The Best of Cambodia & Laos

24
CAMBODIA IN DEPTH
2
CAMBODIA’S ART & ARCHITECTURE
Who Are the Khmers?
Cambodia is one of the most ethnically homogenous nations in Asia, with 96%
of its population being ethnically Khmer. Apart from that there are communities
of Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham (both Muslim and Buddhist), plus animist
hill tribe groups in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. The Khmers have been in this
area since the start of recorded history, long before the Thais or Vietnamese
migrated here. This fairly straightforward story of Khmer ethnicity gives the
Khmers a strong sense of collective self, despite all the upheavals they have
undergone. Even 1,000 years later, a pride in the cultural achievements of Angkor
is central to Khmer identity. There are also many Khmers living in the northeastern
Thai provinces of Buriram, Surin, and Sisaket as well as in Vietnam’s
Mekong Delta. Ethnically these provinces were Khmer but were dislocated as a
result of the ebb and flow of empire.
Penh to the area of Prek Leap, you’ll find a
number of very lively music and karaoke
joints often interspersed with live comedy.
People go to eat food, drink beer, and sing
their hearts out. It’s a very Cambodian
experience.
DANCE
Cambodian classical dance is breathtakingly
elegant. Related to the palace and the
court, this ancient art was an integral part
of Cambodian royal ritual. Although the
skills declined after the wane of Angkor,
they were resurrected by the French as part
of a policy of fostering Khmer national
pride. It is related to dance in Thailand
and although Khmer dance came first,
Thai dance is purer and closer to the Angkorian
ideal since it is in more direct line
without the influence of the French.
The slow, elegant hand movements, the
exquisite costumes, and the ethereal music
all contribute to creating what feels like an
otherworldly experience. Many of the
themes come from Hindu epics such as
the Ramayana. The Khmer Rouge nearly
killed off this ancient art, yet a few trained
practitioners survived. In 1981, the School
of Fine Arts was reopened in Phnom Penh
and the knowledge salvaged from the skills
of the few has been taught to many.
Cambodians love to dance in general,
whether that’s the traditional ramvong (a
slow dance where people walk around
slowly in a circle making traditional hand
movements) or a Saturday night out where
Dad, Mom, and the kids head down to the
local hop and get down in one glorious
family boogie to whatever dance music the
DJ or band is offering.
THEATER
Cambodian classical theater consists of
highly stylized tellings of the Hindu epics
such as the Ramayana. The art form is
called lakhaon kaol, a dance-drama performed
by men and based on tales from the
Ramayana. This seminal Hindu epic, in
which gods and monkeys battle demons
and ogres and show supernatural powers as
they triumph over evil is a part of Cambodian
national consciousness and remains a
source of inspiration for Cambodia’s artists.