Most musical fusion efforts in Cambodia seem to be spun out of Cambodian Golden Era rock’n’roll, but one combo making its way around the venues of Phnom Penh, Lakhon Luong, has taken a direction more influenced by traditional sounds. They debuted in May 2024 at Cloud, and have since played at places like Back Street Bar and The Deck. Ahead of their show this Saturday at Craft, LengPleng had a chat with Alli Gecikarana (guitar and vocals), Pervez Gulzar (percussion) and William Rosas (chappei don veng) about this strange three-headed musical beast.
LP: Where did the idea come from?
AG: I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long, long time. I met Pervez when I was first in Phnom Penh, and there was a great connection, the chemistry was very good, but with just the two of us I felt it wasn’t quite complete. I was hearing melodies in my head – but there was something lacking. And then I met William – he was playing guitar and bass with me in TheQuilas, and then suddenly he took up the chappei. Ah, maybe this is the missing sound! So I talked to them: let’s make a fusion band.
PG: Alli was making some Sufi-influenced music, which I used to listen and play in Pakistan. Alli, I said, you’re doing Sufi riffs. So I can contribute Sufi rhythms. Add the chappei – and you’ve got a fusion.
LP: So Alli on guitar and vocals, William on chappei and Pervez on percussion?
PG: Yes. In this band I’m playing all hand percussion – cajon, darbuka, tablas – if I had bongos or congas I would definitely add them, but I can’t bring everything. I have enough to produce a very unique sound. Sometimes I will use one hand on tabla and the other hand on dabuka, or cajon, or the electronic pad that I use for cymbals. I click within seconds – what do I have to do now? I’m very well connected to the sound blend that Alli and William find, I know what they are doing, and what will be the next part, where to switch.
LP: The versatility of percussion must be a good path into these fusion spaces.
PG: Since I was 12 years old I was crazily producing sound everywhere. Everything is percussion – a table, kitchen utensils – that is where my understanding of percussion comes from. I love improvising. I never touched the cajon in Pakistan, it was introduced to me by Joshua Chiang, when we formed Boxchords. So I started doing tabla beats on cajon, and already having those techniques was very useful. At a gig a few months ago someone lifted up my cajon and shone a light inside, checking to see what was inside. How can this cajon produce such a big sound, he wondered. It’s the way I’m playing it, I explained, knowing where to hit – there are three different spots. There is no in-between with the cajon, many people play it badly; when it is played too strong the sound is painful for me.
LP: And where did the name come from?
AG: Lakhon Luong, it means the king’s theatre hall. In ancient Cambodia, visitors would bring their own dancing and music to present to the Khmer emperor. That’s how I saw it – to show the dance through music. The parts need to be there – the rhythm, the riff, the beats from the tabla. The chappei opens up so many new sounds.
WR: It has been fun to play with Alli and Pervez. They both bring their own unique sound and style to the group. I just try to squeeze in where I can fit. And that perfectly describes my experience in the Cambodian music scene: squeezing in where I can fit.
PG: I feel like we are bringing different cultures together. The scales that William plays really let the chappei shine, and that’s an inspiration for me – jamming with him on tabla and darbuka, we follow each other, and here comes the guitar. Every time it’s different. We have the structure, we know where we are all the time, but if we see the audience is getting into a particular riff, or they seem to want a passage of improvisation, we can do that, add extra layers.
LP: How are the pieces composed?
AG: We make original songs, with original melodies and beats, speaking through our instruments. I say something like: this song is about if you go fishing and then there’s a big storm. I start the riff and they follow. Everyone interprets the idea in their own way. It’s very instrumental music, relying on rhythm and melody. Here’s an idea, let’s play with it, make a song out of it. For example, one day I read a poem, innocence/deliverance by Scoddy. There’s a line in it I love: we can find our baseline of gratitude. I feel gratitude – I live in this world, I wake up alive, and I’m already grateful.
Catch Lakhon Luong’s simmering fusion stew on Saturday 6.30 pm at Craft.
Photos: supplied