Cambodian Culture, Over Two Decades Later
In these recent years the countrymen are too good at reproducing rather than producing and inventing. Once I read a French published newspaper, Khmer edition, Cambodge Soire. It is said that it takes up a year or so to compose new songs and release a new album in western countries. It is far different from the Kingdom of Cambodia. Here, people work harder and quicker. Few albums from a singer can be released in just several months. Well, it is not amazing, but astonishing. The fact is Cambodian writers do not write to make a living, but translate lyrics from others. It is not surprise to listen to Chinese, Thai, and English translated songs. ‘My Love’, an English song of West Life was translated to Khmer, Sneh Kha-ghnom. ‘Take me to your heart’ in the Michael Learns to Rock of a Danish singer is also available in Khmer. Most best songs are reproduced here, and considered as cost effective. Interestingly one original songs from foreign countries can be found in several translations with various titles made by different production company. At the same time, this completely discourages young talented writers to fulfill their dreams. Can they expect to come up with few piece of writings in a longer time to make living? Totally impossible. It requires little effort to translate and make some money. It does not matter to be creative or whatever. Last but not least, do think again about this that where all the works come from, Cambodian minds, hearts and arts.
Preab Sovath is a popular singer of young people in Cambodia. He is talented. I like listening to his songs he sings since most them are about heart broken stories of a man. I was born in 1982, few years after the Pol Pot regime. So I live in post-war country. Older generation prefer Sin Sisamut, whom I little know about. As far as I have heard he was a well-known singer back in Sangkum Reastr Niyum period during 1960. Of course, he left an invaluable wealthy and heritage to my generation. Today, music production company make a lot of money from his art work. Nearly all of lyrics he sang has been modified and revised for new singers by various productions. At wartime people had to deploy all means to survive, at the present people have to compete to live better lives.
June 23rd, 2005 02:17
Hi Tharum,
“It is far different from the Kingdom of Cambodia. Here, people work harder and quicker.”
I’m glad you wrote this article about our Khmer songwriters. I never like the translated songs. I can detect if the songs were from the Siamese. The singers tend to sing or talk with the accent of a Thai which I think there’s nothing cool about it. I noticed Chan Chak-riya, the Khmer actress appears on DVDs Dontrey Srok Sre Vol 2 & Vol 3 imitates her accent as a Thai when she speaks Khmer to the live audiences. I want to emphasize Khmer language like most Indo-European languages (English, French..etc) is non-tonal. Let me repeat our Khmer language IS NOT a tonal language. So, when the performers sings with a tonal pitch (up-down) it is just so unnatural. I will not buy their DVDs if I know there’re too many translated songs on them.
Quote: “Here, people work harder and quicker.” They work quicker I agree but not harder. The lack of creativeness by just taking (stealing/plagiarizing) others’ work, how hard can that be ? Here’s the scenario: Remember you’re a writer yourself, you’ve spent a lot of time penciled down your original words and ideas for your articles or books. Now I just came along then modified or stealing your writings and claimed them as mine. My work is not hard at all. When it comes to personal workmanship as in music writing it does matter to be creative and original. I encourage our talented people to be original try not to copy from others.
Take care! Keep up the great work.
From Los Angeles,
Sopheap
June 23rd, 2005 10:23
Tharum,
Can you recommend one of his CD’s?
http://www.khmer.org/feature/index.php?page=0&type=cd&content_id=152
June 23rd, 2005 22:21
I like the fusion…khmer rock, khmer rap and other stuffs.
Preap Sovath ROCKS!
Sin Sisamouth is for the heart.
June 24th, 2005 00:34
Most of the modern songs disappear after 3-5 months, while Sin Sisamuth’s, Rous Sereysothea’s, Penron’s,.. are everlasting.
June 26th, 2005 22:01
Everybody at my job seems to like PS latest ‘Sexy Lady’.
I think Preap Sovath has skill, but wish that modern Khmer songwriters would make more original songs.
July 5th, 2005 20:05
The other day I heard a program on my radio about Elvis Presley, the American singer who invented rock music back in the 50s and 60s. In France after the war everybody was copying Americans. One French singer gave himself an American souding name and translated Elvis Presley’s songs into French. Of course he was very popular. Little by little, this guy called ‘Johny Halliday’ started singing rock music in French directly, stuff written for him directly. To-day he’s still singing and everyone has forgotten he used to copy Elvis. I’m saying all this in answer to your article about Khmer singers copying foreign singers. It could be a beginning for proper modern Khmer pop music.
July 14th, 2005 09:49
I find it amazing that years ago people like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones used to record album in an afternoon, but today people spend months in a studio mixing and remixing and generally mucking around. The Beatles would have honed their songs by playing them live first.
And, as a New Zealander, when I was young, much of our local music was local versions of British and American songs.
This did help a New Zealand music industry get established so that independant, original New Zealand music could be published. Now New Zealand is exploring both it’s traditional Maori and Colonial folksong heritage, and its multicultural present.
In New Zealand’s case, we needed to overcome a feeling that New Zealand material was not good enough. Unlike Cambodia, we speak English did not have a language barrier. But perhaps it is a stage that needs to be gone through.
BTW, Elvis Presley took Black American music - Rock and Roll - and gave it to White America and the world. He didn’t invent it. Weird - I look at that sentence and capitalising White seemms wrong, but lower-casing Black seems wrong too.
Don
September 30th, 2005 02:06
Hi Tharum,
I appreciated you wrote this article. I would say all most of Khmer Songs now a day are just copied from Thai, Chiness, English…. that’s suck. I hate the most when someone just steals the other’s work. Mr. Preab Sovath a popular singer of young people in Cambodia, but he also sings translated songs, so he is suck too. I will be more appreciated when our Khmer singer/composer can make the song from their minds, hearts and arts. Western music style is more attractive to me, if our singers/composers like them, they should follow the style, i meant copy the style, but not copy/translate the lyric/music.
That’s also funny when I used to hear some Khmer songs that were just recorded from Karaok + their own singing, then they released to the market, that’s really funny when I listen to those kind of songs.
“It is said that it takes up a year or so to compose new songs and release a new album in western countries. It is far different from the Kingdom of Cambodia. Here, people work harder and quicker. Few albums from a singer can be released in just several months. ” I like this phrase, and it is true in Cambodia, they just copied the music and translated. Sometime more than two singers sang the same translated song.
I like Mr. Preab Sovath, but unfortunately that he sings translated songs. He should be disappointed when he be getting older and look back at all his songs were just copied from the others.
Well, all means to survive in their living, but they should be more creative, respective and proficiently.
December 11th, 2005 16:53
Personally, i think whatever people like are the best products. It’s free market. Everyone can have their own choices. It’s up to the producers and writers who will have to work hard to bring their products up to the expectation of audience. Being conservative does not mean patriotic. The wheel of culture always never stops. It keeps turning and evolving from one generation to another. Maybe now it’s time for Khmer artists to create something new, particular, and symbolic of khmer in the 21st century from the blends of influential modern arts. Sin Sisamuth is still Sin Sisamuth. People still greatly appreciate his works, but it does not mean new generations have to listen to his forever.
September 29th, 2006 11:33
Thai influence, because thai is free Democracy
Country, and did not get destroy like Khmer rouge had done to Khmer people. Peoriod.
Thai have been stable and a richer economy Country.
February 27th, 2007 14:38
samuth song