Search - Various Artists :: The Music of Cambodia, Volume 3: Solo Instrumental Music

Various Artists
The Music of Cambodia, Volume 3: Solo Instrumental Music
Genres: Folk, International Music, Special Interest, Pop

Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
1. Punleu Prey Viel - Traditional
2. Yol & Bra Chab
3. Phat Cheay
4. Sam Pov Thay
5. Phat Cheay
6. Khlaong Thom
7. Sam Pong
8. Ta UK (Grandfather or Uncle) (UK)
9. Sam Pong
10. Lom Ang Chhong
11. Sorin Khnang Phnom
12. Lom Neang
13. Bam Pe & Band Kong Kha'ek

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CD Details

All Artists: Various Artists
Title: The Music of Cambodia, Volume 3: Solo Instrumental Music
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Celestial Harmonies
Release Date: 3/1/1994
Genres: Folk, International Music, Special Interest, Pop
Styles: Traditional Folk, Far East & Asia, By Decade, 1990s
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 013711307627, 013711307641

Synopsis

Album Description

The third volume of The Music of Cambodia completes a musical document trilogy, bringing to Western audiences for the first time the sounds that the ancient rulers of the Khmer Empire might have heard. After presenting the rare instrumental and musical traditions of the Angkor Wat region in The Music of Cambodia, Volume 1 and the music of the Royal Court in The Music of Cambodia, Volume 2, producer David Parsons returned to Phnom Penh to record solo performances by some of the finest living musicians in Cambodia. While the first two releases in this series focused on the surprising vitality and high standards of ensemble playing in traditional Khmer music, this volume gives the individual musicians a chance to show off their virtuosity and the range of colors available on their instruments.The solo instrumental music heard in The Music of Cambodia, Volume 3 includes examples of most of the major wind instruments and several string instruments, both plucked and bowed. In fact, both the oldest and rarest instruments still prominent in Cambodia are represented here.Although many of these solo performances have a courtly air to them and might remind listeners of the court music of China or Japan, in fact, most of them were originally associated with weddings or ritual healing ceremonies. Some are actually quite buoyant while others are more contemplative. Three of the songs are from one of the wandering minstrels who are so popular throughout Cambodia. All present Western listeners with a rare opportunity to hear echoes of music from ten centuries ago, in a setting that is as accessible as it is exotic.

CD Reviews

Hauntingly beautiful and excellent music

Kean Chhay Chang | Vic, Australia | 04/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Music of Cambodia "Solo Instrumental Music" vol. 3 is a very beautifully recorded and mastered. This album contains some of the best and finest recordings of solo instrumental music from Cambodia. Most recordings tended to be poor, yet so far this just one that I have heard and it's really excellent stuff. The musicians are very talented. Some musicians like Lok Om Yeum Seng no less than five wind instruments. Lok Om Khan Heuan plays the now rare stick zither (sadiev), Lok Om Yon Khien and Lok Om Sok Duch are fiddlers, and Lok Om Prach Chhoun who plays the chapey (long neck lute) accompanied by his vocals is just one of the many musicians with great skills featured in these recordings. He is still popular today in Cambodia and occasionally features in the Khmer magazines about his works. The instruments featured in this album includes, pey-pork (clarinet like reed instrument), sralay toch (oboe with a high pitch), sralay thom (oboe with a low pitch), khloy (flute or duct), pey-or (folk shawm), tro khmer (three-stringed spiked fiddle), kse sadiev (stick zither) and chapey deng veng (long neck lute). All these instruments perform the pieces that were used in the recording and gave an out-standing performance. Yet the listener will get different tones and textures, styles and genres of each musical instruments. Many of the instruments performed solo give and unique and hauntingly beautiful timbre, sometimes invoking all emotions. Like in track 1 performed by the pey-pork (clarinet like reed instrument) was used in many Khmer documentaries when talking or showing of the Khmer genocide under the rule of the Khmer Rouge from 1975-79. Very touching piece, it brings all my emotions and moves me when I listen to this track. Great album to have and it can be used for meditations, relaxation or as background music for formal dinners to make things sound a little exotic or something a little different. I recommend this album for anyone who is into something a totally different and exotic for those music lovers who like a little of everything from around the world. Then is album should be in your collection of cds. But this just one third of the collection. Get the box set it's well it's value."