To help cool off/down some of the heat and controversy generated in recent days, I decided to post something of a more 'agreeable nature' here (I hope!).
Popular music was, of course, completely banned under the Pol Pot regime in the second half of the seventies, along with precious Khmer cinema that blossomed in the sixties and the early seventies. Many of the urban evacuees at the beginning of that inhumane regime arriving in rural villages from Phnom Penh had been seen carrying nothing more than their physical human bodies could manage as they trudged along dusty roads in unforgiving tropical heat of April and into an uncertain, radical new chapter in their lives. One of their precious personal items and souvenirs from their former happier homes were music tapes which they now reluctantly offered to barter or exchange for the most critically sought after commodity of the time: rice.
These songs maybe seen as "classics" or "oldies" by youngsters today with all the connotations of a bygone era and somewhat out of fashion for many of them, but they had very much been an expression of modernity and cultural revolution of their time, some of which had even been banned, I presumed. On another note, whereas much of this heritage has survived in audio format, the virtual disappearance of Cambodia's visual cinematic creations of the same era remains something of a tragedy. So whereas, some Buddhist scriptures and archives had been transfered to a foreign country for safe-keeping prior to the political upheaval, it would seem no one in position of responsibility at the time had ever thought of putting aside copies of any of these cinematic archives in a different basket? Anyhow, enough of that, lest another heated controversy is generated . . .
PS: Our former noble King at least managed to save all his personally starred and directed movies! (Did I mention controversy . . .? - School of Vice).
"Krormom Dondoeng Mday" by Sinn Sisamouth & Houy Meas
"Song of Love" by Sisamouth & Serey Sothea
"Our Love" by Sisamouth & Serey Sothea
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