I took this photo at a wedding I attended in 2011. I’m always a bit shy in these circumstances – I didn’t know either the bride or groom, and so I kind of retreated behind my camera and took in the atmosphere which, in the large Siem Reap reception room was really noisy – with families and friends seated at round tables, shouting and laughing over the din, and competing noise-wise with a live band up on stage.
Some music was western and fairly karaoke in style, but the music that gets everyone on the dancefloor is the local Romvong style.
It is distinctly Cambodian, though the arrangements – at least to my ears – have elements of French folk music as well. Perhaps there was a fusion at least in the choice of instruments and sounds, during the French colonial period of much of the 20th Century.
In an any case the distinct rhythm gets everyone up on the dancefloor and cheerfully moving en-masse in a slow circle each person moving their hands gracefully.
“Ramvong dance has been performed in Cambodia for as long as anyone can remember,” says Wikipedia. “Both Khmers and other ethnic groups like Phnong, Krung, Tompuon and Prou people have performed this circular dance style since ancient times.”
The music has a languid beat, and is underpinned by steady bass guitar. The melody is provided by vocals and woodwind while a wooden xylophone, usually via a modern keyboards, provides much of the Khmer texture. Have a listen to a typical example.
As I stood on the sidelines total strangers waved at me, inviting me to join the circle, and eventually I did so, feeling uncomfortable at first: the only white guy in the room. But soon I felt part of the throng, no longer the individual but a part of a community.
See also: More on Khmer Music
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