Remembering Cambodian Historian Paul Cravath

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 11:20 pm

February 8, 2021
Honouring Paul Cravath: Cambodia’s ideal archivist
Taing Rinith / Khmer Times

A photo of Paul Cravath from 1975. Colin Grafton

For Cambodians, Paul Cravath’s life may not be as familiar as the “Cambodia scholar” Goerge Groslier or historian David Chandler, but like the two prominent scholars, he has dedicated his life to studying Cambodia, especially its sacred Royal Ballet dances. Although Cravath passed away just three days before Christmas last year, he is well remembered by those who knew him and for his efforts to preserve Cambodian culture, even though it meant risking his life.

Paul Cravath’s book “Earth in Flower: The Divine Mystery of the Cambodian Dance Drama”. Supplied

It was Thursday, April 5, 1975. In civil-war-torn Cambodia, the day is recognised as one of the Khmer Republic government’s final days, as Khmer Rouge forces were on their way to take over the capital, Phnom Penh.

On that day, at the Phnom Penh International Airport, where General Lon Nol had boarded a flight to the United States for safety, a small group of foreigners were also trying to leave the country. Among them was 31-year-old Paul Cravath, a University of Hawaii researcher. By then, most foreigners had already left Cambodia. In February that year, the US Embassy had told Paul to flee the country, to which he declined, claiming he had a mission to fulfill in the Kingdom.

The bus he was riding with other foreigners at the airport was attacked and Cravath barely escaped in one piece.

“Because the airport was under attack from the Khmer Rouge when we arrived, we had to hide in a bunker on the tarmac,” he recalled in an interview. “When the rockets finally stopped, we rushed to board a waiting C-130, sinking into the hanging mesh webbing that served as seats as it climbed quickly to avoid ground fire and the wreckage of other planes.”

Cravath escaped with more than his life that day. While each passenger was permitted to take only one bag aboard the flight, in Paul’s suitcase, instead of his personal belongings, were his collection of research documents on the Royal Ballet of Cambodia at the request of the Ministry of Culture.

With the ministry’s endorsement, Cravath arrived in Phnom Penh in January, 1975, to study traditional Khmer dance.

“The official US policy when I arrived in Phnom Penh in January, 1975, was that everything was fine even though the city was under siege,” said Cravath in a interview with Sara Friedl-Putnam in 2009. “It was not a good situation in which to study dance, but I was intrigued by the mystery of these women, what they did and why their reputation was so praiseworthy.”

The ministry gave Cravath extraordinary full access to the “formerly royal” palace theatres and archives, as well as to the dancers and teachers who perpetuated the ancient court tradition. Over the following three months, until he was forced to leave Cambodia, Cravath worked diligently, despite up to 100 rockets falling on the city every day, disrupting transportation, rehearsals and interviews.
Full article: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50811546/h ... archivist/

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:19 am

What's that man doing in the photo?

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:45 am

John Bingham wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:19 am What's that man doing in the photo?

Is he playing a 'Ken', the traditional Khmer wind instrument?

simon43 · Post by **simon43** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:11 pm

Brody wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:45 am
John Bingham wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 11:19 am What's that man doing in the photo?
Is he playing a 'Ken', the traditional Khmer wind instrument?

,,, or traditional Lao wind instrument? I play the Khaen since about 2012, when I took a 'quality' model with me to while away the time in Yangon, where I went to teach. I still play it, albeit in my own style

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:14 pm

simon43 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:11 pm ,,, or traditional Lao wind instrument? I play the Khaen since about 2012, when I took a 'quality' model with me to while away the time in Yangon, where I went to teach. I still play it, albeit in my own style

Could be...

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/107201/the ... ten-sound/

Mr Mon Hai smiles as he shows the musical instrument he loves the most. He blows air into the small, hollowed-out hardwood and a beautiful sound echoes through the instrument’s bamboo-made body. There’s an evident pride in his eyes as he continues to blow air into it, probably because he knows that the instrument deserves this spotlight.

He stops, and looks at his spectators – the curious crowd eager to learn more about his music.

“This is a Ken. It’s a Khmer musical instrument that’s made of bamboo,” he says before the audience.

Ken, also spelled as Khene or Khen, is a traditional Cambodian music that has existed for decades and decades. But many Khmers have little knowledge of it. Some do not even know its name, or how it looks. Many do not know it even exists.

According to Mr Hai, the musical instrument used to be a popular instrument before the Khmer Rouge. But the people who used to play it were killed during Pol Pot regime, and the instrument’s popularity was sent into an abyss.

But Mr Hai, a survivor of that brutal era, remembered the Ken in its glory days and wanted to bring it back to present Cambodian music scene.

“I have heard the sound of Ken when I was young. But I wasn’t very interested at first because I was busy singing at funerals with my parents,” he says.

Mr Hai, now 60, tried to re-learn the sound of Ken through an old woman. But the woman died a few months after they started their lessons. Mr Hai was left with no other choice but to learn playing the instrument by himself.

“It was so hard to learn without a teacher. There’s a unique way of playing the instrument. It’s hard to make a beautiful sound if you don’t know how to use it.”

Mr Hai’s interest in the instrument grew stronger. He did his own research on Ken’s history and debated the instrument’s origin.

He said the instrument did not originate from Laos, contrary to published write-ups.

“I think the sculpture on Angkor’s wall would be enough to prove that it belongs to Khmer, yet Khmers don’t really know about this so we can’t defend what truly belongs to us. I have been to Surin and saw that they are preserving the instrument. But I can’t afford to learn the instrument there,” says Mr Hai.

Mr Hai also discovered that Ken is used to be part of the Lakhorn Ken, a dance drama that uses the instrument as its main sound.

He added that the Ken produces a variety of sounds. Because it is made of 16 to 19 pieces of bamboo tubes that differ in lengths, Ken is capable of at least 15 distinct notes.

In 2013, Mr Hai found an opportunity to bring his instrument closer to young Cambodians through the Khmer Music Magic Bus. He constantly joins the bus as it travels from village to village and present traditional Khmer arts to communities.

“I feel happy when I see people enjoy the music of Ken. I know many people won’t consider playing this instrument because they prefer the modern music. But that won’t stop me. It is part of my culture so I will continue showing it to the people,” says Mr Hai, his eyes sparkling with pride and joy.

Mr Hai acknowledges that he is getting old and it may be hard for him to travel with the instrument. He now teaches his 15-year-old granddaughter to play Ken and hopes she will continue his legacy in preserving traditional music.

Ngek Sreyvong, who looks up to her grandfather’s dedication to uphold Cambodia’s music history, is also encouraging her friends to try Ken.

“I am not wishing to earn money from playing Ken in public. I am just proud to show and share it to the people and hope they will love Ken as much as my grandfather does.”