Written by Chhay Channyda
The Phnom Penh Post
Hun Sen's comments aim to preserve traditional Cambodian culture; TV stations say they will comply with his suggestions.
TV stations across the country are looking to modify their entertainment output to include traditional songs following Prime Minister Hun Sen's recent comments on what he felt was a neglected genre among the youth.
Hun Sen on Friday urged TV stations to set up talent contests for young people that would include assessing how well they could perform traditional songs.
"I want to ask all TV stations - aside from having the modern song contests - is it possible to create a traditional song contest?" he asked in a speech ahead of the 99th Anniversary of International Women's Day. "This should be done.... Now the younger generation thinks it is easier to sing [modern songs]."
Hun Sen said he was not looking to force TV stations immediately to follow his suggestion - this was simply "a recommendation to promote our culture".
"If you really want to preserve tradition, you should include both subjects at the same time for each contestant: modern and classical," he advised, adding that it was up to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information to promote traditional songs through television.
Ministry in support
Khim Sarith, a secretary of state at the Culture Ministry, said he supported the prime minister's idea and would be happy to provide experts in traditional singing to assist the contestants.
"We always support television stations," he said. "Whenever they ask us for teachers, we always send them along to help with scoring contestants."
Khim Sarith added that the Ministry of Information was responsible for questions of content of TV programs but pointed out that his ministry held events each year to promote the country's traditional cultures such as a national traditional dance festival.
Reth Chetra, deputy director general of Bayon TV, which is run by Hun Sen's daughter Hun Mana, said the station would definitely follow the prime minister's recommendation when putting together its next talent contest.
"I consider the PM's suggestion to be a good idea to help promote and preserve our culture and tradition," he said. "We can see these days that young people generally don't like classical music, but if next time they want to enter a song contest, then they will need to know classical songs."
Reth Chetra said Bayon TV was a leader in promoting traditional Khmer culture and already had a number of programs of that type.
Another large TV station, the Cambodian Television Network (CTN), is about to start its own talent search program. Yok Chinda, a senior producer at CTN, said by phone Monday that the company's employees would soon meet to discuss how best to set up the program.
Yok Chinda said the producers at her station had not yet decided how to implement a contest for traditional songs along with a modern song contest, but she applauded Hun Sen's comments. "We must do that. This will test the abilities of contestants to sing our country's traditional songs."
TV stations across the country are looking to modify their entertainment output to include traditional songs following Prime Minister Hun Sen's recent comments on what he felt was a neglected genre among the youth.
Hun Sen on Friday urged TV stations to set up talent contests for young people that would include assessing how well they could perform traditional songs.
"I want to ask all TV stations - aside from having the modern song contests - is it possible to create a traditional song contest?" he asked in a speech ahead of the 99th Anniversary of International Women's Day. "This should be done.... Now the younger generation thinks it is easier to sing [modern songs]."
Hun Sen said he was not looking to force TV stations immediately to follow his suggestion - this was simply "a recommendation to promote our culture".
"If you really want to preserve tradition, you should include both subjects at the same time for each contestant: modern and classical," he advised, adding that it was up to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information to promote traditional songs through television.
Ministry in support
Khim Sarith, a secretary of state at the Culture Ministry, said he supported the prime minister's idea and would be happy to provide experts in traditional singing to assist the contestants.
"We always support television stations," he said. "Whenever they ask us for teachers, we always send them along to help with scoring contestants."
Khim Sarith added that the Ministry of Information was responsible for questions of content of TV programs but pointed out that his ministry held events each year to promote the country's traditional cultures such as a national traditional dance festival.
Reth Chetra, deputy director general of Bayon TV, which is run by Hun Sen's daughter Hun Mana, said the station would definitely follow the prime minister's recommendation when putting together its next talent contest.
"I consider the PM's suggestion to be a good idea to help promote and preserve our culture and tradition," he said. "We can see these days that young people generally don't like classical music, but if next time they want to enter a song contest, then they will need to know classical songs."
Reth Chetra said Bayon TV was a leader in promoting traditional Khmer culture and already had a number of programs of that type.
Another large TV station, the Cambodian Television Network (CTN), is about to start its own talent search program. Yok Chinda, a senior producer at CTN, said by phone Monday that the company's employees would soon meet to discuss how best to set up the program.
Yok Chinda said the producers at her station had not yet decided how to implement a contest for traditional songs along with a modern song contest, but she applauded Hun Sen's comments. "We must do that. This will test the abilities of contestants to sing our country's traditional songs."
14 comments:
No they have to show Viet Nam song ,because Cambodia is not free.
Our PM is such a true blue traditional Khmer guy. No wonder why everyone around the world loves him.
On the other hand, no one care about pouk Ah Scam Rainxy because they are so fake and full of deception.
that's right show traditional shows too not just foreign stuff! this is cambodia, you know. be mindful of the local custom and etiquette and do show varitety of program too; otherwise it is very bias! it's called empowering khmer identity! please be smarter! god bless cambodia.
Pouk ah chhud scam rainxy always hatting Viet,but pouk ah chhud always married with Viet girl.
Yep, and gave all of the Khmer's land (Kampuchea Krom) to Viet in exchange for Viet girls.
All Khner TV shows will be KAI LEUNG ONG YA TUY YIEK NAM JO^Y! KA LO^NG TUY VA DY! DO MEI CONG CAC!!
corrections=khmer-tv shows
Yes !!!!! But how Can Hun Sen do?
His daughter own a television station and she mary to a Viet goat face son of ah Tay Houng Hok Landy who was killed by ah Hun Xen!
What the fuck is the faked drama??????
11:18 pm
Look at how your beloved (traditional) PM is doing to Cambodia culture and tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDnA9X8eZ5k
if one worries about cambodia, he/she should eliminate or reduce the big problems first such as corruption, land grabbing, or violence. these issues have been damaging our cultures, values, economics, peace and more.
on the other hand, modern music or khmer music is just music.
if one worries about foreign influeces, he/she should consume domestic products. instead of driving a Mercedes or Land Cruisers, let ride a bike made in cambodia; instead of drinking imported beer or wine, just drink khmer rice wine.
take a look at the way the rich and the powerful live or have in cambodia: villa, fancy cars, cell phones, clothes, food, and so on. are these domestic products? is this a kind of foreign influence or what?
Wrong, traditional Khmer music will help bring back good moral that will help to reduce corruption in the country. Therefore, it should be taking care of first before anything else.
2:50 PM -- i think you are right based on your contextual understading.
for me wrong or right doesn't really matter because it's just my opinion. and i'm not sure what comes first---chicken or egg?
thanks for your feedback. it helps me a lot by hearing from different perspectives.
Who care about chicken or the egg? If it works leave it alone, and it had worked fine for us before.
Check out Eeeyunchai.com ( Prince Eee yun chai sisowath? )
Bet most of us didn't even know he exists. This Khmer's prince creates music movie like none of us had ever done it before. Beautiful indeed. Love it!
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