Cambodian Rocks — Jam 5 Kai Thiet [rock] (1996)

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• From Wikipedia: “Cambodian Rocks is a compilation of 22 uncredited, untitled Cambodian psychedelic and garage rock songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s. When the tracks were recorded, musicians in the thriving music scene were combining Western rock and pop genres with their own styles and techniques. When the Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975, artists were among those viewed as a threat to the regime’s agrarian socialist vision, and several of the performers on the album are believed to have been among those killed during the ensuing Cambodian genocide of 1975–1979. A great deal of information about them and their creative output was lost, although some has been recovered since the album’s release.The compilation was assembled from cassette tapes purchased by an American tourist in 1994 and released on the Parallel World label in 1996. The album has been lauded for its music as well as its historical and cultural significance, though the label has been criticized for reissuing it years later without working to identify those involved. Through collaboration on the Internet, the songs have all been identified”

  The vocalist for this song has been identified as Ros Serey Sothea, a Cambodian singer and actress. She went missing when the Khmer Rouge took power and is presumed to have died, though officially her body was never found.

  You can listen to the full album here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3QPTefh7bQ&ab_channel=NicolasGabrielJimenezAlvarez](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3QPTefh7bQ&ab_channel=NicolasGabrielJimenezAlvarez)

  This is fun, eclectic song that can’t help but seem a little sad once you know the story behind it. If you’ve never heard of the Khmer Rouge and the Cambodian killing fields, I highly recommended educating yourself about it. It’s a horrible, distressing, but extremely important piece of history. You can find plenty of resources on the Internet or documentaries on Youtube.

  Rest in peace the innumerable who died or lost their families.

  January 4, 2023 at 11:16 pm

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• I love this!

  Dengue Fever did a great cover, although there’s nothing like the original.

  January 5, 2023 at 3:01 am

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• This album is amazing

  January 5, 2023 at 4:03 am

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• Album cover reminds me of William Orbit’s Strange Cargo III

  January 5, 2023 at 5:17 am

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