365 Favorite Recordings 2023 - 35/365

Jeas Cyclo (Ride Cyclo) - Yol Aularong - Mid 60’s -70’s

There’s much to unpack here.  This is a song from an unlikely compilation of recordings called ‘Cambodia Rocks’. At the time I purchased it (late 90’s) the tracks were untitled and the artists were unknown. That is because it was amassed from cassettes from Cambodia that escaped destruction by the cultural purging of the Khmer Rouge. Worse, it is believed most of these artists were killed during the genocide of 1975-79.  Over time, via the internet most of the titles and artists have been identified, and some of the history of the vibrant music scene from which they sprang has been recovered, but oh so much was lost… That this fragment exists at all is a miracle. There is a 2014 documentary ‘Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll’ by John Pirozzi.  A. O. Scott said: "Mr. Pirozzi’s film is an unsparing and meticulous reckoning of the effects of tyranny on ordinary Cambodians. It is also a rich and defiant effort at recovery, showing that even the most murderous totalitarianism cannot fully erase the human drive for pleasure and self-expression." I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m already crying… As for the song and the CD in general, It is a fun, fantastic fusion of what I’d call ‘Western music style approximations’ combined with Cambodian popular and traditional music styles. I live for this kind of cultural mash-up. Jeas cyclo is like an early fuzz/psych/garage rocker with a collection of musical tropes and influences too numerous to count. Listening to the rest of the songs is a pleasurable ride as you get sporadic sonic whiffs of western 60’s 70’s popular music, but thru this charming, unexpected filter. Was that Santana I just heard??  Highly recommended for the budding ethnomusicologist.

Bonus Points - Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll (at least watch the trailer!)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2634200/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0