Story Archives of 'World Music'

In the 1960s, Cambodians created a new sound from the music they heard on Armed Forces Radio. They listened to the surf guitar, soul music, and psychedelic grooves broadcast to American soldiers stationed in Vietnam. Cambodian musicians adapted rock and roll to their own melodies.

Organ player Ethan Holtzman took a trip to Cambodia in 1997. He brought cassettes of '60s pop home to share with his brother Zac. They both caught the bug, started a band, and discovered Chom Nimol, then singing at a night club in the little Phnom Penh area of Long Beach. Dengue Fever was on.

The band is now helping to save the music from extinction. Tragically, artists, musicians and intellectuals were singled out for execution when the Khmer Rouge came to power in Cambodia.

The band's has just released their fifth album, "Venus on Earth," and they're playing tonight at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Guitarist and songwriter Zac Holtzman joined Word of Mouth to shed light on Dengue Fever's origins and their reworking of Cambodian pop.

You can watch the trailer for the documentary about the band's return to Cambodia, "Sleepwalking Through the Mekong," by clicking here.

This weekend, Granite Staters will get a chance to hear the U.S. premiere of a new classical work from South Africa. It's part of A Celebration of African Music taking place this Saturday and Sunday. We'll talk with Plymouth State University's Dan Perkins, the man who's bringing it here. And we'll hear from Theo Martey, the director of a Ghanaian drumming group that's relocated to New England. Join us for an exploration of African sounds and culture in New Hampshire.

The Philharmonic Chamber Players are putting on a program of Latin American and Hispanic music at the Currier Museum this Sunday. We'll talk with violinist Paul Hoffman and guest artist and pianist Arlene Kies about the place of Latin American music in New Hampshire today. And, we talk with Charlie Evans, a new breed of therapist. He does post-surgical rehab for dogs at the Dover Veterinary Hospital.

Songs of the Seasons is a new CD from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. It's a collection of music from different cultures in New Hampshire- all performed by New Hampshire musicians. It includes work songs, lullabies, dance music, and seasonal songs from French, Irish, Hispanic, Polish, and many more cultures. Traditional Arts Coordinator Lynn Martin Graton talks about musical traditions in the Granite State and we sample the CD.

David Seidel and LuAnne Hightower are members of the Beloved World Music Ensemble. The talk about how they've embraced the Sufi tradition as a way of life and a musical inspiration. Their music is a rich blend of Near Eastern and Western elements. We'll sample their first CD and learn more about the way of the Sufi.