Modern Music

Modern Music

Cambodian pop music, or modern music, is divided into two categories: ramvong and ramkbach. Ramvong is slow dance music, while ramkbach is closely related to Thai folk music.

Here is an example of Ramvong Music:

 

And here is some Ramkbach music:

 

Sinn Sisamouth

Sinn Sisamouth (ស៊ីន ស៊ីសាមុត)

Sinn Sisamouth was a famous and highly prolific Cambodian singer and songwriter in the 1950s to the 1970s and is considered as the "King of Khmer music." Sin Sisamouth, along with other artists, sparked a fresh, new pop music scene in Phnom Penh. This scene combined elements of Khmer traditional music with the sounds and rhythms of the blues and rock and roll to make Western sounding music. He had a clear, crooning voice and sang about the pain and pleasures of romance. This made him a unique and famous idol. Sisamouth died from sickness during the Khmer Rouge regime.
What captured Sisamouth's audience was his use of a four-piece, rock and roll band instrumentation with guitars and percussion, instead of the usual band of wind instruments. It is estimated that he wrote thousands of songs, possibly at least one for each day he was famous, his son Sinn Chaya has said. His famous hit singles include "Anussavry Phnom Kravanh", "Chong Srol", "Thngay Dob Pee Thnou", "Thngay Muoy Kakkda", "Teuk Keb", "Stung Pursat", and "Prek Eng Oss Sangkhim".
Due to his presence and influence on Cambodian music being so great, he still remains highly popular in Cambodia today.

Traditional Cambodian Dance

Traditional Cambodian dancing can be referred to as a 'dance-drama'. It is a dance that is meant to convey a story or message.

 

There are four main modern genres of traditional Khmer dance:

1) Classical Dance

2) Shadow theatre

3) Lakhon Khol (all-male masked dance-drama.)

4) Folk Dance.

Traditional dance has been part of the Khmer culture for well more than a millennium. The history can be seen on the walls of the famous Angkorian temples, with carvings of Apsaras (celestial dancers) However, it is almost impossible to precisely trace the source of the tradition. Many modern traditional dancing is inspired by Angkorian-era art and themes.

Most of the traditional dances performed today were developed in the 18th through to the 20th century.  Kings and other Khmer Royals strongly supported the arts and dance, most particularly Queen Sisowath Kossamak Nearireach, who aided in the development of Khmer traditional dance and helped popularize it.

Theatrical Folk Dances were developed and refined from the 1940s-60s by Queen Kossamak. Her granddaughter, Princess Bopha Devi went on to become the face of Khmer traditional dance in the 1950s and 60s both in Cambodia and abroad. Like lots of Cambodian art and culture, traditional dance was almost lost under the brutal repression of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. Luckily it was revived and reconstructed in the 1980s and 90s by the extraordinary effort of Princess Bopha Devi.

 

Classical dance is distinct in its costuming, posture, arched back and feet, flexed fingers and slow, deliberate but flowing movements, It presents themes and stories inspired  by the Reamker (the Cambodian version of the Indian classic, the Ramayana)       

 

The Folk Dance comes in two forms: ceremonial and theatrical. Theatrical Folk Dances are presented in public and Ceremonial Folk Dances are reserved for particular rituals, celebrations and holiday events. These include the popular Good Harvest Dance and the romantic Fishing Dance.

 

Shadow theatre comes in two forms: Sbeik Thom (big puppets, which are panels depicting certain characters from the story) and Sbeik Toot (small puppets).

 

The Apsara Dance is a Classical dance inspired by the apsara carvings and sculptures of Angkor and was developed in the late 1940s by Queen Sisowath Kossamak

 

 

 

Cambodian Weddings #2

A comedy/singing performance done by famous comedians namely called 'ayai' played at a Wedding ceremony. These are done unscripted and on the spot. (Start 0:49)

Cambodian Weddings

Cambodian weddings are done in a culture that involves religion. These consist of rituals such as blessing the couple with red string bracelets, an act of cutting the hair by the heaven Gods and a whole heap of chants done by monks.

All Cambodian wedding music are done with traditional music. Most of the played music would accompany the rituals, acts or performance. Traditional music at weddings would be an essential need for the process of marrying because without it the rituals would not be able to be perform and .... of course! What's a wedding without music! 

Although, a full wedding ceremony is done in two instalments. The first would consist of all the rituals and the performance of traditional music and the second instalment is done with modern music where everyone is free to dance and it is when the big feast arrives. 

For more info click here

Nature + lifestyle = Creativity

Considering Cambodia as one of the 3rd world countries, you would find that the lifestyles of an individual is full of hardship. You would not find facilities and have easy access to some of the resources you would find at home. So how would they be able to get a hold of a guitar?

Well as indicated in our page " Cambodian Instruments" most would identify that a majority of the instruments are made from natural resources like wood, string, bamboo, animal skin etc. So with the knowledge of simplicity around in their lifestyle, many citizens would gather and find scraps or utilities to make instruments. How cool is that! Whether it be cans, leaves, string, wood, many of the street musicians would be playing out of instruments made from their own hands.

Some of you might say that the fact is common around the world and that there is nothing amazing about grabbing a used peas can and banging on it with a chopstick, wait until you see this.

Cambodian Folk Songs

Folk songs are pieces of traditional music that originate from a certain culture. 

They are similar to the Traditional Cambodian songs, but in this case the song itself is like a conversation battle-off where music starts playing when a phrase is finished. 

Folk music has meaning as you would find in European music 'Rap'. Either a poem or story is being told through the performance each last longing for about an hour if properly done.

Cambodian people, particularly elders love listening to folk music as the stories connect 

with their experiences or childhood. Folk music is done in a form of lecture to audiences. 

Timing for folk music is important, as the instruments play a big part of setting the mood of the audience and also making sense to the beats of their phrases. 

People also find it interesting that most of the legend musicians of the folk category have a disability. Eg. Blindness 

Check out this video to see!

Traditional Cambodian Perfomances

Such performances were performed to represent Gods and Ancestors of Cambodia. They are to tell a story in the form of music, drama, and khmer ballet.

Costumes played a major part of the performance  They are symbols of God and significance and loyalty of the world above.  Masks represented what they were. If they were a monster, beast, creature of any kind. 

These performances are showcased with great precision and melody.

Image source : photobucket.