SUNDAY 30 |Darkness and light. Male and female. Fire and water. Dark and light. Life and death. Many natural forces that might at first seem contrary are in fact complementary, a concept embodied in the yin yang of Chinese philosophy. Together, such forces interact to create a sum far greater than their parts. Such is the case with Krom (Khmer for ‘the group’), quite possibly the most reclusive band in Cambodia. Public performances are rare; interviews even more so. In Krom, whose Neon Dark was declared album of the year by the BBC’s Mark Coles last year, East meets West. Mournful delta blues guitar mingles with celestial Cambodian vocals. Tales of human atrocities are tinged with the slightest suggestion of hope. And angelic opera singers Sophea and Sopheak Chamroeun are backed by gravel-voiced guitarist Christopher Minko.
WHO: Krom
WHAT: A rare public performance
WHERE: CTN, Russey Keo (4km outside Phnom Penh on National Road 5)
WHEN: 5:30pm March 30
WHY: They’re elusive, reclusive and exclusive