Laura Mam brings freedom to war-torn Cambodia
Laura Mam brings freedom to war-torn Cambodia
No, really. She does. It's true, because Playboy says so.
http://www.playboy.com/articles/laura-mam-profile
The 10,000 Cambodians standing in an enormous parking lot on a rainy Thursday night are ostensibly excited to see the evening’s headliner, Korean pop star Rain. But before Rain come 12 young Khmer artists each performing one original song, one after another. It’s a landmark lineup: likely the first slate of all-original artists to grace such a stage in Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh since the early 1970s.
That was the golden age of Cambodian music, when the country was the envy of Southeast Asia and its singers were cultural icons. Then the Khmer Rouge marched into the city with a vision of an agrarian utopia, one that didn’t allow art or culture or personal identities. More than a quarter of Cambodia’s population was slaughtered. Musicians were among the regime’s top targets.
You can still hear the classics of the ‘60s everywhere, on the radio or as the soundtrack at many shops, restaurants and bars. The music represents echoes of a shattered prosperity Cambodia still hasn’t rebuilt.
But now, the country is in the throes of a cultural renaissance led in part by a wild-eyed Khmer-American: Laura Mam.
Mam takes the stage at the concert with a lone violinist for a quiet, dramatic opening. Cue smoke, a dozen contemporary dancers and the deafening roar of thousands of thundersticks. Her upbeat, electro-pop ditty winds down with her kneeling on the floor, poised like an all-powerful queen, as dancers fly in all directions.
Even at only four minutes long, it’s an impressive show. More impressive is that the audience starts filtering out as soon as the Korean headliner takes the stage moments later. They didn’t want Rain. They wanted Cambodian artists. They wanted Mam. And that’s a huge deal.
(more nonsensical rubbish on the link above)
http://www.playboy.com/articles/laura-mam-profile
The 10,000 Cambodians standing in an enormous parking lot on a rainy Thursday night are ostensibly excited to see the evening’s headliner, Korean pop star Rain. But before Rain come 12 young Khmer artists each performing one original song, one after another. It’s a landmark lineup: likely the first slate of all-original artists to grace such a stage in Cambodia’s capital of Phnom Penh since the early 1970s.
That was the golden age of Cambodian music, when the country was the envy of Southeast Asia and its singers were cultural icons. Then the Khmer Rouge marched into the city with a vision of an agrarian utopia, one that didn’t allow art or culture or personal identities. More than a quarter of Cambodia’s population was slaughtered. Musicians were among the regime’s top targets.
You can still hear the classics of the ‘60s everywhere, on the radio or as the soundtrack at many shops, restaurants and bars. The music represents echoes of a shattered prosperity Cambodia still hasn’t rebuilt.
But now, the country is in the throes of a cultural renaissance led in part by a wild-eyed Khmer-American: Laura Mam.
Mam takes the stage at the concert with a lone violinist for a quiet, dramatic opening. Cue smoke, a dozen contemporary dancers and the deafening roar of thousands of thundersticks. Her upbeat, electro-pop ditty winds down with her kneeling on the floor, poised like an all-powerful queen, as dancers fly in all directions.
Even at only four minutes long, it’s an impressive show. More impressive is that the audience starts filtering out as soon as the Korean headliner takes the stage moments later. They didn’t want Rain. They wanted Cambodian artists. They wanted Mam. And that’s a huge deal.
(more nonsensical rubbish on the link above)
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Hey !!scobienz wrote:No, really. She does. It's true, because Playboy says so.
Do not drag me into this, just because I made out with her once - that was just because I was drunk and was bored of Talking to Gonk ...
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I can't wait for this Khmerican to bring freedom here, everyone's had enough of this war.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
- Hanno
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I call bullshit to that, everything Korean is huge in Asia.More impressive is that the audience starts filtering out as soon as the Korean headliner takes the stage moments later.
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
It is true - but partly due to it being way past Khmer bed-time before Rain came on (9pm+) and again because it actually started to rain!
Meum est propositum in taberna mori,
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
ut sint Guinness proxima morientis ori.
tunc cantabunt letius angelorum chori:
"Sit Deus propitius huic potatori."
- Lucky Lucan
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I've seen that sort of thing a few times here though, where a whole crowd will just up and disappear without really giving much regard to anyone or thing. I was at a "posh" wedding in Mondiale years ago and they had a few stars including Preap Sovath playing. He was the final act, and as soon as he finished everyone just upped and left, helping themselves to the giant fruit displays on the way out. Most didn't even say bye to the hosts.Hanno wrote:I call bullshit to that, everything Korean is huge in Asia.More impressive is that the audience starts filtering out as soon as the Korean headliner takes the stage moments later.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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That's very brave, to give up a singing carrier in the US, to come here and help this country out with its many problems.
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Finished being the operative word.and as soon as he finished
They must have been subversive Youn, this sort of thing is common at weddings in Vietnam. When I got married, I was just getting into the grove of things when 300 people upped and left within 10 seconds....
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
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"Dancing Hanno clears the Club in seconds"Hanno wrote:Finished being the operative word.and as soon as he finished
They must have been subversive Youn, this sort of thing is common at weddings in Vietnam. When I got married, I was just getting into the grove of things when 300 people upped and left within 10 seconds....
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Playboy wrote:"Dancing Hanno clears the Club in seconds"Hanno wrote:Finished being the operative word.and as soon as he finished
They must have been subversive Youn, this sort of thing is common at weddings in Vietnam. When I got married, I was just getting into the grove of things when 300 people upped and left within 10 seconds....
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Massive stalker
- Hanno
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Hahaha, I am actually Bavarian but there is no dancing at Vietnamese wedding parties, Schuplatterln least of all.pedros wrote:Playboy wrote:"Dancing Hanno clears the Club in seconds"Hanno wrote:Finished being the operative word.and as soon as he finished
They must have been subversive Youn, this sort of thing is common at weddings in Vietnam. When I got married, I was just getting into the grove of things when 300 people upped and left within 10 seconds....
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"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
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I passed a whole language learning center for Korean not far from the independence monument. They also love Korean music especially that idiotic Mr. Simple song that makes me want to fight someone.Hanno wrote:I call bullshit to that, everything Korean is huge in Asia.More impressive is that the audience starts filtering out as soon as the Korean headliner takes the stage moments later.
According to the article, Laura Mam is Cambodia's first pop star, so Preap Sovath and whoever else you're referring to are just figments of your imagination.Lucky Lucan wrote:they had a few stars including Preap Sovath playing
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I think the main wars any Cambodians are involved in at the moment are in CAR, Mali and South Sudan.Lucky Lucan wrote:I can't wait for this Khmerican to bring freedom here, everyone's had enough of this war.
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