Local media guru Andy Carvin posted a video of Kong Nay, who is a master of the Chapei, which is something like a Cambodian folk guitar. What struck me about this was how familiar the music seemed. Definitely different from our music but somehow it resonated with my experience of traditional improvisational music we have here in the US.
The video was shot at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. If you haven’t been down there yet, get on down and see something really incredible. Only one more day remains before the Festival wraps up and you have to wait another year for entertainment like this. You can’t beat it – free culture. If they only had free food it would be perfect, but that’s asking a little much.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
