Traditional Cambodian Instruments – Khloy

The soft tones of the Khloy bamboo flute are an essential ingredient in Khmer music. The word khloy is Khmer for “flute” and references to this instrument go back centuries to temple carvings going back further than the 7th Century, AD.

The khloy is a duct flute, played from the end, and has two sizes: the smaller, higher-pitched (khloy ek) and larger, less shrill and lower-pitched (khloy thomm). It has six finger holes and a thumb hole, or seven finger holes and no thumb hole. A hole above the highest finger hole may be covered with a membrane made of rice paper or bamboo inner skins.

The khloy uses a pentatonic scale – five notes per octave – and this differs from the western instrument that use a heptatonic (seven notes) scale to make up an octave.

Khloy produce a light, breathy, ethereal tone and is a feature not only as part of the pinpeat orchestra, but performed solo.

To hear the khloy click here. Or here. And on the BBC website, a story set in the dark days of Pol Pot, about a young Cambodian whose playing of the khloy saved his life. Cambodian played flute to escape death in Khmer Rouge labour camp. Click here.

For more music related links in this blog, check out these stories:

Snap crackle and pop. Preserving Cambodia’s vinyl history.

Traditional Cambodian musical instruments.

Romvong. Traditional Cambodia dance.

The tragic story of the Queen of Cambodian pop.

The tragedy of the King of Cambodian pop.

The Golden Voice – a graphic novel I look forward to reviewing

The ballad of Cambodia’s lost queen – Ros Serey Sothea

Prepared over more than two years with exquisite graphics, this novel tells the true story of beloved Cambodian singer Ros Serey Sothea, whose “Golden Voice” helped define Cambodia’s Golden Age of music until her mysterious disappearance in the killing fields of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. Developed in partnership with Sothea’s family the story is one I look forward to reviewing. Published in Khmer as well as English the 187pp book would make excellent teaching material in the modern Cambodian classroom.

I followed progress of the novel via the late twitter site and have loved the colours that capture the distinct light in Cambodia but also the faded Kodachrome quality that evokes a deep sense of nostalgia.

The illustrations are rich and evocative.

For more on popular music in Cambodia see also Sinn Sisamouth and the golden age of Khmer pop, New Cambodian Movie – In the Life of Music, and Cambodian Pop -celebrates a rural idyll as well as the glorious story of how rap found its way to Phnom Penh: An unlikely outcome – how praCh Ly’s Khmer rap music opened up and healed old war wounds

Cambodia 2024. Official Holidays

Here are the official holidays in Cambodia for 2024. Well worth checking if you’re planning a journey here.

• 1 January (Monday) – International New Year’s Day
• 7 January (Sunday) – Victory Day over Genocide
• 8 March (Friday) – International Women’s Day
• 13, 14, 15, 16 April (Saturday-Tuesday)– Khmer New Year
• 1 May (Wednesday) – International Labour Day
• 14 May (Tuesday) – His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath King Norodom Sihamoni’s Birthday
• 22 May (Wednesday) – Visak Bochea Day is a religious day which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha.
• 26 May (Sunday) – Royal Plowing Ceremony
• 18 June (Tuesday) – Her Majesty the Queen-Mother NORODOM MONINEATH SIHANOUK of Cambodia
• 24 September (Tuesday) – Constitutional Day
• 1, 2, 3 October (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) – Pchum Ben Festival
• 15 October (Tuesday) – Mourning Day of the Late King-Father NORODOM SIHANOUK of Cambodia
• 29 October (Tuesday) – Coronation Day of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath NORODOM SIHAMONI, King of Cambodia
• 9 November (Saturday) – National Independence Day
• 14, 15, 16 November (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) – Water Festival

Delusional in Siem Reap. My self-medication story.

via Delusional in Siem Reap. My self-medication story.

A rumination on dope in Cambodia

via A rumination on dope in Cambodia

My evil piranha trick at the fish massage

I’d been tempted for years – now my plan was hatched.

Downtown Siem Reap.  The colour of the markets, the hustle and thrum of the traffic. The incredible smells from sizzling fresh dishes being flame cooked. And, er…those fish massage places.  How many are there? Half a dozen?

I’ve never been tempted to dip my toes in the water tanks. Part of that is just a hygiene thing – do you want to soak your feet in the same water as the previous guy with the fungal problem? But part of that is a private shame of mine: my right foot has two missing toes, and for 30 years since the ‘deep pedicure’ incident I’ve either tried to hide my foot or make light of it. I love trying on shoes because the assistants always squeeze the right shoe in just the right spot and…and there’s nothing there! The shoe sales staff look plainly confused – the shoe seemed to be the right size.  It gets me each time.

But over the years  I’ve been tempted by the presence of the foot massage places to try a practical joke.  The other week I was in the mood. I’d been approached by the foot massage people: “Fish massage sir?” three times today already, and I thought it was time to exorcise my fears.

As I strolled past a fourth fish massage place the young woman came up with a menu in hand: “Fish massage sir?”

I feigned being aghast, and explained that after ‘last time’ I would never have another fish massage. “Do you know what happened?” I asked.  I now had an audience, a couple of would-be customers, the young woman and now her concerned colleague, as well as a group of Australians who were already sitting by the fish tank – delightedly getting their toes nibbled.

“Look, I’ll show you what happened,” I said, taking off my right shoe and rolling down a dusty sock to reveal….THE FOOT FROM HELL!  The sales assistant guy flinched, the would-be customers recoiled and the Australians shrieked with laughter.

But here’s the thing: the young sales woman was unflappable. She looked me straight in the eye and said: “How about try again?  We’ll give you half price.”

She looked concerned, but a sale is a sale. She had me there.

Link here.  Another foot moment.

Or check out this story about my tuk-tuk driver’s miracle baby on Google

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