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Stories, guides and background on Khmer music, artists, genres and listening, from the Khmer Beat team.
Articles
- Khemarak Sereymun: Cambodia's Enduring Pop Voice The life and career of Khemarak Sereymun, the Cambodian singer and actor currently signed to Galaxy Navatra after earlier stints at U2 Entertainment, Sunday Production, and Reaksmey Hang Meas.
- Ros Sereysothea: The Queen with the Golden Voice The story of Ros Sereysothea, one of the great voices of Cambodian rock: from a Battambang farming family to the radio in Phnom Penh, her duets and her lasting legacy.
- VannDa and "Time to Rise": When Hip-Hop Met the Chapei How a rapper from Sihanoukville and a chapei master made "Time to Rise", the song that put Khmer tradition on a hip-hop beat and became the first Cambodian video to reach 100 million views.
- A Field Guide to the Instruments of Khmer Music Meet the main instruments of Khmer music, from the xylophones and gongs of the pinpeat to the tro fiddle and the long-necked chapei, with tips for hearing each one.
- Romvong: Cambodia's Circle Dance What the romvong is, how the slow circle dance works, where you will see it at festivals and parties, and how to join in the next time the music starts.
- Sinn Sisamouth: The King of Khmer Music The life and music of Sinn Sisamouth, the singer and songwriter often called the King of Khmer Music: how he started, who he sang with, and why his songs still matter.
- How to Read Khmer Song Lyrics: A Beginner's Guide to the Script A friendly introduction to the Khmer script for people who want to follow song lyrics: consonants, vowels, subscripts, spacing, repetition marks and practical tips for sing-along.
- Khmer Wedding Music: What You Hear and When A practical guide to the music of a Khmer wedding, from traditional ceremony music to the dance songs of the reception, and how to build a playlist for each part.
- Music for Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben How music is part of two of Cambodia's biggest festivals, what songs and dances you will hear, and how to put together a festive playlist.
- The Golden Age of Khmer Music: 1950s to the Early 1970s How Phnom Penh's popular music scene blended Khmer melodies with rock, Latin and Western pop, and why the recordings that survive matter so much today.
- Learning Khmer Through Song: Tips for Beginners Songs are one of the friendliest ways to practise Khmer. Here are practical tips for using lyrics, repetition and sing-along to build vocabulary and reading skills.
- How to Get the Most Out of Khmer Beat A friendly tour of Khmer Beat: browse by genre and mood, sing along with synced lyrics, search by a lyric, build playlists and listen together with friends.
- A Beginner's Guide to Traditional Khmer Music Meet the main styles of traditional Khmer music (pinpeat, mohori, chapei and ayai): what they sound like, where they are played and how to start listening.