Live-streaming of Cambodian mouth harp, Angkuoch commonly “Jew’s Harp” will be performed on the Cambodian Living Arts Facebook from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm on Friday, 18 December, 2020. The event will be in Khmer with subtitles in English and in Khmer for the video screenings.
This initiative is a part of UNESCO’s support to the Angkuoch Project, which was jointly organized by the Cambodian Living Arts, Griffith University, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and the Angkuoch Project Team. The Endangered Material Knowledge Program of the British Museum and UNESCO supported the project financially as well. The project is aimed to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage in Cambodia, considering the fact that the Angkuoch is recognized as highly endangered as both an instrument and performance practice, with fewer than ten instrument-makers believed to remain across Cambodia.
Although the musical instrument popularly known as the “Jew’s Harp” is found in many countries around the world, the Cambodian version is unique. Called Angkuoch, pronounced “Aarng-koo-oy”, in Khmer, it is a precious part of Cambodia’s living cultural heritage.
Nowadays, Angkuoch and its associated practices require urgent safeguarding actions. Due to social and cultural shifts in Cambodia over the last half-century, including the devastation of the Khmer Rouge era in the 1970s, only a handful of people still know how to make and play Angkuoch. In Cambodia, Angkuoch is found in several provinces both among the majority Khmer people and some ethnic minorities. Angkuoch was a popular local pastime in village communities.
Traditional social functions for playing Angkuoch include as a rural pastime, young men, and to accompany simple folk songs. Players and makers of Angkuoch are typically men, though there appear to be no cultural restrictions on women playing or making the instruments.
There are at least three types of Cambodian Angkuoch: one of bamboo Angkuoch Russey, one of metal Angkuoch Daek, and one that is stringed Angkuoch Ksae. It is unclear whether there are any living instrument-makers who know how to produce Angkuoch Ksae. Angkuoch Russey is still found in village contexts and is produced as souvenirs for tourists.
Playing an important role in this project, Bin Song, one of the few Angkuoch makers, expressed his appreciation for this safeguarding initiative: “I am very happy that I get to share my knowledge about Angkuoch with other people. When I can demonstrate how to make Angkuoch, I am very excited. Extremely excited! I feel happy about this project because I think the research team will spread this information widely. To let other people know more about Angkuoch!”.
Supported by UNESCO and the British Museum, Griffith University and Cambodian Living Arts documented Angkuoch and Angkuoch-making as it is practised in Siem Reap Province in Cambodia, in order to help preserve this rich knowledge for the benefit and pleasure of present and future generations.