On this edition of Global Notes, Jerome and Radio M host Tony
Sarabia explore Cambodia's rich musical heritage. Ninety percent
of the Southeast Asian nation's artists were lost in the
genocide. After a fateful visit to Phnom Penh a few years ago,
Evanston resident Dan Schwarzlose decided to devote his life to
Cambodia's endangered musical traditions. He's since traveled to
remote regions of the country in search of masters who can teach
the younger generation how to play indigenous instruments.
Because Cambodian music has been traditionally taught aurally,
he also uses Western notation to write down the music. Jerome
and Tony sit down with Dan, who's the founder and director of
the cultural preservation organization Elastic Cambodia. Watch
this video featuring the khsae diev, an ancient Cambodian
instrument with one string made from a hollowed-out gourd.
According to Dan Schwarzlose, it’s informally known as “the
instrument of the heart.”