Khmer Jazz Fusion - Cambodian Living Arts

Arn Chorn-Pond, John Burt
and Alan Morgan co-found
the Cambodian Masters
Performers Program
(CMPP)
1998
The CMPP is featured on
American television news
program, 60 Minutes,
with correspondent Bob
Simon interviewing Arn
Chorn-Pond and the 1st
CMPP classes.
The CMPP becomes
Cambodian Living Arts
(CLA). 4 programs are
implemented: Recording,
Teaching, Performance and
Commissions.
The CMPP becomes
a program of nongovernmental organization
World Education.
Creation of Studio CLA
with ethnomusicologist
Scot Stafford training
2 local sound engineers for
archiving
and CD production.
1st program coordinator
hired.
1999
Arn Chorn-Pond finds the
1st Master Artists
some of whom he knew
as a child. Archive-quality
recordings are produced
and
1st classes are created in
the Masters’ communities.
The CMPP hosts its
1st cultural delegation
of foreign supporters of
the emerging artists of
Cambodia.
2000
2001
World Education hosts
18-month strategic
planning process in Boston,
Massachussetts, with
Cambodian nationals,
Cambodian-Americans and
other American advocates.
Vision 2020 is adopted
imagining Cambodia’s
cultural sector so dynamic
by the year 2020, that
the arts and culture have
become Cambodia’s
national and international
signature.
2002
CLA commissions
Cambodian USA-based
hip-hop band SEASIA
to write and perform new
music with traditional
Master musicians. Premiere
on Cambodian television.
Photo credits: Charley Todd, Anders Jiras, Song Seng, Jean McDermott, Charlie Horwich, Jean Loncle, Kenny Mathieson, Kevin Trimmer, Daniel Rothenberg, Jessica Hetke, Chean Long, Peter Lockett, Marion Gommard, Pete Pin.
Creation of an
Advisory Committee
on Master Artists research,
supported by Cambodian
scholar Mao Phoeung.
2003
Organization of the
1st Selepak Khmer
Amatak festival at the
Wat Bo pagoda in Siem
Reap, gathering CLA’s
Masters and students. 250
local audience members
participate.
1st regular, paid
performances
for CLA-trained Classical
Wedding Music and Large
Shadow Puppetry troupes
in Siem Reap.
American TV premiere and
broadcast on American
Public Broadcast affiliates
of the documentary The
Flute Player, based on Arn
Chorn-Pond’s return to
Cambodia to find Master
musicians.
Production of CDs:
Khmer Jazz Fusion,
Khmer Passages and
Mekong Delta Blues.
2nd edition of the Selepak
Khmer Amatak festival
in Siem Reap, with 350
audience members.
2004
Exhibition of visual artists
Sopheap Pich’s, Leang
Seckon’s and Chath
PierSath’s works at CLA
House. This is Sopheap
Pich’s 1st exhibition in
Phnom Penh.
1st Masters retreat
to begin networking and
curriculum development
among teachers across the
country.
2005
Production of the
Sarikakeo CD.
Creation of the CLA logo
by visual artist Leang
Seckon, featuring the Pin,
Cambodian lost harp.
Additional Masters
appointed including 1
Master of Memm, 1 Master
of Classical Wedding
Music and 2 Masters of
Kantaoming, some of
Cambodia’s rarest music
forms. CLA now manages
13 classes.
CLA commissions
Cambodian composer Him
Sophy to write the
1st Cambodian-American
rock opera,
Where Elephants Weep,
producing preview
performances in Lowell/
Boston, Massachusetts, the
2nd largest Cambodian
diaspora community in
USA.
1st scholarship provided to
a CLA student for advanced
study.
2006
3rd edition of the Selepak
Khmer Amatak festival
in Battambang, with
500 audience members.
Programming now includes
performances, workshops
and demonstrations, in
collaboration with other
arts organizations.
2007
CLA-sponsored Master
Kong Nay and student
Ouch Savy
perform at the Womad
festival in Australia.
4th edition of the Selepak
Khmer Amatak festival in
Battambang, with over 600
audience members.
New version of CLA’s logo
by visual artist Theam.
With support of
international musician
and recording artist Peter
Gabriel, CLA-sponsored
dance troupe
Children of Bassac
performs at the Womad
festival and the Edinburgh
Fringe festivals in UK,
where the troupe wins the
Best Pick Audience Award.
2008
World premiere of
Where Elephants Weep
at the Chenla Theater,
Phnom Penh, one of the
largest Cambodia-based
productions in the postKhmer Rouge era. All 5
performances are sold out.
CLA becomes a program of
the Marion Institute.
1st class taught by CLAtrained peer teachers
at partner organizations’.
Creation of the
Living Arts Tours program,
allowing visitors to visit
classes and meet artists.
CLA’s Community Arts
Education program
reaches 500 students
accross Cambodia. The 1st
graduation ceremony is
organized in collaboration
with the Ministry of Culture
and Fine Arts.
2009
2010
2011
Creation of the
Capacity Building program
and initiation of English
classes for arts students.
Pilot program of
performances at the
National Museum of
Phnom Penh, attended by
600 visitors.
CLA-sponsored dance
troupe Children of Bassac
tours to USA and Japan.
Produced in association
with John Burt Productions
and Amrita Performing Arts.
Libretto by Catherine Filloux.
CLA co-organizes the 1st
large-scale auction
of Cambodian arts in
Cambodia.
The 5th Selepak Khmer
Amatak festival is renamed
Cambodian Youth Arts
Festival and is held in
Phnom Penh over 5 days.
Performances by CLAsponsored and external
artists attract 2000 visitors,
and workshops in schools
reach out to 500 young
Cambodians. Over 20
arts organizations and the
Ministry of Culture and
Fine Arts participate in the
organization of the festival.
Creation of the
Arn Chorn-Pond Living
Arts Scholarships program,
allowing motivated and
talented arts students to
develop artistic and nonartistic skills.
Over 20 scholarships are
offered every year.
Definition and resolution to
accept
5-year strategic plan
Coordinated by ReCreation.
1st demonstrations of
traditional performing arts
in communities across
Cambodia.
Creation of Plae
Pakaa, a program of 3
rotating performances of
Cambodian arts 6 nights
a week at the National
Museum of Phnom
Penh, attended by 6000
visitors and offering work
opportunities to 120 arts
professionals.
2012
Creation of the Creative
Leaders program,
developing skills of 8
selected arts professionals.
2nd edition of the
Cambodian Youth
Arts Festival in Phnom
Penh, showcasing 11
performance shows,
7 visual arts events, 1
films screening and 50
workshops. 3,000 audience
members join in.
Supported by AirAsia
Foundation.
The Season of Cambodia
festival hosts 125
Cambodian artists
in 33 of New York’s
cultural institutions,
showcasing traditional
and contemporary theater,
dance, music, film, visual
arts and crafts. CLA’s
vision that Cambodia’s
international signature be
its living arts is manifested
to 54,000 audience.
Completion of the
Archiving project
of 4 endangered art forms,
producing 5 CDs and 3
documentaries.
2013
Creation of the
TlaiTno association
for graduates of the School
of Arts in Siem Reap.
Creation of the
Sounds of Angkor troupe,
which performs recreated
Angkorian instruments,
including the formerly lost
Pin (celestial harp).
Supported by the United
States Department of State.
In association with CIAI and
supported by UNESCO.
Recreated by ethnomusicologist Patrick Kersale.