Throughout the 60s Cambodia was booming with talent, the music scene was flourishing and the stars of the era were  talents like no other.  Artists Sinn Sisamouth and Ros Sereysothea ruled the scene producing thousands of songs, acting in movies and even performing for royalty.

Tragically, in 1975 the Khmer Rouge overtook Cambodia and executed an estimated 2 million people, singling out artists, musicians and intellectuals. Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea and the majority of the stars of that era did not survive.

The California band Dengue Fever started when brothers Ethan and Zac took an inspiring trip to Cambodia. After discovering compilations of 60’s Cambodian pop by   Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea and many others they returned to California in search of a Khmer singer to join their band.

The brothers soon found Cambodian born Chhom Nimol who moved to America looking for a way to make money to send back to her family. Having grown up listening and singing songs from the same Cambodian pop stars that inspired Zac and Ethan, Nimol was a perfect fit.

Backed by Zac Holtzman on vocals and guitar,  Ethan Holtzman on the Farfisa organ and rounding out the band are bassist Senon Williams, drummer Paul Smith and David Ralicke on brass. Dengue Fever released their first album, consisting mostly of Cambodian pop covers in 2003. Five more releases followed, including their newest record, Cannibal Courtship.

Dengue Fever is a surf rock, jazz and rock-n-roll cultural collision, and Cannibal Courtship displays their years of practice perfecting their unique blend of traditional Cambodian vocals and retro American rock and roll. This album features their fan-named invention “the mastadong,” which is a jazz guitar and traditional Cambodian instrument, the chapei dong veng, melded into one beast of an instrument .

Cannibal Courtship is sultry, psychedelic and sophisticated–and unlike anything you’ve ever heard. When Nimol sings in her native tongue, magic happens, and you feel electrified; her voice transforms the music into something powerful, something that could move walls. The songs effortlessly range from sinister ballads to jazzy dance numbers, from go-go beats to beautifully tragic love songs.

Dengue fever is involved in numerous charities to support causes in Cambodia as well as wild life alliance and Sweet relief fund.  The band also released a collected of Cambodian rock music from the pre-Khmer Rouge era, entitled “Electric Cambodia”, in 2010 and 100% of the proceeds were donated to Cambodian living arts.

If you are looking for a new sound try out dengue fever, undoubtedly this band will leave you searching for more, opening doors to many lost artists whose music has for too long gone unheard.

Website

Listen to Cannibal Courtship on Spotify.

Words: Mikaela

You can read more of Mikaela’s writings and everything cool in Ogden, Utah, at her blog.