CLA graduate travels to US and Australia to perform traditional Smot
Since early April, Srey Pov, one of Cambodian Living Arts’ most talented Smot (ancient chanting) students is performing in Australia for one month. She is chanting Smot in a Cambodian temple in Sydney, and will regularly sing for the Khmer community, especially during the Khmer New Year.
Srey Pov will then fly to the US to join the Houston Grand Opera for their new work called New Arrivals, which is part of their four-year series of operas called East & West. Houston Grand Opera visited Cambodia on several occasions and met with CLA’s Master musicians, which inspired them to incorporate traditional Smot into the piece. New Arrivals opera will run during June 2012, and Srey Pov will perform Smot chants. The art of Smot will have a central influence on the sound of the piece, which is a mix between traditional and contemporary music. Srey Pov will perform some solo pieces, as well as duets and ensembles with the opera singers. The story is about refugees from all over the world that have to create a new life in Houston, and about their desire to help refugees like themselves.
