tuk-tuk is much more fun and you can also contribute to the worldwide
festival of music by performing songs along the way! Remember,
'Make Music Day'
was first envisaged in Paris in 1982 as a
free-entry music
festival
in which anyone is allowed to take part.
Whatever you're up to over the next few
days, stay safe out there and... see you around the traps!
JOE WRIGLEY
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