The Best of Cambodia & Laos

high-rise residential developments will
flop, even though there is a need for more
office space. What is certainly true is that
in a city that did not even have traffic
lights 10 years ago, things are happening
at lightning speed.
PAINTING & SCULPTURE
The Khmer Rouge attempted to destroy
the arts in all forms. They spared Angkor
as a symbol of past national glory. Anything
else they got their hands on, they
tended to smash. A great deal was lost that
can never be regained.
There has also been a mass plundering
of architectural sites, feeding a lucrative
but illegal trade in smuggled artifacts.
Thankfully, plenty also survived. If you go
to Street 178 (now known as “Art Street”)
in Phnom Penh, there are a series of art
galleries selling paintings and sculptures.
They are a mix of old and new, and the
Royal University of Fine Arts is right
across the road.
The markets of Phnom Penh and Siem
Reap are full of magnificent sculptures.
Generally, they are imitations of ancient
religious pieces and are very popular with
tourists. The very Khmer slightly flat face
of the Bayon represents a recurring theme.
The earliest known Cambodian sculptures
were generally images of Hindu gods. To
see the real thing, the National Museum in
Phnom Penh is where sculpture from the
6th century onward is displayed.
Today, art scenes have sprouted up in
both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. A lot of
Cambodian artists who fled abroad during
the bad years also absorbed a lot of Western
influences, so there is a whole new
school of Cambodian artists essentially
practicing a synthesis. Recently there has
been an interesting initiative by a collective
of young Cambodia artists under the
guidance of English sculptor Sasha Constable
to recycle all the confiscated weaponry
from the years of war and recycle it
into modern sculptures (see the box
“Munitions into Art” on p. 88).
MUSIC
The Khmer Rouge killed musicians as
they killed other types of artists and performers
including Sin Sisamuth, the much
loved and revered Cambodian singer. It is
said they made him sing the Khmer Rouge
national anthem before they bludgeoned
him to death. As with so much else, a lot
was lost, but music remains a very integral
part of the Cambodian soul.
Generally much traditional music is
based around religion and ritual using an
array of traditional instruments. Some
Cambodian folk music often has a bluesy
and deeply melancholy feel. This is particularly
true of chapaye, which sounds like
a cross between sounds from Asia and the
Mississippi Delta. It is sung (or wailed)
accompanied by a two-stringed lutelike
instrument. Cambodian TV often offers
late-night performances, which are well
worth looking out for.
Traditional music is performed by a small
orchestra playing a variety of instruments
such as a ching (cymbal), roneat (bamboo
xylophone), pia au (flute), sralai (oboe),
chapey (bass banjo), gong (bronze gong), tro
(fiddle), and different kinds of drums. It is
often haunting and atmospheric.
In the ’60s and ’70s, there was a thriving
garage rock scene in Phnom Penh with
a mixture of pop, R&B, and rock, all with
a Cambodian slant. Although the musicians
were murdered by the Khmer Rouge,
recordings still survive and you can buy
CDs in the major markets. The one to
look out for is called “Cambodia Rocks.”
Today, many returnees to Cambodia
have bought their own brand of music,
often a mix between Western and Khmer.
These days this is often manifested in
Khmer rap, which is enormously popular
among the young.
And of course, there is karaoke.
Whether machine fed or accompanied by
a live band and live singers, karaoke is
hugely popular with Cambodians. If you
head over the Japanese Bridge in Phnom
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CAMBODIA IN DEPTH 2
CAMBODIA’S ART & ARCHITECTURE