Archive

Elements

Chapei Dang Veng marks_1
English List
  • 1/1
    이전 다음
    확대
  • Manage No, Sortation, Country, Writer ,Date, Copyright
    Manage No EE00000055
    Country Cambodia
    ICH Domain Oral traditions and representations Performing Arts Social practices, rituals, festive events
    Address
    The Ministry, through the Provincial Departments of Culture and Fine Arts, conducted a survey during 2014 to form the basis of a mapping of Chapei. There was a significantly higher concentration of players in Phnom Penh, Banteay Meanchey, Prey Veng, Kampot, Takeo and Kandal. Further results, however, identify Chapei artists and teachers scattered in 19 of Cambodia’s 25 provinces. The Chapei art form therefore has significant reaches across local communities throughout Cambodia, though small in number.
Description Chapei Dang Veng (hereafter Chapei) is a popular musical tradition found in Cambodian society. The singing of Chapei is accompanied by a long necked lute Chapei from which the tradition takes its name. Chapei is closely interwoven with the life, traditional customs and beliefs of the Cambodian people. The instrument itself is used in two eminent ancient ensembles,'Pleng Araek' (Spirit Music) and 'Pleng Kar Boran' (Traditional Wedding Music) both of which are endangered forms themselves. Chapei performers are generally male, although there are no restrictions regarding gender or social class. Chapei players are not only musically adept, but also witty, intelligent, and quick to adapt and improvise. They should be well-versed in language, literature, and poetry, and a good story teller. From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime systematically annihilated and destroyed any form of intellectual activity including traditional arts. As a result many traditions such as Chapei disappeared from the scene together with the people performing them. Only two grand masters of Chapei survived this gruesome period and together with some other masters and their students are trying to revive the art form today.
Social and cultural significance Chapei is used as a social medium, often in the form of satire, very much appreciated and identified with by the larger public. The repertoire of the lyrics sung in Khmer is quite diverse. The content can range from education to social commentary, to satire. Chapei repertoire includes traditional poems, folk tales, and Buddhist stories. The performances are often comic in nature with the lyrics aiming to amuse the audience. There is a variation of the tradition called "Chhlong Chhloey" (Call and Response), in which two performers play. Chapei is also used to accompany traditional ceremonies and festivals, e.g. Bunn Kathena (Buddhist Robe Offering Ceremony) and Pithi Bombous Neak (Buddhist Ordination Ritual). Subsequently, Chapei serves multiple functions within society: • Preservation of traditional social and cultural rituals,Transmission of social, cultural and religious knowledge and values,Exposure to old Khmer language through its lyrics • Creating space for social and political commentary • Entertainment and joy, therefore building community, peace and social cohesion. As with other traditional art forms, it also plays an important role in connecting generations, and a link to cultural heritage. However, the particular tone and rhythmic nature of the instrument and the singing, elicits a visceral response in people, giving it a particularly strong and poignant call to the past: "When I heard Kong Nay play the Chapei, I wanted to laugh, to cry - to hug everyone. It really compelled me to participate - like waves going through my body." (Chea Ravy, 22, Battambang).
Transmission method The Khmer Rouge regime had wiped out traditional artists and disrupted the continuity of practice and transmission. Today all over Cambodia, there are only two surviving grand masters of Chapei. Though they are honoured as Living Human Treasures, they are no longer active performers due to old age and poor health and currently there is a very small number of practitioners of Chapei in Cambodia. While it has been identified that the art form is nationally represented, there is a higher concentration of artists in Phnom Penh and urban areas. It is however difficult to quantify the frequency and extent of practice within the rural areas of Cambodia. Despite all of the challenges, the community is still practicing and using traditional methods to transfer the knowledge orally, particularly within families that have traditionally practiced Chapei throughout Cambodia. There are committed groups and organizations that also use these methods to preserve Chapei. For example, in Phnom Penh, there is a small but very committed group of young students and artists, who have organised to form an informal association, ‘The Community of Living Chapey’. Intergenerational transmission efforts are primarily supported by Arts organizations, whose classes provide an opportunity for young people to learn. For example, over the past 15 years Cambodian Living Arts has supported the transmission of Chapei through their own programs. The Champey Arts Academy, which was established 2 years ago, has also done similar activities. The only formal government arts school, "The National School of Fine Arts" integrated a Chapei training program into its curriculum in 2002. While there have been formal programs developed to try and support the transmission of Chapei, it is still very much transferred through a master-disciple methodology. As a result of these programs, a small number of talented new generation Chapei players have emerged, however stronger mechanisms for transmission need to be reinforced. The threats in Chapei transmission are significant, there is a lack of qualified students entering into the programs; largely due to the unawareness of the potential of the art form. Moreover, outside of Phnom Penh, there are no formal training programs for Chapei in Cambodia and the limited network of practitioners reduces the ability for Chapei to be transferred to new generations. The existing masters are not at the calibre of their grand masters and there are subsequently fewer advanced teachers to pass on the skills. Because of the impact of globalization, people, especially the young, tend to be more excited with new forms of entertainment which can result in a loss of traditional art forms such as Chapei. Chapei has the ability to easily adapt to modern society; however action needs to be taken in order to do this so that it gains its mass appeal. The form itself has had minimal historical research and documentation and relies almost exclusively on oral tradition which will result in a loss of knowledge if efforts are not taken immediately to preserve it. This also means that there are limited resources for teachers to use in being able to teach the art form. There are significant economic threats as well because of the high cost of instruments and the fact that it is hard to make a living by performing Chapei alone and young people prefer to engage in activities that bring more income.
Community Below are those communities and individuals that have immediate networks with the Ministry of Culture and have a vested interest in the safeguarding of this element. - Surviving Grand Masters, Prach Chhuon and Kong Nay (Living Human Treasure)n- Individual Artists including Masters Neth Pe and Suon San - Community of Living Chapeyn- Local communities in the following provinces: Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Kandal, Keb, Mondulkiri, Pailin, Phnom Penh, Preah Sihanouk, Preah Vihea, Prey Veng, Pursat, Siem Reap, Svay Rieng, Takeo, Udor Meanchey. The existing few grand masters play an incredibly important role in transferring their skills to the new generation. The "Community of Living Chapei" (one of the key contributors to this application) has formed a group of young artists that were trained by a student of Grand Master Kong Nay who is one of the National Living Human Treasures in Chapei, a system officially adopted by the Royal Government of Cambodia in 2010 to revive and promote intangible heritage in danger. The Buddhist monks and pagodas also play a special role in Chapei, as historically they have played a role in the preservation of traditional Chapei repertoire. The monks are the bearers of much of the cultural, religious and historical knowledge contained in the art form. One Chapei enthusiast who supported this application shared: “I and many other villagers went to Buddhist temple at night just to listen to Chapei. Chapei was very popular back then.” (Ben Bao, Cambodian Cultural Day, USA) The most beloved Grand Master of the form, Prach Chhuon, also a National Living Human Teasure, learned his craft in the Pagoda; he studied with a monk named Aet Sen, in the Pro Mor pagoda in Takeo province, who taught him ancient languages, songs and poems, along with literature and stories.
Type of UNESCO List List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Incribed year in UNESCO List 2016

Information source
Cambodia
List

Materials related to

Photos
Videos
Article