You are a beautiful Cambodian woman. You are a gifted vocalist, a star in your homeland. You have been in the United States for only a matter of months. You speak no English.
You are singing in your native tongue for fellow Cambodians at the Dragon House club, in an area of Long Beach known as Little Phnom Penh. It is 2001, just after 9/11, late at night. You are approached by two American men, one of whom has a dark beard the length of a yak’s tail. They seem strange, suspicious. They speak no Cambodian yet they are trying to communicate, trying to ask you something.
They want you to join their band.
“When she started singing, we instantly knew we had to ask her to be our singer,” recalls guitarist Zac Holtzman — who, with brother and keyboardist Ethan, was searching for a Cambodian vocalist to complete their musical vision.
“Her sister was there kind of protecting her, and she didn’t speak English either,” Zac adds. “They saw my big beard and her sister was like, ‘No way am I allowing you to go play music with these guys.’ ” Read the full article at The Los Angeles Weekly.
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