Robam Makar - Cambodian Dance and Music at Smithsonian Folklife Festival

[emorixcharm]

whew...

finally found one

[emosakuri17]

cambodia is wonderful

[MusaboruOo]

The music for these dance has two Chinese-style melody. The latter one is called "Jeen Sam Suma" in Thai (not sure what the Khmer name is).

On another note, I don't think Cambodians realize that a lot of the music for Khmer classical dance actually have a lot of Thai names (if they were not translated). Something like farang ku-barang ku or sathukar is ambiguous though. But a lot of the names are Thai like smoer, rua, phya dern, krao nai/nok, lea, trah, etc.

[Simoneeka]

This song is "Choun Por" and originated Khmer.

A lot of Thai came from Khmer. Everybody knew that Khmer royal dancers were forced to teach the Siam court dance. Khmer instruments that Thai use are the same as Khmer such as Roneat, Sralai, Khim, Troh, Pin etc

The Chinese copied Khmer music since the Song dynasty even the Khmer Buddhist Monks were invited by the Chinese Emperor to teach the Chinese Monks.

[naruto10119]

the Khim and the Tro are Chinese/ Persian instruments that have been adapted.

[Simoneeka]

Khim and Tro are totally Khmer.

The Chinese ambassadors came to Khmer land during Nokor Phnom (Chenla) and copied from Khmer. The Khmer Monks were invited by the Chinese Song to teach the Chinese Monks in China.

[naruto10119]

not, they aren't. The khmer tro was adapted from the Chinese Er-Hu and the Khim from the chinese zither. the zither was first found in a chinese noble's tomb dating to around 400 B.C. Chenla history does not stretch that far. The Er-Hu was found truly ingrained in around the tenth century. The "original form of the instrument is central Asian in origin. Buddhism has been in China since the Mid-Han Dynasty. The only thing the Chinese have taken from us is the rice crop.

[Simoneeka]

It's not in the Chenla, it's in the Funan during the first Khmer King Kaudinyavarman when the Chinese ambassadors visiting.

Cambodia has at least 4 different name of Tro that I know;

Tro Sau Thom, Tro Sau Toch, Tro Ou, Tro Chhe etc..

And has at least 3 different name of Khim;

Khim Krapeu, Khim Toch, Khim Thom, Khim Takhe etc

You need to study more about Khmer instrument.

The Chinese copied Khmer instrument when the Chinese came to visit Khmer in the Funan period.

[Simoneeka]

Khim is Khmer and its carved on the Khmer temple. Go study about Khmer instrument, just Google search Khmer instrument unesco and take your time to study until you can understand all.

[Simoneeka]

Show to me where did I say Chenla Period?

Cambodia has a long traditional of wedding since the Funan despite so many wars, but Khmer people never forget their own root and culture.

[Hijodesu99]

I appreciate the insightful and interesting perspectives on cultural and historical knowledge, and I do not wish to discourage debate, but please refrain from personal attacks against each other when you disagree. I understand that issues with identity can sometimes elicit and emotional response but I ask that all exchanges be conducted in a respectful manner. Thanks to all for your interesting contributions!

[Simoneeka]

naruto10119

Need to study about the Khmer traditional wedding ceremony as well how Khmer got the wedding clothes from and how the Khmer Queen chose to be on her native culture side to ask her husband to walk after her instead of her husband walking before her like the Indian traditional wedding.

[lakeuno]

i didnt realize this was on youtube! im in this performance!

[Hijodesu99]

Oh really? Which dancer are you? This is the third most popular video I have posted according the hits received.

[nativeforester]

it's really bugging me that the leading female character has only one fan......

[youdarlene505]

she's my dance teacher

[changtuber]

Beautiful, but it saddens me... to see all the male roles (the ones on the right-hand side, at the beginning) being performed by women - I can tell by their faces, hips, legs & chest. The same thing has happened with Thai dancers outside of Thailand. Boys and men are no longer interested in learning their own culture's dances, they think it's "unmanly" to dance. I'm one of the few in Canada, and I'm not even Thai ;)

[Hijodesu99]

I have been told that women who dance the male roles is not exclusively an expat phenomenon, but a traditional one -- that is, even in the past, women have consistently danced the male roles, and not necessarily due to lack of men (just like men in Japan performed male and female roles in kabuki theater). For more information, look up Khmer Classical Dance in Wikipedia, as Youtube does not allow me to post link (can anyone else verify this?)

[changtuber]

I'll look it up, thanks :) You may be right. How far back does "traditional" go in Cambodia, considering the Khmer Rouge? Might the KR have killed all the male dancers & teachers? Somehow, an all-female tradition seems odd for a culture that basically gave Thailand its dance and many other cultural attributes. Thailand, like Japan, has a strong male tradition in Lakhon style (both female & male roles), and almost exclusively male in Khon style (masked dance). That all changes with expats ;)

[KoneAngkor]

traditionally in Khmer classical dance women play all the characters including female (neang), male (neay rong), and giants (yeak). with the exception of monkeys (sva), and other minor animals characters like horses, etc, which are played by men. this goes back to the beginnings of the art, from the times of temple dancers as women were seen as being more pure than men. However that is not to say that men do not have a role in Khmer performing arts.

[changtuber]

Thanks for your explanations :) But does this all-female tradition go back a long time (ie. not just decades, but centuries, maybe back to Angkor), or is it a more modern development? Did you remove your other comment re: Thai dance and Chinese influence...? That's a possibility. But Thai dance troupes here in North America are all-female, because the men & boys are simply NO LONGER INTERESTED... so sad. That's why I wonder id the same is happening in Cambodia.

[KoneAngkor]

yes the conventions of the art form i discussed earlier are ancient traditions dating all the way back to even pre-Angkorian period. but yeah not that many boys nowadays participate in Khmer classical theater which makes the practice of Lakhaon Khaol very rare. but they participate in other ways like singing, musical instruments, etc.

[changtuber]

Again, same thing here: the only part the Thai boys and men are willing to play is music... I haven't met any who sing or want to learn. I really think North American pop culture and hip-hop machismo has ruined all that. It's no longer ok for boys/men to be graceful, now they have to be 'tough'. Anyway, I enjoyed this video a lot - only wish I could see real men in the men's costumes ;)

[Simoneeka]

Are you sure what you said even the Thai monkey dance performing by the Thai female too?

[changtuber]

I was only talking about the Lakhon style of Thai dance, not the Khon (mask dance). Khon is almost 100% male, except for the role of Sita/Sida, and even that may be played by a man. But outside of Thailand, Khon performers are very rare, it's expensive to produce and the training must start very early. Here in Canada we have no Khon groups at all, only Lakhon, and they are all-female.

[naruto10119]

are the roles of Suppanamatcha, Benjakai and other female characters preformed by females?

[Hijodesu99]

Yes, that is what I had been told, so I am glad my information was not incorrect (though of course not as extensive as yours).

[naruto10119]

there is also the chance of forbiddden romance and such, which is why nearly every character was played by women (the monkey role was made exclusive to men only during the reign of Queen Kossamak; there still were a few female monkey characters) in the past. Its also the same reason as why the role of Seda was also played by a man sometimes in Khon, the king would not want other men to engage in such contact [ such as Rama and Seda would] with his harem. Exact opposites, almost.

[KoneAngkor]

there is another type of Khmer dance theater called Lakhaon Khaol in which all the characters, including females, are played by men. there are videos of a performance here on youtube if you search "Lakhaon Khaol."

[changtuber]

Thanks, I'll look this up!

[KoneAngkor]

and while Thai dance drama has been undoubtedly heavily influenced by Khmer culture and aesthetic styles, it has also fundamental connections with Chinese culture because the Tai/Siamese people come from Yunnan in southeastern China. in this case Chinese classical opera, all roles being played by men. Though the history of Thai khon as seen nowadays did not exist before their contact with the Khmers, who were themselves heavily influenced by Indian traditions.

[changtuber]

Hmm, the theory about the Yunnan origins of the Tai/Siamese is contested in anthropological circles... And classical Chinese opera arose much later than the supposed migration of Tai people into what is now Thailand. Thai Khon is one thing, but in the Lakhon Nai style it was mosly female dancers, so I'm not sure the Chinese-influence theory olds water. In Chinese opera, the dancers/actors sing, which is not the case in Khon.

[KoneAngkor]

i think the Yunnan origins theory makes sense given that there is still a population of Tai Lue living there. true Chinese classical opera arose much later, but i think art changes and evolves over time, so when i mention influences i mean like a common ancestor type of form that then changes as cultures develop and go down differing paths of contact with other cultures. Thailand also has Lakhon Nog style in which roles are played by men and have speaking parts too. but it's just my speculation.

[changtuber]

The Tai Lue may or may not have been there from the start or moved around... There are many theories about Thai origins, including a possible sea-faring origin based on artistic motifs they share with Polynesian peoples (ex. the Nak serpent)... Anyway, speculation is fun :) I see what you mean by artistic influences. Lakhon Nok is folksier, with different stories and style than court dance. And in Indian dance, male Ramayana characters are rarely portrayed by women. So who knows?

[Hijodesu99]

This is great information! Thanks for sharing!

[iamcrazayazn]

nice dance!!! n-e more khmer dances from dis festival?

[Hijodesu99]

I have one more I believe, I think it is a fisherman's courtship dance (folk dancing). I'll post it soon.

[iamcrazayazn]

thnxs

[meshortazn]

awsome!!!

[KhmerFlower]

ooh ooh i saw this

[KhmerSpirit]

Beautiful dancers, but the stage montage is terrible.

[Hijodesu99]

There were several music and dance groups performing at the same venue, in what is essentially a temporary stage under a circus tent on the National Mall. I agree that an air-conditioned stage with theater lighting would have been preferable but this is a very informal setting that is designed to get people in and out quickly if necessary to attend other events taking place during the Folklife Festival.

[savadysey]

Thank you for sharing!

[BorosWA]

Nice performance! I prefer this version over the one by khmer arts academy. I believe this is the full length of the dance. Do you happen to have "Robam Sovan Macha"? My cousin was one of the little mermaids :)

[tylrdng]

But this version doesn't include the solo by Preah Vorrachhun

[Hijodesu99]

As there were other groups performing all day long at this event, it was probably sacrificed in the interest of time, unfortunately (but I am only speculating).

[Hijodesu99]

Yes, I hope to post that one up soon as well.

[lchan90a]

omg nek kru yim devi dos and mani masady are dancing again. very nice dance. thanx for sharing!