Chaapei Dang Veng is a Cambodian musical tradition that is closely linked to the lives, customs, and beliefs of the Cambodian people. It is played with the chapei (a type of lute) while the songs are sung. Some of the lyrics are educational or social commentaries, while others incorporate traditional poems, folk tales, or stories from Buddhist scriptures. Lyrics involve traditional poems, folktales, and even Buddhist stories as well as social commentary and satire.
The tradition is considered to have multiple functions in Cambodian communities. For example, it safeguards traditional ceremonies, transmits social, cultural, and religious knowledge and values to future generations, provides exposure to the old Khmer language, creates a space for political commentary, and entertains. It also connects generations and builds social cohesion. Apart from talent, chapei players also need to have wit, the ability to improvise, and a good storyteller. Even though performers are generally male, there are no gender restrictions on who can play the chapei. It is transmitted orally within families through informal master-apprentice relationships.
The book, “A Brief Introduction to Khmer Music”, by Buddhist scholar Mrs. Peac Sal, published in 1969, portrays the making of the Chapei Dang Veng. The Chapei Dang Veng was made utilizing carefully chosen wood so that it would make a pleasant sound when played. This sound will draw in listeners and furthermore extraordinary creatures (spirits).
During the Khmer Rouge era, which ruled Cambodia during the 1970s, the art form lost a great deal of popularity. It is very rare that people practice it nowadays, so the government is concerned about it disappearing. The Khmer Rouge regime severely impacted the bearer population and disrupted the transmission of the practice, creating long-term implications for communities.
Pouthav Dai is a well-known old Chapei vocalist in Cambodia. His legacy is hard to find since he passed away earlier, some believe he was killed by the Khmer Rouge. Pouthav Chhuon is still living his legacy, but his vocal style differs so much from that of Prach Chhuon. Many of his stories feature characters who seem exaggerated to the point that they make people laugh. The 'half a day’ is the theme of his exaggerated stories. In Samnab Yong Dey, Srey Yong Pros (rice plant needs dirt, man needs a woman), he describes a man who is so lazy that his wife feeds him while he sleeps and he even popped as he sleeps.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/chapei-dang-veng-01165) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapei_dang_veng) (https://news.un.org/en/audio/2016/12/620192) (https://intocambodia.org/content/chapei-dang-veng) (https://www.cambodiancommunityday.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=265&Itemid=732)