The Music of Cambodia
This disc introduces Western ears to folk traditions that are almost unknown,  even within Cambodia. The first music listeners hear is a pinpeat orchestra, a  combination of reeds, fiddles and percussion--from bamboo marimbas, drums, metal  clappers and bass drums. The music sounds like a gamelan, but with more drive, and a  jazzy, improvisational feel. Next is a Taam Ming group--taam is the sound of a drum,  ming the sound of a gong--playing music for funerals. These tunes are slow and  mournful, with extended somber improvisations on thesrlay(Cambodian oboe).  Last is a trot orchestra, a group that plays a drum-and-vocal based folk music common to  Northern Cambodia, that sounds at times similar to reggae funde drumming rituals.--j. poet