MARCH/APRIL 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM SPOTLIGHT

DENGUE FEVER Lauren Dukoff Chhom Nimol, Ethan Holtzman, Giving new life to a genre once thought lost to tragedy Senon Williams, David Ralicke, Zac Holtzman and Paul Smith

WHEN THE BRUTAL Cambodian songstress Chhom Nimol, who sax- and farfisa-driven sound with regime took control of in 1975, it performed regularly before the king and horns and keyboards. The album takes its set about destroying all elements of Western queen of her native country before moving title from its roiling opening track. “It’s about culture. American-infl uenced music was to the States in hopes of supporting her the idea of the female praying mantis turning banned, and singers like Sinn Sisamouth, family through music. Williams, guitarist around and eating the head of her lover after Pan Ron and Ros Sereysothea were put and vocalist Zac Holtzman, his keyboardist sex,” notes Williams. “But it’s also the idea to death along with more than a million of brother Ethan Holtzman, drummer Paul of two cultures feeding off each other and their countrymen. Cambodia’s distinctive Smith and horn player David Ralicke creating something new.” brand of garage-style rock practically discovered her singing in nightclubs in Perhaps the closing cut “Durian vanished. “So much of that music is lost Long Beach, Calif.—home of the world’s Dowry” best sums up Dengue Fever. “The forever,” says Dengue Fever bass player second biggest Cambodian community durian is a fruit that’s considered precious Senon Gaius Williams. “But their musical outside of capital city . In in Cambodia,” says Williams. “The conga legacy lives on to inspire new generations 2006, the group traveled to Cambodia and drum in it is straight out of Haitian voodoo of listeners.” Williams and his bandmates in became the fi rst to perform Khmer rock there ritual—good voodoo, not bad voodoo! Dengue Fever have spent the last decade since the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979. So we have this cool Cambodian singer, trying their best to make certain that legacy Vocal trio the Living Sisters backs a bluesy rock riff and a Haitian rhythm remains alive and well. Nimol’s voice harmonically on Cannibal supporting it—and it’s wonderful how well Central to Dengue Fever’s take on Courtship, and the self-produced disc it all mixes together.” so-called “Khmer rock” is captivating further expands Dengue Fever’s steamy –Jim Bessman

JOHNJOHN OATESOATES Writing a musical autobiography by rediscovering his roots

WHEN JOHN OATES FIRST STARTED GETTING TO KNOW Darryl Hall more than four decades ago, the two young Philadelphia natives had a love of R&B in common. But Oates had another passion, one that got obscured during the duo’s subsequent rise to pop stardom: roots music. Although you might not guess it from MARCH/APRILHall and Oates’ 2011 hits, he cut M his MUSIC teeth on classic & MUSICIANS folk and as aMAGAZINE teen—a sound he revisits on his latest solo album, Mississippi Mile, made up mostly of covers from Oates’ youth. “I’m getting back to where I started before I met Darryl,” he observes, relaxing in a chair at his record label’s offi ce on Nashville’s Music Row.

1616 MARCH/APRIL 2011 M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE Paussa Photography

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