Kong Nay ( km, គង់ ណៃ) aka Kong Nai (b. March 15, 1944 in

Kampot Province Kampot ( km, កំពត ) is a province in southwestern Cambodia. It borders the provinces of Koh Kong and Kampong Speu to the north, Takéo to the east, Kep and the country of Vietnam ( Kiên Giang) to the south, and Sihanoukville to the ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

) is a Cambodian musician from

in southwestern Cambodia who plays a traditional long-necked fretted plucked lute called ''

chapei dang veng The Chapei Dang Veng (Khmer language, Khmer: ចាប៉ីដងវែង) or chapey (ចាប៉ី) is a Cambodian two-stringed, long-necked guitar that is usually plucked. It has two double courses of nylon Strings (music), strings. The top ...

''. Commonly referred to as ''Master Kong Nay'', he is a master of the ''chrieng chapei'' genre ( km, ច្រៀងចាប៉ី) in which a solo vocalist performs semi-improvised topical material within traditional epics self-accompanied with the chapei. He is one of relatively few great masters to have survived the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. ...

era, and is known as the "

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

of Cambodia". He received the 2017 Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize.

Early life

Kong grew up in a poor family in Daung village, in

Kampong Trach Kampong Trach District ( km, ស្រុកកំពង់ត្រាច) is one of 8 districts in Kampot Province and it is located at the eastern part bordering Vietnam to the east, Banteay Meas District to the north, Kep Province to the west ...

district’s Svay Tong Khang Choeung commune,

Kampot province Kampot ( km, កំពត ) is a province in southwestern Cambodia. It borders the provinces of Koh Kong and Kampong Speu to the north, Takéo to the east, Kep and the country of Vietnam ( Kiên Giang) to the south, and Sihanoukville to the ...

. At the age of four, he contracted smallpox resulting in his blindness. Drawn to the sound of the chapei players in his village, he mimicked the sound of the instrument until his father was able to purchase a used instrument. Learning from his great uncle Kong Kith, Kong Nay became proficient quickly. By 18, he playing professionally and married to Tat Chhan.

Post war

After winning a national chapei competition in 1991, the Ministry of Culture gave him a monthly salary of $19 and some land in Phnom Penh's Dey Krahom area, near the White Building in

Tonle Bassac The Bassac River ( km, ទន្លេបាសាក់; Tonlé Bassac) is a distributary of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong River. The river starts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and flows southerly, crossing the border into Vietnam near Châu Đốc. The n ...

Declining health

In May 2022, Kong Nay was hospitalised for treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes and lung problems at Kampot provincial hospital. Kong's son, Samphors, is quoted as saying his father may not play the chapei again.

Awards & Recognition

* Gold Grand Cross of Cambodia Cultural Reputation (2007) * Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize (2017)

Discography

Un Barde Cambodgien (Chant Et Luth Chapey)
released b
Maison Des Cultures Du Monde
(2003)
Mekong Delta Blues
as ''Master Kong Nay'' wit
Ouch SavyLong Tale Recordings
(2007)

Other Appearances

Master Kong Nai
by Kong Nai &

DENGUE FEVER Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. These may include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pains, and a characterist ...

fro
Sleepwalking through the Mekong OST
released o
M80 Records
(2009)
3 Songs For Human Rights
by ''Master Kong Nay'' with The Cambodian Space Project, released by Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center (2012)
Time To Rise
by VannDa featuring ''Kong Nai'', released b
Baramey Production
(2021)

Notable Performances

* 2007: WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance), Wiltshire, UK * 2008: WOMAD New Zealand, New Plymouth, New Zealand; WOMADelaide, Adelaide, Australia * 2009: World Chamber Music #4 Kong Nay, Tokyo, Japan * 2013: Season of Cambodia (SOC) Festival, New York, USA * 2015: Geidai 21: Geidai Arts Special 2015－Disability & Arts, Tokyo, Japan

References

External links

* https://www.facebook.com/Kongnairealpage - Official facebook page * https://web.archive.org/web/20080306032151/http://www.cambodianlivingarts.co.uk/ Cambodian musicians Living people 1944 births {{cambodia-musician-stub