Letter from abroad 10-03-2010
You might be curious to know what young Khmers living abroad choose to do to entertain themselves in their free time. Surprisingly, many of them choose to listen to the same Khmer pop and karaoke music that is so popular in the Kingdom.
While riding in his car, I noticed that my friend Patrick owned a number of Khmer CDs, ranging from oldies to modern songs. “I have always listened to Khmer songs,” said 23-year-old Patrick Meas, who has lived in Alberta since he was very young. “Preap Sovat is my favourite singer.”
Considering that he has lived most of his life away from Cambodia, as a Canadian citizen, it is incredible to see that Patrick can sing “Beautiful Girls” in Khmer.
While the song was originally sung by Jamaica-American rapper Sean Kingston, it is very popular in Canada and has been repeatedly played on the radio here. The fact that an American song was translated into Khmer and now is being sung by Canadians shows the intermingling of cultures around the world.
Continue reading