WACKY WEDNESDAY: Happy Cambodian New Year!!!

Happy Cambodian New Year!

That's right, the traditional three-day celebration starts Wednesday, April 13.

I don't actually know much about Khmer traditions. But I'm a huge fan of Cambodian rock 'n' roll from the 1960s and '70s. I've written several times about how the evil Khmer Rouge basically wiped out that music. Follow that link if you need to catch up on that history. Or better yet, watch the documentary Don't Think I've Forgotten.

But today is Cambodian New Year -- not to mention Wacky Wednesday -- so let's not dwell on the horrors of the past.

Let's welcome the New Year angel and honor the Khmer people with some crazy rock 'n' roll.

Let;s start out with Sinn Sisamouth's version of "House of the Rising Sun." I don't know how I missed this when I featured this song on Throwback Thursday a few months ago,



Here's "Shave Your Beard" by Ros Sereysothea, a song I first heard done by Dengue Fever. (Not sure who this lovely lip syncher is.)

 

Here's a little psychedelia by Pan Ron


Some Cambodian surf music with Baksey Cham Krong (from the Don't Think I've Forgotten soundtrack.)

 

Finally, here's Dengue Fever, a contemporary California group with a Cambodia-born singer, Chhom Nimol,  Just like The Animals led me (and countless others) to John Lee Hooker in the '60s, Dengue Fever lured me to Cambodian rock. And I'll always love them for it, This song's called "Mr. Orange"



Happy New Year!