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Khmer Classical Dance in Pop Music

Khmer Classical Dance in Pop Music

Since Khmer Classical Dance is seen as one of the most important Cambodian national heritage, it is usually seen outside of its traditional setting in the form of promotional videos for tourists. Those promotional videos usually contain Snapshots or short clips of Classical Dancers dancing along with many other tourist attraction sites and different types of entertainment.  

The form of Classical Dance seen in pop music, however, gave more focus on the dancers, the movements, and the story that the dance portrays. The dance is usually included in the middle of the performance, where the pop singers would pause and give way for Classical Dancers to take over the stage. In some of the songs, Pin Peat music is used to accompany the Classical Dance where they either stopped pop music and played pure Pin Peat or incorporate Pin Peat with pop music instruments. After the Classical Dancers gave their short performances would then the singer continue to sing, or in some cases, the singers sing along the Classical performance.  

បទ “ព្រះអគ្គីជាសាក្សី” សម្តែងជាល្ខោនខោល - ពេជ្រ សោភា

Live Performance by Pop Music singer Pich Sophea, which included a part of Reamker, a type of classical dance-drama performed by Lakhon Khol Troupe

Pich Sophea - ម្កុដស្រ្តី

Song title: Mkot Strey (Women's crown) performed live by pop singer Pich Sophea. 

Not Loyal

Song Title: Not Loyal sang by Pop singer Laura Mam. It includes a part of Classical Dance which seems to have featured an Orge character. 

បុណ្យភូមិ ក្មេងខ្មែរ Bonn Phum

Song titled Bonn Phum (Village Festival) performed by Khmeng Khmer group. It includes a part of Classical Dance Drama featuring Seta from Reamker epic.