Khmer music attained its bloom during the Angkorskaya period. No religious, temple celebration or a wedding is complete without it. The walls of the ancient temples of Angkor showcase the beautifully carved celestial dancers and the different musical instruments used in those times, standing as witness to the centuries old past of the music.

Originally Khmer music was not meant for entertaining, but the combined sound that emanates from the instruments was used as a means of communication with God and the spirits.

Khmer music is five-tone or pentatonic with a rhythm determining the structure. This is the reason the shock instruments, such as the drums, double kettle-drums and gongs hold the main place in an orchestra. To the westerner, it may seem to lack harmony, as the music from one musician may give a different tune from that of the others.

Classical Khmer music is divided into three categories: Pinpeat, Phleng kar and Mahori. Pinpeat, which consists of both stringed and percussion instruments, is associated to all classical performances, prayers and other ceremonies. This ensemble dates back to more than a thousand years ago, to the Angkor era. The beginnings of this ensemble are traced back to the courts during that era. It holds the pride of place in Khmer music and is the strongest ensemble of all. There are said to be more than 250 theme melodies in this ensemble. Each and every piece is associated with relevant actions performed on the stage. The sound from these instruments is one of the most enchanting, with the capacity to make people happy.

The Pinpeat ensemble is said to be the basis of other ensembles, such as the phlaeng mahaori, phlaeng knong schoor and khlang chnak. Mahory uses only stringed instruments. Today’s music ensembles are found everywhere in Cambodian villages, like the pinn, skor yol, chhing, which are similar to those of the old.

Since Khmer music did not have any notation and was handed down from teacher to student just through memory, there has been a lot of improvisation with major influences of the American music; especially rap. The modern Mahori or Mahori Samai uses the organ, flute, guitar and other western musical instruments.

Most Khmer musicians become highly proficient on one instrument, but learn to play several other instruments. This multi-instrumentalism depicts musicianship. In the absence of a single person conducting the orchestra, every musician has to understand the other musician’s music.

For Cambodia, coming to terms with the violent past is not easy, but the hypnotic Khmer music, which has survived those tragic years; brings the glory of the past to the present and fills the hearts with joy. Khmer music is the soul of Khmer; it soothes the mind and heals the heart of every Cambodian.

His rise to fame

Sin Sisamuth was born in 1933 and the youngest of four siblings.  His father tragically died of disease while Sisamuth was a young boy.  Around the age of 6, Sisamuth started to take interest in the guitar.  At a very young age he became popular for his overall musical and lyrical talent.  In 1951 Sisamuth moved to Phnom Penh to begin medical school.  While he was in school, he managed to teach himself how to write and sing songs.  Sisamuth first public performance was at the age of 18 and was at an elder Khmer statesman’s wedding.  In 1953 he became a regular singer on the national radio, while still studying in medical school.

His fame

Sisamuth composed his work on a mandolin.  His lyrics were always of a sentimental nature as a reflection upon desires, heart breaks, and the pleasure of romance.  He truly had a natural ability for composing music, but at the same time he worked extremely hard.  It is said that he used three different dictionaries when writing his lyrics.  He used a combination of the Khmer, Sanskrit, and Pali languages in his songs.

Along with the writing talent, Sisamuth had the perfect soothing voice for the lyrics he wrote.  He wrote and sang many ballads, rock numbers, and Latin-jazz songs.  The earliest songs he became popular for were Oudom Duong Chett, Prek Eng Oss Sangkhim, and Chau Dork.  In 1963 Sisamuth became even more popular with his song Champa Batdambang.  Sisamuth was able to keep his popularity by re-inventing himself in new ways.  He was able to make his music appealing to multiple generations.

In the 1970’s Sisamuth became too popular for his own good.  He could no longer keep up with the demands of his listeners.  He had to end up using other writers and musicians lyrics to keep up with his work.

The obliteration of Khmer music

As you can see the Cambodian music is an extremely influential part of the Khmer culture.  The Khmer people worship through their music, and their music is almost everything to them.  The Khmer culture is very passionate about the preservation of their traditional music.  Unfortunately, in the 1970’s this came back to haunt them.  The Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1970-1979.  While the Khmer Rouge ruled they attempted to completely obliterate the Khmer culture, including their music.  In an attempt to abolish the Khmer music, Khmer Rouge went as far as to kill musicians, which sadly included Sin Sisamuth.

Before Sin Sisamuth’s death he tried to do some good for the Khmer people suffering under the Khmer Rouge’s rule.  He started singing propaganda songs.  Then in 1971 Sisamuth appeared in military fatigues while performing numerous pro-republican songs; the most popular song being Mae Owy Ao Yoann.

The after death of Sisamuth

Legends were made about Sisamuth’s death.  It is said that Sisamuth was to be executed, but before his execution he asked to be allowed to perform one song.  His hope was that the song would move them, and they would not kill him.  The cold-hearted communists were not moved and executed him after his performance.

His influence on the Khmer music was tremendous.  So tremendous, that his name is used as a very common household name in Cambodia.  Also, his only surviving son is now a singer on the Cambodian Radio, but he has said himself that he cannot compare to his father.

While some of Sisamuth’s works have been recovered after Khmer Rouge’s rule, not all of it has been.  It is feared that all of his earlier works have been lost forever.  Some of his hits though have been brought back to life by a Khmer-American rock bank, Dengue Fever, based in Los Angeles.

The first two days consists of a ritual of ceremonies at the bride’s family home.  There is giving of this and taking of that.  The community brings bowls of fresh fruit in the morning and all throughout the day.  The entire time Khmer wedding music, or Phleng Kar as they call it, is playing beautifully in the background.

When I say, “playing beautifully in the background,” I do not mean off of cassettes or the radio.  For wedding ceremonies a seven person ensemble is present making the beautiful music with seven of their traditional instruments.  The wedding ensemble is performed by the oldest and talented of musicians due to the seriousness and importance of a wedding.

The wedding starts late, around 6 or 7, on the third day.  Everyone in the community comes and the best of Cambodian food is served throughout a ten course meal.  The women all look their best, wearing silk dresses, make up, and their hair done up nicely.  The aroma of the room is amazing.  It is full of pure happiness.  Everyone is full of smiles, dancing, and full of politeness.  The music is amazing and adds to it all, and in some say it fuels the Khmer culture and happiness.

There are many different rituals going on within the ceremony, and there is a specific Phleng Kar song for each one of them.  Rituals include: the leading of the bride’s groom to the bride’s house, asking for the breaking of the fence to get into the house, and the beginning of the ceremony.  Within the ceremony there are many traditions such as the hair cut, the cutting of betel flowers into pieces and scattering them on heads of the couple, the drawing of a sword, the binding of thread around the wrist, the kowtowing of the sun god, the entering into the wedding room, the sweeping of the wedding mat, and the greeting of parents and relatives.

The Khmer wedding music is played obnoxiously loud, to a level that most people would not enjoy, but the Khmer people absolutely love it and enjoy it.  It is a way to show off their happiness and celebrate the beginning of their new life with everyone.  The music to them is completely peaceful and magical, but to others who are not accustomed to it, it may sound a little obnoxious due to the high pitched sounds of the traditional instruments.

While the music may sound chaotic, the people are not.  The Khmer people are extremely polite and a marriage ceremony is a very somber, emotional event.  Marriage to the Khmer is more than about the bride and groom’s life together, it is about their lives, how they were raised, reflect upon their parent’s good deeds, and of course, the journey they are going to have together.

The Phleng Kar is played extremely from the early morning of the wedding day to the conclusion of the ceremony (the thread-tying and the blessing) early next day.