Articles by "CULTURE AND ART"
Showing posts with label CULTURE AND ART. Show all posts

at

KHMER ART

If you had gone with Sophy and Rathana to the National Museum, which would you have liked more, the standing Buddha that Kim Seng liked, or the sculpture at the top of this page ? Of course, it is a difficult question to answer. Perhaps, if you had known that the sculpture was Hindu, you would have answered, "As long as I am a Buddhist, I will prefer the statue of the Buddha." While some people prefer the Hindu sculpture, because it has more action, others prefer the Buddha statue, because it is more peaceful. Most people, however, feel that both sculptures are beautiful examples of Khmer art.

The Hindu sculpture is not as old as the standing Buddha. It originally decorated a door of the tenth century Shiva temple at Banteay Srei. Like many of the ancient Khmer sculptures in the museum, it tells a story. If you look back into Cambodia's past
as far as you can, you will realize the importance of the two famous Hindu stories of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata, in which the five Pandava brothers fight against their cousins, the Kauravas, is even more popular than the Ramayana. In this sculpture, one of the Pandava brothers, Bhima, is jumping in the air in order to attack one of the Kaurava brothers, Dhritarashtra. Bhima, however, is being helped by two gods, Krishna and Balarama, who stand on Dhritarashtra's left.

Although Sophy and Rathana really liked the Hindu sculpture from Banteay Srei, as far as they were concerned, they found the statue of the Hindu god Varuna even more attractive and interesting. Actually it was made at about the same time as the sculpture from Banteay Srei, but originally it came from the western side of a temple in Siem Reap.

"The reason why we particularly like that statue," they explained to Kim Seng. "Is because we like the birds." The birds reminded the girls of the geese they fed every day around their houses in the village. These particular birds, however, represent knowledge and are called 'hamsa', although in Khmer they are called 'hong'. If the girls had seen other statues of Varuna, they would probably have seen some of him sitting on a naga, where the naga represents water and Varuna the rain.
Continue reading

at


Lakhon Khol

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theatre Academy port wrote: “The Cambodian lakhon khol (also lakhon khaol or lakhon bhani) is clearly a sister kind of Thailand’s khon mask-theatre. They each illustrate in the main the localised versions of the Indian epic Sanskrit literature, that is understood in Cambodia because the Reamker and in Siam because the Ramakien. square measure|they're} each thought to be national epics in their various countries and that they are closely connected to the royal courts and therefore the god-king cult. [Source:Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen,Asian ancient Theater and Dance, Theatre Academy port ~~] “Like Thai khon, lakhon khol also can involve over 100 actors, a percussion-dominated orchestra, narrators, singers, and a chorus. each khon and lakhon khol use decoratively painted and gilded papier maché masks covering UN agencyle|the entire|the complete|the full|the total} heads of the dancers who enact the demon and monkey roles. In Cambodia, however, the previous apply of conjointly covering the heads of heroes and heroines is additionally still generally followed. ~~ “The varieties of the Cambodian and Thai masks area unit clearly connected, though the lakhon khol masks area unit additional sturdy in vogue today. The lakhon khol dancers’ costumes area unit equally associated with the dance costuming of the Thai vogue that King Sisowath (1904–27) had already adopted for his own court dancers. Lakhon khol employs all the sub-techniques of Thai-influenced Cambodian classical dance. The heroes and heroines should have full command of the classical technique, whereas the monkey characters imitate animal movements and therefore the demon characters have a martial arts-influenced technique of their own characterized by the turned-out leg position.

History of Lakhon Khol

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theatre Academy national capital wrote: “It is mostly believed that King Air National Guard Duong (1796–1859) already had Associate in Nursing all-male lakhon khol company among his court dancers. it's believed that once his death it dissolved and later became reconstituted in an exceedingly village context. it's so a rare example of however a court tradition has been transplanted into village surroundings within the whole region of earth geographical region. The village dancers were, from time to time, even invited to perform at the court. [Source:Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen,Asian ancient Theater and Dance, Theatre Academy national capital ]

“Before the start of the long amount of political unrest and wars at the start of the Nineteen Seventies there existed as several as eight village lakhon khol troupes in Cambodia. once the country was, and still is, ill from its hardships it appears that just one of those teams has survived the wars. it's the company that's active within the village of Svay Andet, across the river from national capital.

“The Svay Andet cluster has typically performed throughout vital festivals like the year celebration in period. The performances have preserved their deep ritual and even supernatural functions. The performers ar normal villagers, farmers etc., and therefore the performances, usually lasting many nights, typically involve varied members of the community. though the essential conception of the Svay Andet lakhon khol originally stems from the court tradition, there ar clear variations between it and therefore the gift court lakhon khol. As Associate in Nursing all-male company the Svay Andet cluster concentrates additional on the battle scenes and therefore on the role classes of the monkeys and demons.

“In the twentieth century many makes an attempt are created to rework lakhon khol for contemporary times and for foreign audiences. The epic Reamker was originally ne'er, or a minimum of terribly seldom, staged as an entire. Now, however, it's customary to stage productions that cowl its main episodes. These varieties of productions might last many hours or they will be reduced to a lot of shorter performances aimed for traveler selection shows.

“In the Eighties Associate in Nursingd Nineties the University of Fine Arts created a sort of a reconstruction of Associate in Nursing old-type lakhon khol with an all-male solid, all of them sporting masks. However, currently it's additionally customary to stage it with a mixed solid whereas the most heroes, Preah Ream (Rama) and Preah Albanian monetary unit (Laksmana), ar impersonated by feminine dancers. one among the explanations for this might be an absence of male dancers. this is often perceivable once the long amount of war, that severely reduced the population of Cambodia.
Continue reading

at

LAKHON BASAC

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theater Academy Helsinki wrote: “The classical traditions of Asian nation square measure, to an excellent extent, associate degree integral a part of the Indian-influenced court culture of South-East Asia. On the opposite hand, lakhon bassac, the favored theater of Asian nation, bears sturdy Vietnamese and Chinese influences as a results of the shut contacts between Asian nation and southern Vietnam throughout the amount of French colonial rule. [Source:Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen,Asian ancient Theater and Dance, Theater Academy Helsinki ]

Lakhon bassac may be a variety of spoken and sung theater in the midst of each Vietnamese/Chinese-influenced music and Cambodian music. generally even Western instruments square measure enclosed. The acting is commonly makeshift, whereas Cambodian classical dance gestures and poses square measure enclosed within the dance scenes.

The stories square measure performed within the sort of romantic comedy with extra parts of farce. The plots might traumatize legendary and historical themes or themes from the Buddhist Jataka stories. Vietnamese and Chinese stories are used. Earlier, performances may last as several as six nights. there have been tens of lakhon bassac troupes playing everywhere the country before the start of the unrest of the first Nineteen Seventies.
Continue reading

at

Sbek Thom Performance

According to UNESCO: Sbek Thom “performances historically occur at the hours of darkness outdoors beside a rice-field or temple. an oversized white backcloth is control between 2 tall bamboo screens before of an oversized hearth or, nowadays, projectors. The shadows of the puppet’s silhouettes area unit projected onto the white screen. The animators bring the puppets to life with precise and specific dance steps. The performance is in the middle of associate degree orchestra and 2 narrators. galvanized from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Sanskrit literature, the performances stage scenes of this epic, which can last many nights and need up to a hundred and sixty puppets for one presentation. several of them were destroyed underneath the inhibitory terrorist group regime, which just about wiped out this sacred art. Since 1979, Sbek Thom has been step by step revitalized due to the few living artists. So far, 3 shadow theaters have managed to rise from their ashes, making certain the transmission of the data and skills, together with those regarding puppet creating.

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theatre Academy Finnish capital wrote: ““In most Asian shadow theater genres the puppets area unit rather little cut-outs of human figures usually with movable limbs. The nang sbek thom puppets, on the opposite hand, are large, 1–2-metre-tall, nearly spherical non-articulated animal skin silhouettes, during which the characters from the Reamker area unit etched as if during a frame. Besides these giant animal skin figures, there also are smaller puppets, generally even with movable limbs. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen,Asian ancient Theater and Dance, Theater Academy Finnish capital ~~]

“A giant screen, some ten meters wide and a few four meters high, is erected on poles around a pair of.5 meters on top of the bottom. usually before of the screen area unit the musicians of the normal Cambodian pin vegetable matter orchestra, consisting, as within the Thai piphat orchestra, of oboes, xylophones, gong sets, and different percussion instruments. Sitting and generally standing among the orchestra area unit the narrators, World Health Organization recite and sing the text that the silhouettes enact on the screen. ~~

“The puppeteers move with their figures each before of the screen and behind it. The dance movements area unit set by the puppets the puppeteers area unit operational. so a performing artist handling a noble character moves with carriage and dignity, whereas the movements of the puppeteers of the monkey characters imitate the spirited movements of monkeys etc.” ~~

History of Sbek Thom

Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theater Academy port wrote: “Sbek thom (large leathers) is AN ancient variety of shadow theater during which recreation puppeteers perform scenes from the Reamker, or a lot of seldom the Buddhist Jataka stories, by presenting cut-out hide figures against a semi-transparent textile screen. it's AN exceptional and clearly terribly archaic variety of shadow theater. Its solely “sister” type is that the nang yai of Asian country. each of them are performed in temples and numerous ceremonies associated with communal festivities. [Source: Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen,Asian ancient Theater and Dance, Heather Academy port ~~]

“How these 2 traditions ar connected is, however, not known. it's doable that the tradition was adopted by the Thais among the opposite components of the Khmer culture. On the opposite hand, it's additionally doable that it unfold from the dominion of Auytthaya to Kingdom of Cambodia|Kampuchea|Asian country|Asian nation} throughout the amount once Cambodia or a part of it had been a liege state of Asian country. There are, however, slight rhetorical variations between the Thai nang yai and therefore the Cambodian sbek thom figures. ~~

Two sbek thom troupes ar identified to possess been active within the half of the twentieth century, one in national capital and one within the town of Battambang. Later, the govt originated many sbek thom firms. these days sbek thom is usually combined with dance and alternative theatrical forms in innovative productions additionally as in router shows.
Continue reading

at


Traditional Cambodian instruments embrace tuned gongs, xylophones, drums, flues and oboe-like wind instruments. The chapel could be a two-stringed instrument plucked with the fingers sort of a stringed instrument. it had been utilized in ancient court music and tartan with flute and drums, taking part in the instrument was usually lost throughout the Communist Party of Kampuchea years. Some previous folks savvy to play it however the younger generation isn't any interested and therefore the is concern it would die out.

There square measure 2 sorts of ancient music: one is that the Pin Peath with stringed and percussion instruments and therefore the alternative the Mohory with solely stringed instruments. the various instruments are: Pin Peath could be a cluster of instruments that have Roneath (xylophone in metal or bamboo), Kong (percussion instrument close the player), a pear of Skor Thom (a terribly massive drum, that has 2 faces, for creating the rhythm), Sampho (a massive drum,which has 2 faces, for creating the rhythm), Sro Lai (a massive recorder),Chhoeng (percussion instrument touching one another for creating rhythm). this type of music is employed to accompany dances, praying to God or spirit and alternative ceremonies.[Source: business enterprise of Cambodia]

Mohory could be a cluster of instruments, that have Khoem (with thirty five horizontal strings instrument), tantalum Khe (with three horizontal strings instrument), Tro (with vertical strings instrument), Skor Dai (a tiny drum for creating rhythm), Khloy (recorder) and Chhoeng. this type of music is employed to accompany dance, theatre, wedding and alternative ceremonies. There square measure four to six p.c of kids attend these courses and that they begin learning all the standard Khmer instruments, and select one they like to make the cluster.
Continue reading
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)