Krung Brataneul In Cambodia

The KRUNG are a BRAO sub-group, half of the Brao people live in Cambodia and the other half in Laos. The term KRUNG refers to a certain kind of forest, in early 70s plenty of Brao people migrated from Cambodia to Laos to escape the Khmer rouge madness, the ones who remain in Cambodia called themselves KRUNG, they speak the same language. Here is ceremony (BRATANEUL) taking place at the end of rice harvest, early December, when bamboo tubes are being played to go along drinking new rice wine. The 8 bamboo tubes of various sizes are cut and the flexible part of each bamboo tube is hit on the ground and imitate an ensemble of gongs. 1 BRATANEUL PRAYER for the new rice by YA PAO leader of DONG KRAPEU village december 2003 2 DING BOO bamboo tubes hit and clapped at both extremities by 2 women holding one bamboo section, first you can hear 4 women (2 bamboo tubes) then 2 women using one bamboo tube december 2003 3 MANG BOONG 8 bamboo tubes hit on the ground by 4 men december 2003 4, 5 GAWNG BAW bamboo tubes hit on the ground december 2003 6 GAWNG BOO bamboo section clap playing by 2 women, DOOR (flute) by one man and YEL singing by one oldman : The past has been really hard The present is so much better Now we can do what we want Even invite a BARANG (foreigner) and enjoy with him Finally we are allowed to be happy Let him record our music Life is still tough, hard to find money and survive from the rice we harvest The white guy is good and handsome Now we can drink together, sing and talk Compared to the past when we could not enjoy ourselves We did not like the war Cambodia turned poor We can now eat chicken, pigs and drink alcohol We did not like carrying guns and being bombed by planes december 2003 7, 8, 9 SONGS about the KHMER ROUGE time december 2003 10 a large hollowed piece of wood being hit by 2 women with long poles december 2003 RECORDED BY LAURENT JEANNEAU