Chum Praser, The Accidental Drum Maker
01-Jun-2008

The rhythmic beat of the drums brings fire to the hearts of the men and emboldens them for the battle ahead. Dressed in resplendent uniforms, accompanied by cavalry and elephants, the musicians pound the instruments. The sound is immense and fear is struck into the hearts of the enemy.

This is the ancient sound of Khmer drumming brought back to life by Mr. Chum Praser, an expert Khmer instrument maker and musician. He has dedicated his life to researching the classic sounds of Cambodia and his recent work has involved an ancient Khmer battle song called, simply, ‘Drumming.’ He found the Khmer Drumming song through inspecting carvings on the walls of the Bayon temple at Angkor Wat, and in Battambong. From the inscriptions he has reproduced the instruments and tried to recreate the sounds of the Angkor period (800-1300.) “We are lucky. If the elders did not carve the temples, we [would have] lost everything forever,” he says. “I need to produce it quickly to show people about this kind of equipment.”

The instruments needed for the Drumming song are a Skor Chey (victory drum, normally inscribed with a powerful protection talisman,) a big, long buffalo horn that can  sound like a flute, a Salay (a trumpet), a Skor Thom (large drum) on a palanquin, a Kong (kind of xylophone) and a Skor Mouk Pe (two faced drum.) Based on his careful research, he can replicate all these instruments and he uses a Takeo song for the melody. “All of my instruments.....comply with our ancient rules,” he says adamantly, “and I know because of my research at the Royal palace, the National museum, by the old men in the provinces, and the Angkor Wat temple.”

Mr. Praser is firm that the ancient arts should be celebrated and kept alive. He believes that if he does not produce these instruments then the knowledge could be lost forever. He accepts that the young generation prefers modern music but if 50% of their time was devoted to Khmer traditional music and 50% to modern music, “our Khmer music [heritage] will still be alive,” he says.

Music is in Mr. Praser’s blood. His uncle was a musician at the Royal Palace. It inspired him and became his life’s passion. “I always imagined that when I grew up, I will become a Khmer musician like my uncle.” Mr Praser never focused on his lessons at school as his head was filled with the beauty of his uncle’s playing. “I only thought of Khmer music,” he remembers. Seeing that this was to be his true path, his parents allowed him to follow his desire. “I was very happy because I got successful with what I always wanted.” He started by playing with his teacher, Mr. Meng Houn. He continued right up to 1975, when the Khmer Rouge came to power and obliterated the musical culture and history of Cambodia. After the regime fell, he was lucky to again play with his teacher.

His career as an instrument maker was accidental. Smiling shyly, he admits; “I become a Khmer instrument maker without a plan.” After making drums for himself and exhibiting his skills so well in public, people wanted to buy his equipment. The more he sold, the more people sought them. So he gathered his friends together as a group and started making instruments seriously. Since 1979, he has made all kinds of traditional Khmer instruments and sold them around the world. His instruments sell especially well at international markets where there is a Khmer ex-pat community and his name is famous. He exports to France, Singapore, Italy, Australia, China and Japan and has had the most success in the USA.

45 years old, Mr Praser has 2 daughters and 2 sons and cannot deny that he really wants them to follow in his footsteps. He is not sure they will though as they are all studying at high school. Echoing his family’s belief in him as a youngster, he says; “It’s their life. I let them decide by themselves.”

May Titthara
Photos by Heng Chivoan

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