January 27, 2006

master kung nai

call it my lucky week for meeting khmer legends.

after a little over 72 hrs since interviewing mr. vann nath, i had another great honor: to meet the ray charles of cambodia, master kung nai. lok ta is one of cambodia's most prolific chapey dong veng (long-necked guitar) players.

lok ta is part of an art collective of master musicians and singers under the internationally renowned organization, cambodian living arts (selapak khmer amatak). tonight marked a special pre-release cd party of music performances from the album held at phnom penh's newest dining hotspot, romdeng.

being with the press, charley todd of cla, generously gave me two copies: khmer passages: songs for cycles of cambodian life and khmer jazz fusion.

the ambience at romdeng -- filled with local artists, members of the press, tourists, art lovers, elders -- set the mood for a memorable night of singing and music.

there were five pieces played for the packed, wine drinking audience. i recall the soothing sounds of a lullaby, a duet beautifully sung by a young lady and a master musician, but the crowd favorite unarguably was the solo performance by master kung nai.

his performance marks the second time i had the honor to hear him live. the first was fairly recent at the us embassy's inauguration party two weeks back at chaktomuk theater.

the crowd was at a standstill as master kung nai under aid from his assistant help the blind musician situate himself on stage. he grabs his signature instrument. greets with his warm smile and begin to strike the strings.

he did not disappoint one soul in the room. in his five-minute "freestyle," the whole audience smiled along with him while his lyrics contaminated everyone with laughter.

though performances had ended, the event continued with a social over khmer food.

it was after my hearty meal that i had the courage to introduce myself to lok ta. i greeted him with the respectable sompeah. he gently grabbed my hands to show his appreciation. i told him that although most of his lyrics are beyond my competency, i felt a deep connection because i am still a "koun khmer." i asked if he has ever performed in the states for a khmer or non-khmer audience. surprisingly, a man of his artistic talents has yet to step on american stage. khmer community leaders, we must do something.

after my 15-min conversation, i gave his assistant (who i believe is his wife) my business card for future communication. i gave my respects and onward to mingling with the bubbling crowd.

:: merci beaucoup to erwan of saklapel for keeping inform of these art functions ::
Posted by phatry.derek.pan at 00:25:13 | Permanent Link | Comments (6) |

January 25, 2006

interviewing a living legend

if malcom x and mumia is to black afrikans the symbol of resiliency, then quickly ask yourself, who is cambodia's representation? many names will come to mind and one does not have to look far. stare deep into our parent's eyes. all of them are respectable examples.

but if surveyed in a khmer forum like khmerconnection, i dare not challenge that many will list the 61-year-old grandfatherly vann nath. undoubtedly, his experience under kr is a testament of our people's undeniable strength.

mr. vann nath, as any khmerophiles are aware, is the famous painter of s-21, the kr's torture machine -- high school turned prison. for one full year in tuol sleng, he painted kr propaganda and of pol pot. for his talent, his life was spared. for being alive, he witnessed humanity's cruelest moments of execution.

i had the great honor not only to meet and greet mr. vann nath, but to fulfill one of my wish list -- to conduct an interview -- for the phnom penh post.

and from all the articles written about him and documentaries that featured the gray-haired gentle soul, no words in any language can amount the experience and feeling that captivated me during this most memorable dialogue. he spoke soft and eloquently just like i imagined. every word was like meditation for the mind and body. a humble man he will be remembered.

let me tease you all with a snippet of the interview.

post: how do you want others to remember you for?
nath: i am not going to tell others what they should remember me for. if they see me as a painter, a kr survivor, a grandfather, an educator, then let it be. my legacy is a matter of personal interpretation.
Posted by phatry.derek.pan at 23:19:55 | Permanent Link | Comments (18) |

January 23, 2006

seahawks, nfc champions

at the crack of 430 am, my mobile phone slash alternative alarm clock began vibrating and screaming at maximum strength. i was determined not to oversleep on this monday morning. not due to any work-related matters that required extra preparation. not for an early bus trip to the countryside. but all for the love of my seattle seahawks.

 you see, i am a big fan of seattle sports -- from mlb, uw football, and nba -- i enjoy them equally. i am one of those annoying fans who would go crazy insane over a touchdown, a homerun, or a buzzer beating jumper. when mutumbo's nuggets defeated top ranked sonics years back in first round, i was stunned beyond belief. when the yankees year and year out ace my mariners, i got depress and ditch my class for a couple days. maintaining your allegiance to your team can be a big emotional rollercoaster.

so .. my nfc champion seahawks have finished a successful regular season with a 13-3 record. one week prior to this date, my blue and green erased an two decade old drought with a losing playoff record by clinching a "W" against the washington redskins.

seahawks faced the more experienced, but crutched up panthers for the nfc title game. press and scouts, despite carolina's handicap, still gave my opponent the upper edge. seahawk's defense can't control the league's most explosive wide receiver, steve smith.

home team had injury problems too -- one being nfl's mvp and leading rusher, shaun alexander. he suffered a first quarter concussion with the 'skins that left every seahawk fans holding their breath.

but today saw all these butterflies with injuries, lack of experience and all other big game jitters to rest. my seahawks victorious -- 34-14? critics still not giving seattle any respect. maybe a superbowl champion hanging under the beautiful qwest field will hush these barking puppies.

chey yo seattle!
Posted by phatry.derek.pan at 09:49:36 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |

January 21, 2006

to be or not to be FRESHIE

phnom penh post sure does have its perks! (act like i didn't know that already)

freshie fever exposes young khmer teen's fascination over beauty-based competitions. one being the very popular freshie boy and girl. today, the 21st marked the fifth annual event for which i had the great pleasure to attend.

with two press passes that gave me near "his excellency" seatings (haha), my khmerican friend and i waited with eager and intrigue to the start of the program. the near full capacity crowd of chaktamuk theater, too, were getting antsy. the light dimmers and two emcees gracefully walk on stage.

the final round pinned 7 dolled-up girls and 7 spiked, japanese anime like boys.

with the short welcoming comments, the long black curtains rolled to the sides unveiling the surprisingly untacky set-up. glittered stars decorated the black backdrop with two large left and right board panels that displayed the pictures of the finalists and at center, a raised stage with arching structures that reads, freshie 2006.

just then and there, the music blasts! all fourteen, drapped in tight-fitting golden attire with spectacular hair do bend and twists in rhythm to some egyptian sounding techno beat. i felt like i was watching jacko's do you remember video. do you remember? janet and magic johnson cameo'ed, young'uns. the dance ended with even louder fireworks that lit off at the rim of the stage -- nearly gave me a heart attack!

after the introductory dance (and gasping of oxygen), emcees yabbed about all the thai and malaysian based sponsers.

my friend and i made our early picks after all the introductions to the finalists. for the guy, it was the marketable face and stage charisma of moul sovankiri. girl, my favorite was saray sakana, 16, who is the youngest in the batch. my amiga shared strong support for sovankiri, but had differing views about the girl.

the program continued with paired couples performing various forms of international dance -- cha cha, ballroom dancing, rock-and-roll, swing, etc. this was pretty entertaining! sovankiri, undoubtedly was the best dancer from the guys. girls -- all were disappointing in my blunt observation. even two left-footed phatry can dance better!

the tension got tighter as the emcees lined up the finalists to announe the 3 boys and 3 girls.
sovankiri picked first out of the boys to advance. sakana failed to advance, however, rathida, who i did initially interviewed, advanced to the big three.

so what else happened.

i remembered the q & a portion. this in my view would make or break a contestant. all 3 girls, in our views, failed miserably. very unarticulate and weak responses to rather simple questions. the fellas faired better.

the moment of "truth" (if thats the right word to use) is upon us. we crossed our fingers for sovankiri. he came in third place. cambodia's next manga character, thai norak pitou took first place for the boy. rathida, the mute, shocked both of us with the freshie girl 2006 title.

we cried foul.

let's just leave it to that :)


photos credits: p.d pan and c. preap
Posted by phatry.derek.pan at 23:52:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

January 14, 2006

1 of my 9 lives

as i type you this entry, much of my body is throbbing and only 9 out of 10 fingers are pain-free. this is because last night, i escaped a near fatal moto accident.

my brother's friend and wife are in town invited me to kolap tmey, one of the khmer style restaurants dotted on national road going to siem reap.  their departure is the 15th.

my motodop, sophanny, was a very cautious driver. he had a helmet (i didnt) on and was not speeding. when we cross chroy changvar bridge, he was extra careful of the traffic and the limited visibility that the area is accustomed to.

we spotted the restaurant to our left. he slowed down, signaled with his lights and his left arm for a turn. while both of us looked back, a lightning flash of a moto pulverized us causing all 4 involved to fly out. i was in shock.

i fell on to the hard paved cement. initially, the adrenaline numb all the cuts and burns on my arms. i recovered my bag, a shoe that flew off my feet that now rips at the tongue, and checked around for my valuables. by this time, several dozen onlookers have congretated to the scene of the crime.

i had minimal dialogue with the two young men who hit us from behind. evidentally, both bikes had missing pieces. i asked my moto driver if he was okay, but just like me, we were still in shock to give me a response.

while the locals conferenced among the drivers, i walked away from the area. by now, the burning sensation in my right arm iwas unbearable. the left side of my head feels like its slightly bruised, luckily, nothing serious. my left leg felt sprained.

after my brother's friend and his family scuffled among the crowd to find me, they had apply some type of antibiotic to rub over the cuts. i shed some man-ly tears fighting the pain.

by now, my moto driver was long gone. according to the locals, he jetted several minutes later without no resolve with the other driver. its ashame, bc in my view, he was not guilty. he was obeying the speed limit and signaled appropriately.

when over 20 people had come together to the table, all of us started dinner. i could hardly bend and reach as my muscle starts to stiffen up. my short trip to bathroom was a bigger challenge.

i arrived home at around 1030pm completely exhausted and worned out. one of my roomies, who earlier last month got in an accident was sisterly concern of my condition. i applied some cream she had used during her injuries and called it a night.

its the present now. a pencil length streak on the back shows a deep blue bruised. my left leg seems worst than before. i can't put too much pressure while walking. the big cuts on my right arm is still visible but starting to regenerate itself. the left pain above my ear is still the same.

i am thankful that i only escaped these cuts and sprains. in all honestly, without a helmet and the velocity in which the other moto was going, i anticipated the worst.

this weekend will be a time to recuperate.

Posted by phatry.derek.pan at 08:31:11 | Permanent Link | Comments (24) |

January 09, 2006

a campaign to free kem sokha

read it, spread it and take action!  http://khmer.cc/community/t.c?b=12&t=29175

Posted by phatry.derek.pan at 10:28:26 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |