Int’l music workshop in SR set to showcase rich cultural heritage

For a week in January, young musicians from around the world will convene in Siem Reap to share their musical and cultural heritage as part of a global music workshop.

Facilitated by Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), the first-ever Ethno Cambodia music workshop will be held between January 7-14 in Siem Reap town.

Ethno is a global traditional and folk music workshop first created by Belgian youth music NGO Jeunesses Musicales International in 1990. It’s aimed at young musicians and strives to revive and keep alive global cultural heritage among young people.

Ethno engages young people through series of annual international summer music camps and workshops. Since its foundation, camps have spread to over 20 countries, and have been held in countries as disparate as Uganda, Australia, Sweden and Algeria.

Now, for the first time, it will come to Cambodia.

Ethno Cambodia will see some 30 young musicians sharing their musical and cultural heritage, and will focus especially on bringing together musicians from the Mekong region, where many young artists lack opportunities for cultural exchange and mobility.

Exchanging skills, music, and experiences is crucial for young artists, but due to funding constraints and language barriers, among other factors, artists in Cambodia and the Mekong region often lack opportunities to do so.
Despite this, there are many young musicians passionate about preserving, continuing and transmitting their sometimes endangered traditional cultural musical forms.

CLA Communications & Outreach Coordinator Keat Sokim said: “For many young musicians, Ethno workshops are stepping stones, elevating their musical and personal aspirations, building long-lasting friendships, and setting in motion future cross-cultural artistic projects and collaborations.

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