Bin Song, 78, iron Angkuoch-maker

By Catherine Grant, Seng Song and Say Tola
10 September 2020

“When I was a bachelor, I went to visit the houses of girls at night. When I reached my lover’s house, if she was already asleep, I played to call her. If I kept calling, she would wake up and come to meet me. And then we sat together. I could call her to meet me wherever I wanted as long as she heard the sound of my Angkuoch.” (Son Soeun)

Son Soeun and Bin Song (both born 1942) are lifelong friends. In the 1950s and ‘60s, they grew up together in Preah Ko village in Siem Reap Province, even entering the monkhood together for a time.

When the two boys were growing up, boys and young men often used the Angkuoch to flirt with girls and young women. Words can be “spoken” through the instrument, although it takes some practice to interpret them. In this way, young people developed a secret language – the language of Angkuoch. As youths, Song and Souen would often use the Angkuoch for this purpose.

“I take my only fish-hook, to tie it on. The crocodile bites me, and the stitching of my pants unravels! Oh those who are beautiful, come to sew up my pants!” (Lyrics of Prern folksong, as recalled by Bin Song)

“Not many people know about Angkuoch anymore. Most who do are old. When old people saw me playing at the temple, they said: ‘Chao (grandchild)! This is Angkuoch. This instrument has existed since the era of our ancestors.’ But younger people said, ‘Brother! What are you holding? Is it a wooden pin to fix nets?’ I told them: ‘No, it is an Angkuoch. People use it to make music.’ I played for them and they were happy.” (Chi Chen)

When we showed Mong Koeuy’s wife Lav Mech and her children Leakhena and Reatha the photo of the British Museum instrument, they became emotional. They too recognised features of their father’s instruments, which he had once sold widely to local and foreign tourists. With the help of Mong Koeuy’s son, Angkuoch-maker Koeuy Reatha, the research team is working with the British Museum to include in its catalogue this new information about the likely provenance of the instrument.

full.https://www.emkp.org/stories-of-cambodi ... d-players/