AsiaLIFE

Here comes another breakout of Dengue Fever—of the musical, not mosquito variety. The California-based band arrives this month for their most extensive Cambodian tour since the 2005 filming of documentary Sleepwalking Through the Mekong. Craig Gerard presents Dengue Fever’s November lineup.

Cambodia’s social media sites were abuzz last month when the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh announced via Twitter and Facebook that Dengue Fever would embark on a three-country Southeast Asia tour in November. Thanks to a State Department grant and local promoter Dickon Verey, the Los Angeles-based Khmer rock revival group will perform in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Battambang, the birthplace of lead singer Chhom Nimol.

“This will be our third trip to Cambodia since the band formed and our second with the help of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh,” says guitarist Zac Holtzman. “Obviously, the band’s roots are in Khmer rock, so there is an immediate connection to our fans in Cambodia. But getting the opportunity to perform in Vietnam for the second time and to debut in Laos really makes us aware of just how far we’ve come and where we want to go with this band.”

To contribute towards the band’s visit, the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs provided a grant as part of the U.S. Arts Envoy Programme. “Sharing American art and culture is one of the best ways to build bridges between the United States and other countries,” said the bureau in a statement. “Dengue Fever’s dynamic performances reviving 1960’s Cambodian rock provide a strong cultural link between the U.S. and Southeast Asia.”

While backpacking in Cambodia in 1997, keyboardist Ethan Holtzman found himself in a truck heading towards Phnom Penh. Ethan's travel partner had contracted dengue fever, and was in the cab drifting in and out of consciousness. Every time Holtzman poked his head in the front to check on his friend, he heard the music the driver played through the cassette deck. Though concerned for his friend, he was ecstatic about a new music discovery—1960s Khmer rock drew on the influences of American soldiers in the region during the Vietnam conflict, but still retained a strong Cambodian identity. Influential singers such as Ros Sereysothea and Sinn Sisamouth sang Khmer lyrics over the type of surf rock melodies played on the Armed Forces Radio airwaves.

After finding some cassettes in a Cambodian market, Holtzman brought an idea back to Los Angeles to recreate the sound of the Cambodian cultural renaissance of the 1960s. To his surprise, his brother Zac had found similar Khmer music almost at the same time through a friend at a small independent music shop.

After forming the band with David Ralicke (brass and woodwinds), Paul Smith (drums) and Senon Williams (bass), the brothers’ search for a Cambodian singer led them straight to Cambodia Town in Long Beach, California. At first, popular Cambodian-American singer Chhom Nimol shrugged off the proposal to front the band. But the band was persistent, and four albums and a documentary film later, this group is a driving force behind a rebirth of 1960s Cambodian culture.

The three-week Electric Mekong Tour, starting mid-November, is split into three segments: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The tour starts with 11 days in Cambodia, with the first public show on Nov. 12 at The FCC, Phnom Penh. The group then heads to Siem Reap for a ticketed show at Hotel de la Paix on Nov. 15. After that, the band will play another free public show in Battambang on Nov. 16. This will be the first time the band has played in Battambang.

For the final leg in Cambodia, the band heads back to Phnom Penh for another show on Nov. 18, which serves as a benefit for Cambodian Living Arts. Tickets for the concert, which will take place on Koh Pich, will be US$10. For the first time ever, Dengue Fever will jam on stage with traditional Cambodian musicians, including famous chapei player Kong Nay. Promoter Dickon Verey says he is "very excited to see [Dengue Fever] back in Cambodia. Furthermore, Cambodian Living Arts are thrilled that the band have given so much time and energy to supporting them."

Dengue Fever will continue the Electric Mekong tour in Vientiane, Laos, where the band will play to a small audience of young women who are interested in music. This performance will be videotaped for distribution on a variety of media platforms, including social media sites and Lao TV. The final stop is Hanoi, Vietnam, where the band will give two master classes and play a public show at the American Club.

Details on ticket purchases for the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap shows will be released via the Facebook pages of the U.S. Embassy and Cambodian Living Arts. Additional shows may be added, so stay tuned for announcements.