Thik Kaliyann
Phnom Penh Post
The spectacular Smile of Angkor show has been criticised for its lack of historical accuracy.
VISITOR complaints about the content of several dances and songs in the $5 million Smile of Angkor sound and light show at the Angkor Coex convention and exhibition centre have resulted in promises to overhaul the 75-minute dance epic’s program by its organisers.
The 104-performer show, billed as the “number one epic performance in Southeast Asia”, has attracted large audiences since its launch eight months ago, and the company behind it, the Siem Reap Performance & Arts Company, opened a new booking office in the centre of the city in April.
But the interpretation of several traditional Khmer song and dance routines in the show has been criticised by local audience members including Pannasastra University students Phung Danith and Khim Socheata who told 7Days that while they enjoyed the lasers and smoke machines, the show is weak on many historical points.
Phung Danith said: “We can say that the show was very professional. The technical aspects made me so excited and, to be honest, we got goose bumps while watching it. At some points it felt like the show was actually taking place during the Angkor period and not onstage.
“But as it went on, at some points it didn’t look like the show was about Khmer culture during the Angkor period, but instead appeared mixed with Chinese culture.”
Myanmar Airways International marketing executive Hun Vongpeak Reaksmey, who has seen the show more than four times, echoed Phung Danith and Khim Socheata’s concerns. She noted that as the show is aimed primarily at tourists, they may come away with an inaccurate view of traditional Khmer culture.
She said: “Some chapters are far from … an accurate reflection of Khmer culture. But it may be a deliberate decision to style the show to appeal to tourists. The tourists haven’t made any complaints because maybe they only know a little bit about Cambodian culture. But we are Cambodian so we’re the ones seeing the mistakes.
“In particular the Pray for Lives chapter of the show doesn’t look professional.”
One sequence showing a Cambodian woman showering under a waterfall came as a surprise to Southeast Asia University student Soth Bopha, who says sexualised scenes of the woman shaking her hair to music are not an accurate portrayal of conservative morality and the strict discipline adhered to by women during the Angkor period.
She said: “Hopefully Smile of Angkor will make corrections to some chapters. I felt very uncomfortable at that point in the show, because it seems to represent Cambodian women in a different way than people are used to. There are pictorial guides to the Angkor period on ancient temple walls which can be used to guide the performers.”
When concerns about the content of Smile of Angkor were raised with the show’s general manager, Fang Shun Dong, he promised to correct any elements of the performance deemed inauthentic, and told 7Days that the show will be revamped ahead of its first anniversary this November.
He said: “All the problems recently raised are being seriously focused on. Time is a big problem we have to face as the show is only eight months old and we have a lot of things to follow up and re-do again.
“Our main purpose at the moment is to deeply research original Khmer culture and history as well as the character and behaviour of people during that period, to ensure we can perform Smile of Angkor perfectly.”
He added that recent changes to the show’s program include the removal of Chinese dancers from the cast, and the investment of $6,000 in finding culturally authentic costumes.
“In the next month we will start to change the performers’ clothing, and try to make it look authentic and exactly like the historical period in which the show is set.
“All the Chinese dancers in the cast have been removed and the remainder are all Cambodian. Once the Cambodian Minister of Culture has checked our latest changes, we will launch the revamped version of the show which I hope will be even better than the one before.”
The 104-performer show, billed as the “number one epic performance in Southeast Asia”, has attracted large audiences since its launch eight months ago, and the company behind it, the Siem Reap Performance & Arts Company, opened a new booking office in the centre of the city in April.
But the interpretation of several traditional Khmer song and dance routines in the show has been criticised by local audience members including Pannasastra University students Phung Danith and Khim Socheata who told 7Days that while they enjoyed the lasers and smoke machines, the show is weak on many historical points.
Phung Danith said: “We can say that the show was very professional. The technical aspects made me so excited and, to be honest, we got goose bumps while watching it. At some points it felt like the show was actually taking place during the Angkor period and not onstage.
“But as it went on, at some points it didn’t look like the show was about Khmer culture during the Angkor period, but instead appeared mixed with Chinese culture.”
Myanmar Airways International marketing executive Hun Vongpeak Reaksmey, who has seen the show more than four times, echoed Phung Danith and Khim Socheata’s concerns. She noted that as the show is aimed primarily at tourists, they may come away with an inaccurate view of traditional Khmer culture.
She said: “Some chapters are far from … an accurate reflection of Khmer culture. But it may be a deliberate decision to style the show to appeal to tourists. The tourists haven’t made any complaints because maybe they only know a little bit about Cambodian culture. But we are Cambodian so we’re the ones seeing the mistakes.
“In particular the Pray for Lives chapter of the show doesn’t look professional.”
One sequence showing a Cambodian woman showering under a waterfall came as a surprise to Southeast Asia University student Soth Bopha, who says sexualised scenes of the woman shaking her hair to music are not an accurate portrayal of conservative morality and the strict discipline adhered to by women during the Angkor period.
She said: “Hopefully Smile of Angkor will make corrections to some chapters. I felt very uncomfortable at that point in the show, because it seems to represent Cambodian women in a different way than people are used to. There are pictorial guides to the Angkor period on ancient temple walls which can be used to guide the performers.”
When concerns about the content of Smile of Angkor were raised with the show’s general manager, Fang Shun Dong, he promised to correct any elements of the performance deemed inauthentic, and told 7Days that the show will be revamped ahead of its first anniversary this November.
He said: “All the problems recently raised are being seriously focused on. Time is a big problem we have to face as the show is only eight months old and we have a lot of things to follow up and re-do again.
“Our main purpose at the moment is to deeply research original Khmer culture and history as well as the character and behaviour of people during that period, to ensure we can perform Smile of Angkor perfectly.”
He added that recent changes to the show’s program include the removal of Chinese dancers from the cast, and the investment of $6,000 in finding culturally authentic costumes.
“In the next month we will start to change the performers’ clothing, and try to make it look authentic and exactly like the historical period in which the show is set.
“All the Chinese dancers in the cast have been removed and the remainder are all Cambodian. Once the Cambodian Minister of Culture has checked our latest changes, we will launch the revamped version of the show which I hope will be even better than the one before.”
12 comments:
To be utterly accurate all these female dancers have to be braless or even topless.One can attest my word by looking at the carved Absara អប្សរ at all Angkor temples.I adhere to my spelling of Absara អប្សរ not Apsara អព្សរ which is faulty transliterated.Also Khmer intellects seem to settle with the name of Oc Eo. The real name is O Keo and when french substituted K with C like Kambuja to Cambodge or Keltic to Celtic,the word O Keo became O Ceo then Oc eo and then alas Oc Eo.
I knew I'm out of the subject of the article but just want to address in general of how to preserve the originality and accuracy of Khmer things.
My name បន់ សុដិច ឫុ បិច សុ...
So far, there is still some dumb brains in Cambodia. Those are too conservative to our culture. That's why Cambodia is still in poverty.
It is just a show to attract tourists. I watched Chinese Cultural Show and Thai Show. They change a little bit on how the performers do and the scripts too, but they still keep the main concepts. I know it is not accurate, but is it completely different from main concept?
If just a little difference, Just use your brain to think about something new or criticize those Khmer Copycat companies who violates the copyright law everyday. It is just an embarrasement of being as a current Khmer in Cambodia...
To all khmer culturalism:
No brain besides living in the past.
Previously, "I was a Khmer Empire. I built Angkor?"
What is the point? Now, you guys are still poor. Aren't you?
I Believe many technologies in the presence can build another Angkor too. Why don't you guys made another difference?
America built a floating bridge and huge dam and much more. China build many infrastructures especially CCTV architecture, Linked Hybrid in BeiJing, ..etc.
Those of them will be, 1000 or 2000 later, listed as other wonders of the world.
They build so many things too.
What our Khmer do in the present?
Nothing besides living in the past and keeping criticizing other.
Our culture was heavily influenced by India and we think we're more culturally related to the Chinese? Ridiculous. Our language was derived from Sanskrit and Pali and our writing system was based off of the Pallava script from India. Why make ancient Cambodia seem Chinese-influenced? And why make these cultural shows seem like something out of a Transformers movie with all the special effects and stuff? That's all nice and everything but pointless if the history ain't right. Everyone will have grave misconceptions. If you want accuracy, actually do the knowledge and see what our culture is really about instead of assuming having Chinese acrobats, or whatever they are, is close enough to portray an Apsara/Deva.
That's what happens when Cambodia doesn't join Miss.Universe. If Cambodia competed this show wouldn't have been criticized. That's why Khmer's will always be lame and unknown to the rest of the world forever.
Khmer shouldn't be too narrow minded, and must adapt to the evolving society in Cambodia and abroad!
History is boring! Apart from Khmer ourselves, not many tourist has any interest in Khmer history; this show is only an entertainment to keep tourist in the country longer, and hopefully spend more, which, in turn inject much needed cash into the economy.
Tourist who are keen to learn the Khmer history will be smart enough to learn it from the actual history textbook, and not from the show.
Just like any movie adaptation from true events, the show needs to inject some interesting spin to keep the audience entertained.
I've been to many countries, but upon my return I still don't know much about their history (I would not be happy if they try to spoon-feed their history lessons upon me because that is not the reason I went to there).
2:12 AM, I've seen the word Oc Eo written in many books and articles. I could not figure out how to pronounce the word until one day I saw someone wrote it as O Keo. The first writing (Oc Eo)soundslike OK Ev, so no where near the real name which is O Kev. I think the French just wrote it the way the Viet pronounced it, which is totally wrong.
2:32 AM, you have a good point, but the show is about showing Angkorian culture to tourists, so it must be authentic and real. I know we can't be 100% authentic because it would mean the dancers have to be topless. But to blend it with Chinese culture and costumes should be a no, no. We can blend the show with other cultures, but the show has to be contemporary, not of Angkorian period.
I would recommend Khmer to adapt European, Korean, Chinese, and Other nations. Not Just only Indian culture.
You could see the victory of Korea.
Now, Korean culture and especially musics are on the top list above other nation in Asia.
Why?
Look up yourself and ready to update.
We cannot live in the ugly world anymore.
Between 1952-1969, Cambodian culture and musics were well-known around Asia. We were better than Thai or even Singapore. Why so far don't we make anything new?
We used to build Angkor. We should proof that we can make a new look for Cambodia.
Do not condemn the genocide, Khmer Rouge, and other enemy without thinking about the future. It is almost 40 years, but Cambodia is progressing so slow. It is enough time for Cambodia to sleep and dream about the past.
Don't copy other, but must update our own, making a unique one for our Cambodian style.
Remember, we have a lot of architectures. We can used them as basic concepts to make something new.
Once again, I don't think the above show will jeopardize our culture and tradition.
I am really upset seeing Reaksmey Hong Meas and most of music productions in Cambodia copy Korean Songs.
Why don't we use our own brain?
Where are the Angkor-brain people?
Are they still exist? OR those of them died already?
I am really sick when Thai said we are not Cambodian in the Angkor era. Cambodian today are the new race or ethnic. Those of them died already in the past.
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