A very busy time for
the Phnom Penh music scene this week, with far more fantastic events
than we can shake a stick at. Read about some of the highlights in
our weekly wrap below, and check out the Leng
Pleng Gig Guide for
a comprehensive list of happenings.
Celebrating
Timeless Music
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pic: Elvis of Cambodia Facebook page , International Music Festival Facebook page |
Following all that
excitement in Kampot last week, it now falls to Phnom Penh to host
the latest arts festival to be based in Cambodia. While the Kampot
Writers and Readers Festival
staged its inaugural iteration in 2015, the International
Music Festival Phnom Penh has
now reached its twelfth year.
The classical music festival opens tonight (Thursday) at the
Intercontinental
Phnom Penh,
continues over the weekend with a series of concerts at Meta
House,
and closes with an unprecedented
symphony performance, back
at the Intercon
on Monday evening. The
orchestral finale will feature Cambodian pianist Rong
Sereyvann and
the World-Ship
Youth-Orchestra
of
Japan in co-operation with the Angkor
Youth Orchestra,
performing
Beethoven's 5th
Symphony and Mozart's Piano
Concerto No.17. The
organisers of the International Music Festival
told
Leng Pleng
that
Monday
will mark
the very first time a
Piano concerto has been fully
staged in Cambodia! For
ticket details and further information, visit the festival
website
and Facebookpage.
A
full festival-worthy list of top Cambodian singers will be lining
up at Koh Pich
Theatre
in Phnom Penh on Saturday night to pay tribute to Sinn Sisamouth, the
godfather
of 1960's
and 1970's Cambodian
rock'n'roll.
Sin
Chanchhaya,
son
of Sisamouth, passed away in January this year – just
two months after the
Cambodian Ministry of Commerce officially recognised the Sinn
family's copyright
to 73 of Sinn Sisamouth's original songs (PhnomPenh Post, 21 January 2015).
Sin Chanchhaya
was a tireless campaigner for his
father's legacy and the legal rights of his family to ownership
of his
intellectual property. The
Sinn Sisamouth legacy lives on through grandson Sinn
Sethakol,
a
superb singer in
his own right, who
will be performing on Saturday alongside Cambodian luminaries such as
Laura Mam,
Meng Keo Pichenda,
Drakkar Band
and many, many more. The
event, entitled 'It's
Time To Give Back' has
been organised by the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce as
a fund raiser for the families of Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, and
other charitable organisations involved in maintaining the legacy of
the Cambodian 'Golden Era' of rock'n'roll (KhmerTimes, 2 November 2015).
Tickets
for the event can be purchased at Smart Co. locations.
Returning Heroes
![]() |
Scott, Greg and RJ: I guess Phnom Penh is the place to be! |
November
seems to be a good time to get back to Phnom Penh. Talented guitarist
Greg Marino has returned to the city this week and will be
hosting an open mic session tonight (Thursday) at Top Banana. RJ
Marshall has also
recently returned and has
resumed host duties at the
weekly Showbox open
mic night (Wednesdays).
Scott Bywater returned
from Europe last month (we knew he couldn't stay away from the Phnom
Penh music scene for too long!) and will be performing his latest
compositions at Alley Cat Cafe this
Friday. Welcome home guys!
Multiple Experimentation
![]() |
Gregaldur – pic: Lop Loy Facebook |
Several
cutting-edge and experimental music acts will be performing live in
Phnom Penh this week. Krom Monster will reprise their 'unique
collision of Khmer instruments and contemporary electronics'
at the Meta House this
Thursday. Check out their
tunes on Bandcamp.
Kampot-based DJ
Mute Speaker produces
a fascinating fusion of
unmistakably Cambodian instrumentation and
groovy electronic beats –
check out the awesome tracks
available via the Mute Speaker Soundcloud
page.
He will
be visiting Phnom Penh this weekend to perform a DJ set at Cloud
on Friday night and at Eluvium Lounge on
Saturday night. Just when you
thought things could not get any more hip in Phnom Penh over
the next few days, we have
heard word that a
Franco-Italian-Cambodian live
music mash-up will taking place on Friday at the
Lop Loy gallery.
Headliner Gregaldur
describes his music as 'crazy fairytale lo-fi pop', while
Damani 'Danzo'
Kelly and
Morno will
provide appropriately cool musical
support.
Check
out the latest music video release by Phnom Penh-based RFM
Nation. The
sunshine-soaked film was shot in the Boeng Kak Lakeside area of
the city.
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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