La Compagnie BosbaPANH: News

This has been a big week for PANHLauv. He has performed at Art+Foundation & Cafe with his two teachers: Hou laoshi and Anton Isselhardt. PANHLauv played Lian Zhu (Butterfly lovers) and Loeillet. Hou and Anton played Haydn.



The recital was organized to celebrate the meeting of PANHLauv's teachers. Also to mark the end of the visit of Hou Laoshi.



Hou has been visiting us for exactly 48 days, teaching us music everyday, yes, just everyday. We have studied a lot, but we have also traveled to Kep, to Kirirom, to Siem Reap. So we learned and played on the beach or in the middle of the Preah Khan temple. I think PANHLauv is happy of his concert. There was a full-page article in the Phnom Penh post about him.

I have just spent three weeks in Manila to meet with Filipino musicians and to receive a crash course training. My mom thought I was kidding when I told her last April that I would like to go and attend a summer training courses in the Philippines. She said “we don’t know the country, we don’t know anybody, how are we going to organize that?”. She decided that we would go to Burma instead but it was hit by the cyclone. So I asked again “can we go to the Philippines then?”. The reason why I wanted to go to the Philippines is that we see Filipino bands everywhere you go, even when we were in Tibet ! So they must have good music schools.



We were fortunate to meet with HE Lourdes G. Morales, the ambassador of Philippines in Phnom Penh and she helped us out. Consul Tonette Oblena is a musician and graduated from the University of Philippines (U.P.). She talked to Kitchie Molina, who is the chair of the voice department of the College of Music at UP.



Kitchie agreed to organize everything for us. my voice lessons with her, guitar lessons with Lester Demetillo, stage movement with Thea Tadiar and piano with Mita Fernandez.



My brother Panhlauv got flute classes with Tony Maigue and drums lessons with Glenn Velarde.



Everybody is saying that we got the best musicians to coach us : Kitchie is the teacher of teachers in voice; teacher Tony is figured in the book “Best of Philippines” (Panhlauv holds 3 flutes from Tony, among which the yellow one is in real gold!); teacher Lester is considered the best classical guitarist; teacher Glenn is the third generation of drummers. Glenn's father,Tony, is considered a legend as a jazz drummer and his grandfather was a drummer in a big band during the 1920s. To my eyes, they were the best because they taught me so much and gave me their love.

We were staying in a dorm with our parents in U.P. (this was really fun, not the neat hotels where they usually go, we were all four in the same room !) and we had just to cross the road to go to our lessons. We also ate in the university canteen.



I liked the beef tapas (grilled beef with garlic rice, it is so good). My brother counted how many times he went to Jollibee and to Mc Donalds (exactly five times each!). He loves hamburgers and french fries but he knows these are forbidden food. There are a lot of fastfood in Manila.

We did not travel anywhere, everyday was about music lessons. Only the day before we left, Joy Rago – a friend of a friend of a friend !!Joy is like our family now – took my brother and I to the amusement park. She helped me meet with Fides Cuyugan Asuncio, who is a diva. Fides came to Cambodia in 1963 and even got a medal from King Father Norodom Sihanouk.


I also met with Miguel Aguila, who is 13 and is singing pop music. He is already a star, managed by Warner Music. Joy is on the second photo here.


Two days before we left, his father told us that he is now an artist of ABS-CBN, which is the largest TV channel in the Philippines. I don’t understand what it is to be an artist of ABS-CBN but my Dad told me he will be promoted by this channel and he may become very rich. When we met Miguel, he was normal but he is too busy now to go to school. He has special studies at home.

Lindie, who works with Kitchie, arranged also all the studio recordings. I recorded three new songs that Kitchie taught me: “Better World” by Ryan Cayabyab; “Where is love” from the movie “Oliver”; “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” (a Tagalog lullaby by Lucio San Pedro). I also recorded “Mona Lisa” with Lester at the guitar and two strings to accompany him.

It was grandiose, a real studio, so large that it can accommodate a long piano and a band; at Pink Noise, there are four studios, complicated mixing tables, many computers.


Wow ! when I think of the Phnom Penh studio where I have recorded my two first albums, we have a long way to go ! Nikki from Pink Noise stayed the whole night of his birthday to mix the songs we recorded. In the Philippines they are all serious about their work, and they are always so nice to us. The musicians that Lindie has contacted only rehearse one or two times before the recording and their first shot is always the good one. We had our teachers to play and record as well: Glenn for Better World with Panhlauv (drums); Mita at the piano for Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan; Lester played the guitar version of Sa Ugoy and Mona Lisa. I also went to play in a music pub with Lester, at Bro's Mustache. It was really fun, like a real "troubadour" !

The best thing I like about the Philippines is UP. That’s a real school. The College of Music is full with musicians, they are everywhere and they practise while waiting for their lessons. I wonder if our University of Fine Arts is working in Phnom Penh since it was moved out 10 km far from Phnom Penh. What I can notice is that my Khmer teachers never go there.

Lindie took us to see Pinoy Dream Academy (Kitchie is the headmaster in this program), which is a singing competition on ABS-CBN but also a soap opera because the candidates live together during 90 days and they film you all the time, even when you go the bathroom ! We had a real fun time and I laughed a lot. I also like the Jeepneys, they are very colorful and it costs only 8 Pesos (0.25 dollars) per trip.


We can find one all the time, it’s cheap and they go everywhere. I wonder why we don’t have jeepneys or buses in Cambodia. If we had jeepneys, people won’t have to use their motorbike or pay for expensive moto-taxis, they can take the bus.

I like my Pinoy teachers, I really want to go back every year. My young brother Panhlauv always cry since we are back, he misses Glenn, his drums teacher. One journalist asked me what I brought back from the Philippines. I answered: what I learnt from my teachers and four recorded songs. I forgot also to tell that we have now many friends in the Philippines.

My brother Sibxy Na Panh came to visit us during this Chinese New Year, he studies in Beijing. Each time he comes, he has intensive training to become a real dancer. At the end of his training with Preap, he performed at the National Museum.



I am so proud of him, I always find he is magical when he dances. He is thin but with his kung fu training he is also very strong. So he has the body of a dancer. I took these photos of him, Dad let me borrow his Nikon camera.






I wonder why he goes and studies in China, he should be here with us all the time and master in dance. I miss him so much.


Here that's funny, he does not have any hair because his highschool belongs to the Shaolin Temple so they shave all the students. No wonder why he looks like a monk!

The art of Reamker is fascinating, it is taking him two hours at least to be dressed, all the clothes are sewn on him.

There is a French song called "Que reste-t-il de nos Amours" : what remains from our love. I feel always sad when we go to Angkor Wat and I ask Dad a similar question, what will be left of Angkor Wat.


We went to Siem Reap for a week end. When we go, we only focus on one temple or when it is too large, we would study only one section of it. We did the South Gallery of Angkor Wat last year. That's like a class, Dad prepare all the books: Madeleine Giteau, the books from the National Museum...Panhlauv never wants to help, it's heavy. We take the pencils and paper to draw. We picnic on the grass.

This year we went to Kbal Spean, you know, the sculptures are on the bed of a small river. It was magnificient and set in the middle of the forest.


We did not know we had to climb and walk for 1.5 km! with all the books and camera, it was tough for my elder brother Sibxy who hurt his knees during his Kung Fu training.

The sculptures are so beautiful. But also there are damages to them: the head of Nandin Bull was removed, the heads of the followers. Almost all sculptures in Kbal Spean have been damaged, with fresh traces of removal or just a lack of care.



It belongs to us, to the Khmers! What will remain when I grow up? That's why I feel so sad. Dad says Buddha will punish those who steal. I pray to ask for protection of the Gods of Angkor Wat.

I have just participated to the program "CTN Classic Concert" which is a live music program with songs before 1980. I sang "Khniom Rong Cham - I will wait for you" which is a French song adapted by Sin Sisamouth in the 1960s in Khmer; and a mohori song.



I did not performed with La Compagnie Bosbapanh. There are already two bands : one modern and one mohori, which accompanied all the musicians. I was a bit worried because we never played together but they are so well trained that they read the music sheets and can get exactly what we need.



We were about 6 or 8 singers that morning and they took about two minutes to rehearse with each of us and to get things right. I had a good time, I always like singing in public.

The program is moderated by the talented Youk Chenda and lok kru Meas Sitha. I like her because she is always nice and very serious with the technicians. And they are both making jokes on the stage. We laughed when they ask me questions and lok kru Meas Sitha tried to translated my wishes into Khmer. He did not knew a word of French and just invented something to make the public laugh. The program is really nice.

It was on 31st December 2007, a couple of days after the Grand Concert BosbaPANH at Chaktomuk Hall to Launch SrorMay, the second CD album of BosbaPANH. Mrs Muoy You, a reader of the Cambodia Daily wrote a letter to the editor. Bosba's team was so moved that we are publishing here the full letter. Thank you Muoy You for believing in Bosba and one day, sure we will meet.



"FINDING A MISSING KHMER SPIRIT IN ONE LITTLE SINGER'S MESSAGE.

Hardly a day goes by without some disheartening news to make one wonder where our country is heading. Sure, on the one hand, there seems to be a lot of development going on. Buildings spring up everywhere, more cars and more motorbikes jam the streets, more luxury resorts, sports and goods to keep the rich happy.

But on the other hand, it seems nobody is happy. The rich don’t think they are rich enough; they’ve got to have more – more cars, more land, more mistresses. The powerful don’t think they they are powerful enough; they’ve got to intimidate, insult or ridicule each other. And during that time, some of their children run havoc in the streets in Phnom Penh or on national roads.

This story was not reported in the Cambodia Daily but by an old man, so maybe it is not completely true, but it tells the state of mind of the poor. It seems the son of a three star general, completely drunk drove his car, hit and killed two people, drove on and did some more damage before his car got stuck and he was stopped by the police. The son called his father to the rescue. Twenty-five Land Cruisers came rushing and the general fathe threatened to shoot the policeman if he didn’t release his drunken son. The policeman pointed out the young man had killed two people. “I will pay”cried the general. This is not the first story of its kind I’ve heard which made my heart sink.

Then the other evening I went to the Chaktomuk Conference Hall. And within two hours, hope returned to me. Her name means “Flower”, she is just ten, and she looked and sounded like an angel. Bosbapanh was not born into what is commonly called a powerful family. Their power comes from their intellect, heart and mind. Her uncle is the reknowned filmmaker Rithy Panh, whose work has been an important contribution in preserving the memory of our troubled past. Raised by a Khmer father and a Laotien mother and educated at a French school, Bosba speaks four languages. At an age when other girls would be more interested in clothes and jewelry, she has been to Mount Everest. She wonderfully plays the guitar, has created a music company, launched one album after the other, and last Friday gave a grand concert.

The concert was a happy mix of Khmer and international songs chosen by a surprisingly mature mind for a 10-year old girl. In an hour-and-a-half, Bosba sang of the beauty of Cambodia, love and peace, liberty and freedom and the struggle for it. She rocked the audience with a Khmer lullaby one hardly hears anymore nowadays; she honored the Khmer traditional music and the Khmer reprertoire with a heart rending opening song and towards the end with another one she sang gracefully sitting on the floor in the Khmer way. Her sweet voice, her grace, her calm, the message of her songs would make any parent and any Khmer proud.

In an hour-and-a-half, Bosba has done more for Cambodia and the Cambodian Culture than years of sterile talks. She wil have inspired parents and children alike. With simplicity she has delivered a message: this is the best of Cambodia and this is what Cambodia should be – open to the world but proud of itself. Thank You Bosba. Muoy You, Phnom Penh”

Just after the concert is the best day of the year. There were many people attending, all of us played well and I think everybody was happy. The next day of the concert is the best day because with the musicians, we all went to PDC, "Paradis de Chaya". It is a very peaceful place with a river, with only the chickens and birds. We camped, played music, swam in the river. That is really the best day of the year. After working very hard, we just could enjoy doing nothing.



We got fresh eggs from the farm for breakfast with bobor (rice porridge) and fresh water fishes. The week end was just too short and not everybody could join. We will go back. Today, Papa is paying everybody, that's a lot of money for the lights, sounds, musicians, food, cocktail, Chaktomuk also.

The house is becoming a house again, not people going and coming, discussing. I can read and I just stayed 2 hours at Monument Books looking for books. I found a book "The history of Science", which tells who discover what, when. It is the first time I saw the real face of Einstein. Usually, we only see him in drawings. Next Thursday, after Papa has paid everybody, we will go to pay respects to cheakday (stupa) of my grandparents. I like to travel outside of Phnom Penh, it is always so peaceful and we always discover new things. I will see you next year and wish all of you a happy 2008!

bosbaPANH has launched her second album at the Grand Concert bosbaPANH held at Chaktomuk Hall, on Friday 21 December 2007 at 19:00 pm. The concert was under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and is opened by HE Veng Sereyvuth.




bosbaPANH confirms her talent as a classical singer in exploring the cultural richness of her country and in making hers some famous international songs. Her album SrorMay, Dreams expresses her happiness as an artist but also a child’s freedom whose spirit travels across boundaries.

As with her first album of songs, the new CD contains a number of well-known songs from King Father Norodom Sihanouk, such as Brise de Novembre. These songs are well adapted for a classical interpretation which showcases the colors of bosbaPANH’s voice.



SrorMay, Dreams also revives traditional but forgotten lullabies such as Bompe, Om Touk, songs that Khmer children certainly remember as their mothers sang to them when they were young. Thanks to a joyful and creative singing, bosbaPANH modernizes century-old songs that will stay forever in the memory of Cambodians. For example, Om Touk is accompanied by acoustic guitars and bosbaPANH blows melodious whistles which recall us of children wandering in the rice fields when back from school.
Finally, the album also includes several international songs interpreted in Khmer selected by bosbaPANH for their melodies or the forceful lyrics and which are musical references in their respective countries: Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole (USA), Douang Champa (Laos), Hemapean and Sopheab Neary (China), the Song of Partisans (France), Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan (USA).
These last two songs are contest songs calling for peace and for a better world: the Song of Partisans was composed during the Second World War when Charles de Gaulle was in exile in London and called the French to resist the German occupation; this song echoes the fight that King Norodom Sihanouk was leading in 1953 for the independence of the Kingdom of Cambodia: Friends, can you hear, the muffled cries of our country in chains… It is us who break the bars of prisons for our brothers.



Blowin in the Wind, composed in 1962 by world famous Bob Dylan, became the symbol of anti-war movements and laments about one’s blindness against injustice. In a world ravaged by conflicts and where the gap between the rich and the poor widens, these two songs have their place in today’s world and questions each and everyone’s commitment to improve the world : How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many have died ?
Accompanying bosbaPANH are ten young instructors and graduates from the Royal University of Fine Arts. They form a semi-classical orchestra where they play traditional songs in a contemporary style. bosbaPANH and her band “La Compagnie bosbaPANH aim at reviving the type of concerts directed by young Prince Norodom Sihanouk in the early 1960s as well as the glamorous style of Sin Sisamouth, widely known as “the Khmer Golden Voice”.
In their musical expression, BosbaPANH and her musicians want to promote the music and culture of Cambodia. While the Royal University of Fine Arts faces difficulties to operate after being moved out to the suburbs of Phnom Penh, La Compagnie bosbaPANH is an extraordinary opportunity for these musicians who have studied five years or more to play as professionals and show their talent.
In little less than two years, bosbaPANH has created a wide following. Fans age 7 to 77 like her authenticity and admire her talent. Children see her as a role model, university students appreciate her international role, parents and grandparents remember a happier past when they hear her songs. They firmly believe that she will contribute to the Khmer cultural influence: « Bosba, you will be our great Cambodian singer in the future. We could see that you will be able to bring Cambodia to the world» (Sakol, producteur TV5) ; « I truly believe that her talent is phenomenal. I do hope that you continue to help her flourish her music as this is not only great for your family but is beneficial to Cambodia's future”. (Sarita Nuch Ang, Voice of America, October 2007)

More than 700 fans attended and many more could not enter the Chaktomuk Hall which has a capacity of 570 seats.



The first CD album « Phnom Penh » as well as this second album « SrorMay, Dreams » by bosbaPANH are on sale at Mékong Libris, Carnets d’Asie and Monument Books or contact la Compagnie bosbaPANH at www.bosbapanh.com

Our house is like the mad tea party in Alice in Wonderland, I can see many people running in and out, and Papa is so under the pressure of the work that he fells on the bed by 8 pm. I have been sick for a week, with an angine, that is the worst for a singer, isn't it? So we can not do any rehearsal and the musicians are waiting for me. Mum is afraid that I will not recover well enough for the concert. I take a lot of medicine. Our house is nearby the river and we missed the full Bon Om Touk. Usually we would go every year. We like to sit in the crowd, just below the official tribunes, near the water. That's the best view, we are in the middle of the boatsmen and almost feel we have taken part to the race. Once, we were in the official tribune, we are so bored there and you need to behave, to sit properly and be nice. In the crowd, you can buy things to eat, people are always nice to make place for us to sit because we are small. The only thing I saw this year was from the rooftop of the house: crowd walking and the fireworks on the last day. We just finished the CD and Papa's team is finalizing the design of the CD cover. I don't know why he always select a photo showing my profile, I never see my full face on his photos.

I have started to learn Violin last year, because Samnang our first violin in the band plays so well violin.
I think he is the best in town, he feels the music and practices a lot to be good at what he does.


Last Winter, I improved my techniques with a Chinese violin teacher who spent a month only to make sure I move my forearm and the bow properly. We played only one tiny section of a melody. I kept doing and redoing the same movements. I was so afraid of her, Chinese teachers are so strict. But I think I am better at that now. I will play violin during our December Concert at Chaktomuk : Champa Battambang by SIN Sisamouth. Guitar will remain my main instrument but playing well violin can make people cry.

I was on the news tonight on Voice of America (VOA), presented by madame Sarita. It was a really nice feature of about 15 mn, talking about the family, tonton Rithy, my brothers Sibxy and Panhlauv and how come we are so many to become artists. My father talked a lot, we can hear me saying a few words but the best section of the news was the singing ! Phnom Penh, Reatrey Choub Pheak and of course Blowin' in the Wind. I stayed late for the interview and then to listen to the program, because I still have to go to school the next morning. I was really excited to talk to madame Sarita, Papa told me that she likes the arts and tries to promote many Cambodian artists ... so we have a new friend there!

Panhlauv is just seven. I often say that he is born to bother me. We always fight when we play music together. He does staccato or rumba when we are supposed to play another tempo.

But he is a maestro in flute, his hearing is superior to me or Sibxy.

He learnt at the age of 6 with Master Yang, from Sichuan. He is one of the best flutists in China and certainly the best in Sichuan. If you go to Chengdu, everybody is afraid of master Yang because he is a very strict and demanding teacher.

He is giving lessons to only the very best students. The first day we arrive, a 10 year old boy was blowing in his flute and crying at the same time. His mother was trembling with Yang laoshi (master) scolding her son for not having practiced hard enough. Panhlauv disappeared like a mouse. Panhlauv played "Phnom Penh" to show his skills. Yang laoshi accepted to teach Panhlauv and he immediately called his flute supplier who brought a funny flute: it is an adult flute but the end is like an U that shorten the flute to enable small children to play. In three weeks, Panhlauv could blow steadily and could play some songs. This was in summer 2006 after our trip to Tibet.

Yang laoshi was seconded by Hou laoshi, who would come home one hour a day to practice.

Then on Saturdays / Sundays, Panhlauv would go to show his progress to Yang laoshi. At the end of the Summer, Yang laoshi told us that Panhlauv is a really gifted flutist, that he has had hundreds of students, but Panhlauv is one of the best, especially starting at that age. He said if we left Panhlauv in China, he will be a real musician, or even a conductor. Yang laoshi is also a conductor.

Panhlauv went back in February 2007 for more training. Yang laoshi advised us to send Panhlauv to the Conservatoire de Paris. He also gave Panhlauv the disc of James Galway, they say he is one of the best flutists in the world and to become as good as him, Panhlauv should play all the time, at least 2 hours a day, in front of a wall to keep a good position. Gosh, Panhlauv is like a worm, he can't keep moving. Only with Dad's presence that he can stay still for 30 mn.
Yang laoshi and Hou laoshi are our friends from China. One day we will open a music school here in Phnom Penh and we hope that Yang laoshi and Hou laoshi will come to also teach other Cambodian children how to play flute.

On Saturday 15 September, we (my younger brother Panhlauv, teacher Kiry and me) participated to a tribute to Bob Dylan. It was at Art + Foundation - Art Cafe in Phnom Penh.



I played and sang "Blowin' in the Wind" both in Khmer and in English. This was such a coincidence. It is a song that have just prepared for the second album and I would never imagine that in Phnom Penh somebody else than us would be interested in this song written almost half a century ago.



My father was listening to this and I liked the melody and decided to sing. When I first looked at the lyrics, I did not fully understood them. "How many times must a man turn his head, pretending he just does not see? ..." There are many questions in the song, and no answers. Indeed, there is an answer "the answer my friend is blowin' in the wind". Dylan is saying we should listen to the wind to find an answer. My father explained to me the lyrics. It is like a prayer in fact. It tells us there is injustice in the world and we don't want to see them. We just need to listen to our heart and do something about it. I think that "Blowin' in the Wind" is still a modern song as there are many unfair things around us. I enjoyed playing at the Art + Foundation - Art Cafe, I always like to play live with a public.

My brother is a classical Khmer dancer. It is a big day for him on 24-25 August 2007, he is performing for the first time in Phnom Penh and has been bestowed the "thway kru" ceremony which marks officially that he is now a real dancer. He is beautiful in his sacred costume, it transforms it totally from the brother I love to a frightening Yeak, I can't take my eyes off him when he dances. Below is his story.



The birth of a Khmer Classical Dancer, Sibxy na PANH



Phnom Penh, 20 August 2007. Sibxy Na PANH, a classical Khmer dancer, aged 16, goes on stage for the first time in Phnom Penh. He demonstrates a natural gift for the combat. Feline in his motion, Sibxy na PANH captures the imagination and leaves the public gazing with emotion at his movements. The war in the Ramayana between between the evil Yeak and the Preah Ream and Preak Leak princes demands the best from Sibxy na PANH. He will be performing on 24-25 August 2007 at 7:00 pm at the Sovannaphum Theater among 21 dancers in an episode of the Khmer Ramayana choregraphed by Thong Kim An, known as “Preap”, and Thong Kim Leng, master dancers of the Classical Ballet Troup of the Royal Palace. A traditional orchestra and two singers accompany them.

Dancing since the age of five, Sibxy na PANH is from a family of Khmer intellectuals and artists, among whom BosbaPANH, young coloratura soprano and Rithy PANH, film maker. At the age of seven, he was introduced to Surat Jondga, a master dancer from the College of Dramatic Art in Bangkok. Already showing a gift, Sibxy na PANH is immediately adopted by Master Surat, with whom he evolved quickly to become one of his best students in the Rama and Laksmana repertoire.

Between his Chinese schooling and a piano-based musical education, Sibxy na PANH continues his long apprenticeship of Khmer classical dance. Sibxy na PANH is attracted by the epic combats between the good princes Preah Ream and Preah Leak and the devils of Krong Reap, a forceful style that he also finds in the wu shou (kung fu). He undertakes to learn wu shou in Phnom Penh with master Peou Yanna, who won several championship medals in France, and to deepen this discipline in Sichuan-China, one of the craddles of wu shou, with Chinese masters in the Emei Shan mountain and at the Sports University of Chengdu.

He discovers that in China, the wu shou is also a dance, a meditation that meets up with the gesture of the Ramayana epic combats and the classical dance tradition of the Khmer, Thai and Lao royalties.The precision of the fight enchainement, in wu shou, the Katas, rejoins the purity of the Ramayana movements.

He deepens his apprenticeship of the Khmer classical dance with two master dancers Noam Narim and her mother Thong Kim An, known as "Preap", both specialized in the Yeak figure and members of a family where Yeak dancing has been passed on for four generations. As it was the case with master Surat, Sibxy Na PANH has been instantly adopted by his master dancers who see in him their disciple, the heir to a thousand-year tradition.



One has only to observe how Preap teaches Sibxy Na PANH. She shows a Yeak posture, stays immobile as she wants him to be imprinted. She becomes a living sculpture which reminds of the Rodin drawings recently exhibited at the National Museum of Phnom Penh. She tiredlessly corrects him to obtain the same precision, with her fixed eyes alike Rodin's pencils drawing lines, her hands molding swiftly his posture, her words hammering like a burin. She already calls him "my son".

After 47 days of intense training during this summer, she just decided to bestow him with a Thway Kru ceremony (payment of respects to the spirits and elders of the arts) and to allow him to perform with her the role of Krong Reap, a role that she is usually playing. In a time where young boys of the age of Sibxy Na PANH do not seek to learn the Royal Palace dance, Preab has been able in 47 days to transform a teenager into an artist. Preab, "the King" of the Yeaks and her certainty overwhelm us with emotions. Has a star been born from the generous heart of Preab ?


Come to discover Sibxy Na PANH
on Friday 24 et Saturday 25 Aout 2007 at 19:00 pm
at Sovanna Phum Theater and Art Gallery
#111 street 360, Corner street 105, Phnom Penh



Episode of Ramayana performed:

Rama is about to go and preach but stops by the edge of a forest. At the same moment Ravana (Krong Reap) passes by, sees Sita, Rama's wife, and falls in love with her. To possess Sita, Ravana decides to use a trick. He orders one of his devil-servants to disguise itself as a beautiful deer, as radiant as gold, to attract Sita. Sita then implores Rama to capture the deer. Rama agrees after Sita's pleas for he loves her without limits.

Before leaving, Rama calls his brother Laksmana to ask him to take care of his land and to protect Sita from any danger. Once Rama has left, Ravana imitates Rama's voice and calls for help so that Laksmana could hear and come to rescue. Hearing the distress, Laksmana can not stay idling, he decides to confide his magic bow in Sita and in the Earth Goddess, Preah Thorani, and leaves. Ravana grabs the opportunity to disguise himself as an ascetic and succeeds in approaching Sita. He captures her and takes her to his kingdom of Lanka, located in the midst of the Oceans.

Discouraged and defeated by the ruse of Ravana, Rama calls Hanuman, the Monkey King, to find Sita and give her his ring, so that Sita does not despair. Rama orders Hanuman to assemble an army of monkeys to build a bridge of the oceans and reach the Lanka Kingdom, where Sita is imprisoned. On one side, the monkeys are placing rocks, on the other side, Sovan Maccha destructs the bridge. Hanuman flies to meet with Sovan Maccha and succeeds in convincing her of the good deeds of Rama. Sovan Maccha eventually helps to build the road over the oceans to reach Lanka. Rama with the Monkeys' army crush the devils' army and Ravana. Rama and his suite take Sita back to her palace.

I have been featured this month in Globe Magazine, and in Khemara magazine where I made the cover page. They are new magazines in Cambodia, one in English and the other in Khmer. I like them, the design is nice and it looks like there are interesting articles. Not always about sensational news that we can see usually. The photos about me, have been shot at home or selected from our family album. This is so different from the other pictures in the Khmer magazines, the ladies have a lot of make up and funny dresses.

Things have calmed down, it is almost the end of the schoolyear and after a series of TV programs and interviews, we are now able to concentrate on our second CD. It will contain 15 songs. Every week end, I would spend a day in the studio recording. That's the only time I have as I also have to go to school. We will probably finish by September.

This Monday, our band spent the day to record the one-hour program "21" produced by the famous Youk Chenda. It is a program where she interviews famous artists. I feel very proud to be invited and we have been preparing ourselves intensely for almost a month. The stage is impressive: all black with a sophisticated array of lights. It is conceived to really put into value the music and musicians. We have prepared three very different songs to perform. the first one is "Tonle Mekong" with a choir of 20 singers. The song is composed by lok Khru Pen Sam Ol who is coaching me to sing better. This song is wonderful and you have to listen to this ! A whole new sound, very classical music and one can imagine very easily how the Mekong is in listening to our voices. The second song is Chumno Vicheaka (Brise de Novembre) composed by Samdech Ta Tuot. Here I sing with la Compagnie Bosbapanh. It is a melodious song, melancholic like an autumnal day. The third song, I sing alone and play acoustic guitar. It is "Phnom Penh" from Samdech Ta Tuot, you know this song already but it is a different sound to hear me without the band. I was already a bit tired at that time of the day, it took us from 10 am to 7 pm to record the whole program. Then I was interviewed with my mom. Watch the program (Wednesday 23rd and 30 May at 21:00 pm PP time) you will learn more about me and also enjoy the new songs.

I spent the Chinese New Year in Sichuan to prepare for a new song, "Tian Lu", which will be included in my next album. I celebrated my 10th birthday with the pandas of Sichuan. We went to Wolong to be inspired by the nature and bamboos forest. Wolong is the largest natural reserve for the pandas. Do you know that there are less than 1,000 pandas left in the world ? We will launch our second album in June 2007 so watch out !

Phnom Hemapean (the Himalayas) are at the center of the universe in Khmer mythology. Inspired by her travels to Tibet and the Himalayas, BosbaPANH interprets “Hemapean”, a Tibetan song adapted in Khmer. This brings a whole new sound to the Khmer music scene, blending traditional Khmer musical stylings with the lyrical music of Tibet.

The Himalayas, known in Khmer as “Phnom Hemapean” (the Himalayan peaks), are important elements of Khmer mythology and religion as they are the inspiration for our culture and art. Angkor Wat, for example, symbolizes the mythic mountain of the Gods, Mount Meru, which lies at the heart of the Himalayas. For Khmer buddhists, it is often an unattainable dream to visit the Himalayas and Mount Everest - the highest peak in the world at 8,848 meters.

Brought up to cherish Khmer culture through regular visits to museums and archeological sites, BosbaPANH went in search of the roots of her culture and civilization : she made the pilgrimage to the Himalayas this year. Inspired by the magnificent landscapes of Tibet and the immaculate, eternal snows of the Himalayas, the young artist says: it was extraordinary, I never imagined that ! I have already read two books on the life of Buddha, and a short story of the Ramayana. In Tibet, I could feel Buddha was there, everywhere”.

From this journey, BosbaPANH understands more profoundly how Khmer civilization and beliefs are intertwined with the Hemapean peaks and she wishes to communicate the serenity and contemplation of Lord Buddha to her compatriots. So her band, La Compagnie BosbaPANH, adapted the Tibetan song “Qing Zang Gao Yuan”, which was composed by Li Qianyi. This song has very high notes which only the very best singers can perform. Light and airy, Bosba’s voice floats through the air and becomes a scent. One can easily imagine the immensity of the Tibetan Plateau and its sacred nature (“atitep” in Khmer).

This song demonstrates the quality of Bosba’s voice. In opera, sopranos are classified into three categories, depending on their ability to sing without difficulty the high notes. Belonging to the highest category, Bosba’s voice is crystalline and ranks her among the very best sopranos aged 8 to 12 in Asia-Pacific.

For BosbaPANH, the Himalayas have become the “Hemapean Atitep” (Sacred Himalayas) and she offers this song as a New Year’s gift to all Khmers and friends of Khmer culture who like “Songs for Life” and are striving to understand Cambodian culture. Bosba said: « I would like to share my song « Hemapean » with all Khmers so that they can feel at peace and do not forget Buddha”.

Dedication : BosbaPANH offers this song as a New Year gift to his Majesty the King, to King-Father Samdech Ta Tuot, King-Mother Samdech Yeay Tuot, and all Khmer compatriots: grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters.