AsiaLIFE

They may look diminutive and plain, but the members of local a cappella group The Messenger Band sound anything but. Nora Lindstrom meets up with some of the protest song group’s members.

Six women are singing a cappello to a group of villagers in rural Cambodia. The song called, ‘Land and Life’, is a lament to the people of Boeung Kok Lake. Following a traditional tune, they describe their sadness at seeing their ancient, beautiful land being expropriated to developers. They urge the audience to speak out about injustice. Featuring chai pei artist Kung Nei, the music video contains footage of the eviction. On YouTube, it has received several thousands of hits.

The women are part of the The Messenger Band, a group of local garment factory workers. Assembled in 2005, the group sings about social issues as diverse as women’s rights, land issues, rice cultivation, HIV/AIDS, and sex work.

Many Stories, One Voice

“People often discriminate against female garment factory workers, and I want to show that I can do things,” says Nam Sophors, 26. She joined the group as a means of telling people her own story. The band is about just that – speaking to ordinary people all over the country, and writing compelling songs based on their stories. Although they have performed at a WTO meeting in Hong Kong, as well as at The Vagina Monologues last April, the band is more focused on bringing its message to rural Cambodia by touring the country on a regular basis.

“This is a way for me to speak out, to tell people about what I and others in the factories have suffered,” says Vun Em, 25. “Not many people talk about the reality of life in Cambodia. This is a way for us to stand up and tell people about ours and other people’s lives.”

Kao Chivika, Kun Sothary, Leang Leakhana and Van Houn are the four other current members of the band, formed when Womyn’s Agenda for Change advertised for singers through its seven centres. Five were initially chosen from the many women who flocked to the auditions. “I love singing,” says Em, one of the original members of the band. “When I was young I used to be a traditional singer, and so when I heard about the band, I was very happy and went to the auditions.”

For Chivika, 31, learning about issues affecting her and others in her position was important. “I wanted to learn about labour law, social issues, and the situation of workers and women in other countries,” she says.

Turning Heads Not Making a Fortune

Unlike many other bands and artists, fame and fortune is not what drives the Messenger Band. Sothary, 29, considers it a relief that  there is no pressure to dress up or court the audience in the way many other local artists do. For the Messenger Band, it’s all about speaking up for the poor and vulnerable. Their songs are based on true stories from real people’s lives. Sothary describes how they research each topic and speak to people in small groups, before relaying their compatriots concerns through song.

“We want to get people’s voices to the policymakers,” she explains. Their audience mainly consists of garment factory workers or poor villagers. “The meanings of our songs touch people’s hearts because they recognise our stories as their own,” says Em. She describes how members of the audience often cry during performances. Afterwards they feel encouraged to speak out about issues affecting them. “We help to break the silence on many long-term, ongoing problems in Cambodia,” explains Hin Kunthea, the group’s technical advisor.

No Choice

Singing about land rights is a particularly gutsy move. Not everyone is a fan of the group’s bold and out-spoken approach. The women claim they have received threats from various corners, including warnings that one day they will ‘disappear’. “You ask if we feel afraid? Of course we do, but we have to do it, because it is our story, our problems,” Em says. “If we don’t do it, then how can anything change? Nobody cares for us,”

No longer supported by the now disbanded Womyn’s Agenda for Change, the band is learning how to go it alone. However, they received a grant from an international NGO to train women in Svay Rieng Province to start a group similar to theirs. The upcoming album ‘No Choice’ is another way of spotlighting ongoing problems in Cambodia. The album features 12 new songs about land evictions, domestic violence, and HIV/AIDS among other contemporary issues.

Regardless of how many people they reach, it is evident that just being in the band has changed the members’ lives. From garment factory workers with limited formal education, the women are now determined members of a truly groundbreaking song group. “Now I am full of confidence and don’t allow people to look down on me because I’m a garment factory worker,” says Sothary. “I’m not happy just standing by anymore, I want to work towards getting the voices of the poor and vulnerable heard.”

For a copy of No Choice, contact Hin Kunthea at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The Messenger Band has no upcoming concerts in the capital, but is happy to consider requests.