CCH - Cambodian New Year 2008

Cambodia in Modern History: Beauty and Darkness

State Gov't Messages

Event Highlights

Theme

Guest/Keynote Speakers

Boxkator

Disability & Social Policy

Sponsoring/Participating Groups

Date:
Saturday, April 12, 2008

Time:
Part I: 9am-12pm
Cultural Ceremony Blessing by Buddhist Monks for Happiness, Peace and Prosperity

Part II: 3pm-8:30pm
Khmer traditional foods, and various forms of entertainment, including speakers, traditional Khmer dance and music performances, modeling and presentations of Khmer textiles and fashions, and displays of Khmer art and handicrafts

Place:
Central Union Church, The Parish Hall
1660 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96826 Google Map | Direction

Hidden Treasures-Southeast Asian Americans in Hawai'i:

Khmer New Year is observed by Cambodians at the end of the harvest season. Held in the month of April, the Khmer New Year celebration is perhaps the most important celebration for Cambodian people, and is a tradition Cambodians in Hawai’i have struggled to keep alive. The celebration is a two-part activity that includes a morning Buddhist ritual ceremony and evening cultural presentations, film showings, storytelling and traditional games, and dance and folk music performances. Specific plans for this event include:

1) invitation of three classically-trained dancers to perform the dances for the New Year;
2) special interactive session by Khmer dancers/musicians to teach university and community members the meanings of the dances;
3) a special performance by Cambodian-American rapper Prach Ly;
4) cultural/historical film showings;
5) special guest speakers.

It is our intention that our Khmer New Year celebration will provide learning opportunities for the general public to learn about our “hidden treasures” here in the islands, and how the issues they face are national and global-not just regional-issues. The specific projects described above will initiate dialogue about diversity, fairness, and equity by ensuring that all populations are represented equally throughout the Hawai’i community.

Best wishes to all of you and your families for a Happy New Year! We hope to see you on the 12th.

New Year Traditions/Games, click here.
To read "The Legend of Cambodian New Year," click here.

New Year Messages:

Click on the links below to read various letters of support for Cambodian New Year 2008. More to come...

Cambodian Dance:

Khmer music and dance can be divided into three broad categories:
1) classical or court ensembles, which were traditionally performed for royalty;
2) folk or village ensembles, performed for local celebrations or ceremonies; and
3) vernacular dances or social ensembles which are enjoyed at social events.

Below are some of the dances that will be performed during our Khmer New Year 2008. We are fortunate to have some of the most talented Khmer dancers joining us from California and Washington State to perform with us this year.

Classical Dance:

Blessing or Wishing Dance (Robam Choun Por):
A traditional dance, performed at the beginning of a ceremony to welcome and bless the audience. The blessing dance was originally performed only for the King and other members of the Royal Family, the leaders of the country and their official guests.

Dance of the Heavenly Gods and Goddesses for Happiness (Robam Tep Monorom):
This dance depicts Gods and Goddesses, dressed in their finest regalia, having a wonderful time dancing in heaven. Robam Tep Monorom is a dance typical of classical court dance. It features the dance (courting) gestures between the gods and goddesses in heaven. These types of gestures are also found throughout other classical court dances, in which a hero meets and courts hislover. The costumes also reflect thosethat the Khmer kings and queens would have worn. Robam Tep Monorom is a wonderful spectacle to watch as well as the most often performed dance.

Folk dance:

Flower of the World (Robam Bopha Lokei):
The words in the song accompanying this dance are translated as follows: Usually everybody wants flowers - For decoration or to decorate the body - The sweet scent of the flowers bring prosperity - The beauty of the flowers is like the beauty of the girls - Everybody admires the flowers - Even the bees surrounding the flowers want pollen - Flowers fully bloomed make you want to pick them and turn them into flower garlands.

Coconut Shell Dance (Robam Kuos Tralork):
The coconut dance is traditionally performed after working hard in the fields and on occasions such as Khmer New Year weddings. This dance, originally from Svay Rieng province, stages a ritual harvest celebration, when all the rice paddies are cut. It is highly rhythmical and punctuated with shouts and the rapping of coconuts.

Lady in Line (Robam Neary Chea Chuor):
A traditional Khmer dance of young Cambodian women wearing colorful and elegant costumes. The dance reminds the Khmer people of the rich culture that has been nourished through generations, and it is well known among the neighboring countries of South-East Asia.

Vernacular dance:

New Year in April (Kai Chet Jol Chhnam):
Cambodians believe that choosing the right color of clothes for special occasions will bring them good luck and happiness. Traditionally, each day was associated with a specific color (see below).

Cambodian Textiles - Seven Colors for Seven Days:
Seven beautiful Cambodian ladies dressed in vibrant color pamoung for seven days of the week:
Sunday - Red
Monday - Yellow-Orange
Tuesday - Purple
Wednesday - Mustard-Green
Thursday - Green
Friday - Blue
Saturday - Burgundy

The Boss of Diamond (Tao Kai Tboung Nas Koun):

Performers:

Prach Ly (Long Beach, CA | Jacksonville, FL):

Cambodian-American rapper praCh was born in the farmlands of Cambodia but raised on the mean streets of America. He received international attention with his first album 'DALAMA..."the end'n is just the beginnin", which sold more than 100,000 copies. Through masterful lyrics of powerful rap music, his music educates young and old about the Cambodian genocide and the life in the Cambodian community. Newsweek proclaimed him the "pioneer of Khmer Rap" and "the first Cambodian rap star." In 2004, praCh he went on a 23-state tour across the United States. In January 2005 he returned for the first time to his homeland of Cambodia and his extrodinary journey was documented by NHK, to be aired this summer. praCh currently resides in Long Beach, California / Jacksonville, Florida. For more information, click here.

Soknara Buth (Seattle, WA):
Soknara Buth was born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, one year after the end of the Khmer Rouge regime. In the early 1980s, when she was just a toddler, Soknara fled Cambodia with her family, and together they settled in Thailand for five years. It was in Thailand that Soknara was introduced to the world of Cambodian traditional and folk dance. There, her father placed both Soknara and her older sister, Sinoun, into a school of performing arts not far from where they were living.

On January 27th, 1989, Soknara and her family left Thailand and arrived in Seattle, Washington. "America indeed was a strange place," remarked Soknara. "It took a period of time for us to adjust to the American way of living. Everything was so different--the way we dressed, the food we ate, the environment and the language." While in Washington, Soknara initially did not have time for dance—she and her family focused on surviving and readjusting. Later, however, Soknara moved from Seattle to live temporarily with Sinoun in San Jose. Sinoun revived Soknara's interest in and love for the art of dance. During our New Year event, Soknara will recreate the elegant movements of Khmer dance.

Sinoun Buth (San Jose, CA):
Sinoun Buth is a classically-trained Khmer dancer living in San Jose. Born in Cambodia in 1974, just before the start of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, which she and her family were forced to endure from 1975 to 1979. She began to study dance as a young girl living in Khao ah Dang, a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodia border. Sinoun came with her family to the United States in the 1989, first to Olympia, Washington, where she attended high school, and struggled to adapt to her new life in an unfamiliar environment, far from home. One of the things that kept her grounded was dance. In 1996, Sinoun was one of several dancers invited to the East-West Center for a special seminar and presentation of Cambodian dance in Hawaii. In 1998, she moved to San Jose, where she continued the tradition of teaching dance to Khmer youth, becoming an instructor for Apsara Royal of San Jose. She presently resides in San Jose with her lovely eight and a half year old daughter, Angel, who will also be performing during our New Year celebration.

Angel Sar (San Jose, CA):
Angel Sar, daughter of Sinoun Buth, is a 3rd grader at Stonegate Elementary School in San Jose, California. She has been dancing since she was 3 ½ years old, and participates in Apsara Royal of San Jose. In addition to Khmer dance, Angel loves reading books and playing computer games.

Dances will also be performed by members of CCH, CSAloha, and CC-BYUH.

Guest & Keynote Speakers:

TBA

Demonstration of martial arts of Boxkator (The Great Angkorian Martial Art),
Khmer kick boxing (Pradal Serey): Depicting the Great Story of King Jayavarman VII -
All the Fighting Scenes are extracted from Boxkator

During the Angkorean period, Boxkator was practiced by Khmer kings and generals. Boxkator actually has two meanings. Originally called labok katou, the first element, labok, means “to wield a wooden stick” and the second, katou, means “lion.” The term, which eventually became, boxkator, has the same meaning. Boxkator has been featured on the History Channel's "Human Weapon".

Presentation: Disability and Social Policy in the Kingdom of Cambodia:

Background
Center on Disability Studies (CDS)
• Part of the College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Very few universities have entire centers dedicated to disability studies

Began to look at my own attitudes and beliefs
Undertook an independent research project in Cambodia

Year of the Rat:

According to Buddhist legend, Buddha asked all of the animals to come to meet him before he departed from Earth. Only twelve animals came, and in return for their loyalty he named a year after each of them: the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Sheep, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Boar, and it is said that the actions and events of the year associated with each animal will illustrate some of that animal’s characteristics. This year is the Year of the Rat, and so we can expect this year to include some of the traits common to Rats.

The general character of the Rat is one of ambition and courage. The Rat is hard-working, and known for its inventiveness and entrepreneurial nature. The Rat is clever, bright, and sociable, active, interested in everything, and highly adaptable, even during times of great change. Rats have keen senses of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities. Moreover, 2008 is the year of the Earth Rat. The Earth Rat is a conventional character who likes to establish roots early in order to make a secure future for himself and his family.

Accordingly, this will be a year of hard work, activity, and establishing roots. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product, or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well-prepared and resourceful. Be steady and practical, and aim for getting results progressively over time. By slowly and steadily acquiring wealth (both material and spiritual), this year can bring you a sense of inner peace. You should also take time this year to explore new places, try new foods, find new sights and experience the culture of the areas you visit.

On the whole, this will be a happier year than most: free from explosive events and wars and with far less catastrophes than, say, the years of the Tiger or the Dragon. It is likely to be a year that ushers in new political leadership with younger leaders coming to the forefront.

Make a Donation:

Admission to our New Year Event is free, but donations are welcome and appreciated. Donations are used to help offset the expenses for this event and future events. You can donate by check, payable to:

Cambodian Community of Hawaii (CCH)
P.O. Box 23023
Honolulu, HI 96823

Thank you for your support and generosity!

Sponsorship:

If you would like to place an ad in our program booklet as a sponsor, to help offset the expenses for the event, please contact us. We can print your business card, or help you to design an ad. Please email us for more information.