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By
: Prak Samnang, Picture by : Chan Thul.
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Mr. & Mrs. Chin Cheang
doing an Ayai performance.
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Ayai
is a popular art form that is held in high
esteem by Khmer people all through Cambodia,
particularly those living in rural areas.
It involves two people pitching their wits
against each other through singing. One singer
poses a question or a quiz and the other sings
an answer in response. Sometimes, like poems,
Ayai verses are required to rhyme. Although
there is no prize for the best lyrics, people
always enjoy themselves and audiences love
it.
The art form originated from popular routines,
like many other Khmer traditions. In the past,
Cambodian people would perform traditional
games - which often included singing and dancing
- in their villages, most often during the
Khmer New Year festival and other celebrations.
People often sang these songs, and found them
both uplifting and interesting. Later, people
would organize groups of musicians to gather
in different villages. The group with the
best singer would be well applauded. Good
singers need to be intelligent, have a strong
voice and creative ideas.
Legend has it that there was once a singer
who had a very good tone and was also creative
in composing songs for his musical group.
His name was Ayai. Now, people name this kind
of singing after the legendary singer.
Nowadays, people singing in Ayai performances
are given a topic to sing about. Two singers
stand at the front of the stage while musicians
sit playing instruments behind them. The vocalists
describe a story and tell jokes directly to
the audience. These singers need to sing humorously
and in rhyme. One singer begins the story
then the other starts a new sentence that
rhymes with the other singer's line. The |
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singers
need to be quick and intelligent in forming sentences
that rhyme. Young Ayai singers have to learn rhyming
words by heart at home before a performance.
Ayai combines the art of story telling with jokes,
legends, politics and history. Singers do not need
to look that attractive, as they need only to project
their sweet voice. But it is a bonus if a singer
is attractive as well as talented. Sometimes Ayai
is performed on the radio, so there is no need to
even see the singers' faces. People enjoy listening
to Ayai on the radio, and several Cambodian stations
broadcast programs late at night. When Ayai is boring,
it can make people fall into deep sleep. But it
can also keep people awake and very well entertained,
when performed well.
Six kinds of musical instruments accompany an Ayai
performance. There is the Tro Sor (a violin-like
instrument with light tones), the Tro Ou (another
violin-like instrument that has hard, heavy tones),
the Takhe (a guitar-like instrument), the Kloy (a
kind of flute), the Skor (a hand-drum), and the
Choeng (tiny pair of cymbal) Some musicians also
include one more instrument, called a Khim (a harp
with 16 strings which is struck with bamboo hammers).
About 15 songs make up an average Ayai performance.
No nation on earth can survive without its culture,
customs, tradition and religion. Ayai serves three
purposes in preserving Cambodia's heritage as the
nation with the longest and oldest history in South
East Asia. Firstly, Ayai preserves the Khmer traditions
that were refined during the Angkorian period. Secondly,
Ayai adds value to Khmer literature, because any
singer needs to be well-read if he is to be a professional
Ayai singer. The final purpose is to demonstrate
the artistic and creative skills of Ayai singers
to Cambodian people.
In previous times, singers learned the art of Ayai
from elderly people or artists living in their community;
there was no school where you could learn how to
sing Ayai. But times have changed: since the start
of this year, aspiring Ayai artists have been able
to sign up to Ayai courses at the faculty of traditional
Khmer music, at Phnom Penh's Royal University of
Fine Arts. Chin Cheang and his wife Ouk Sopha, both
very popular Ayai performers, are teaching the course.
The Dean of the faculty of traditional Khmer music,
Ven Phat said: "We want to keep this tradition
with us forever. People will forget about Ayai if
there is no school for students to learn this art."
But establishing a new course like this hasn't been
easy. "We have only had 15 students since establishing
the new Ayai School," the dean said. "We
do not have many students yet, but we hope there
will be more joining the course from the countryside,"
he added. It seems young people do not want a career
as an Ayai singer because they think that they will
earn a low wage.
But there are still some people who love the style
of Ayai and come to learn about it. "Eligible
applicants must have a good tone, and have finished
the 9th grade of high school," Ven Phat said.
To keep the tradition alive, Chin Cheang and Ouk
Sopha are enthusiastically sharing as much of their
experience as possible with the few students they
now have. They are hoping that more young people
will come forward to learn traditional Khmer arts,
maybe not only to make a living out of it, but perhaps
to just enjoy the art and help preserve a tradition
that might otherwise become extinct.
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Mr. Chin Cheang and his
wife Madam Ouk Sopha
conducting Ayai lessons at the University
of Culture and Fine Arts.
Students are taught the finer aspects of
physical expressions
although wits and general knowledge are
essentially important in
Ayai performances.
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental Hotel, 294 Mao
Tse Toung Boulevard,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133 Fax: (855) 23 213
033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com |
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