Yol Aularong
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Yol Aularong ( ; also romanized as Yos Olarang) was a Cambodian
garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
musician, and a leading figure in the country's rock scene of the 1960s and 70s. He incorporated elements of
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
, and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
into his music, and was known for his rebellious persona, humor, and social commentary. He is presumed to have been killed during the
Cambodian genocide The Cambodian genocide was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodian citizens by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Pol Pot. It resulted in the deaths of 1.5 to 2 million people from 1975 to 1979, nearly 25% of Cambodia's populati ...
that took place under the
Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
between 1975 and 1979. Aularong received renewed attention with posthumous collections like '' Cambodian Rocks'', the documentary ''
Don't Think I've Forgotten ''Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll'' is a 2014 documentary film directed by John Pirozzi about Cambodian rock music in the 1960s and 1970s, and the impact of the Khmer Rouge regime and Cambodian genocide on the local mus ...
'', and the
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
production ''Cambodian Rock Band''.


Biography

Yol Aularong was from a family of notable Cambodian musicians: singers Sieng Vanthy and Sieng Dy (aka Sieng Di) were his aunts, and classical violinist/composer Has Salan was his uncle. His father was a member of Cambodia's diplomatic corps and he spent some of his childhood in France. Embarking on a music career, he stood out from the typical Cambodian pop music of the time by focusing on self-expression and social commentary. His public persona was that of a "bad boy" who flirted, sang sarcastic songs about everyday life, and claimed not to care about money or fame. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' called him "a certifiable maniac" and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' described him as "a charismatic
proto-punk Proto-punk (or protopunk) is rock music from the 1960s to mid-1970s that foreshadowed the punk rock genre and movement. A retrospective label, the musicians involved were generally not originally associated with each other and came from a variet ...
who mocked conformist society." The 2014 documentary film ''
Don't Think I've Forgotten ''Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll'' is a 2014 documentary film directed by John Pirozzi about Cambodian rock music in the 1960s and 1970s, and the impact of the Khmer Rouge regime and Cambodian genocide on the local mus ...
'', which profiles Aularong, recounts an exchange between Aularong and Norodom Sirivudh in which he said "You're a prince, I'm not, but we will all die so who cares, let's have a drink." As with many of his contemporaries, much of the information about Aularong's life, as well as his creative output, were lost during the
Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...
regime. He was last seen shortly after the Khmer Rouge seized control in April 1975 and ordered all residents of
Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...
to evacuate the city. He left with his mother, but his fate is unclear. In an interview for ''Don't Think I've Forgotten'', his aunt speculated he was likely killed. A member of the
Cambodian royal family Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** For ...
who knew Aularong explained that as a non-conformist musician with western influences, Aularong was likely targeted for imprisonment or execution immediately. Though what happened to him is uncertain, according to the ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
'', "his name survived as a sort of codeword for the younger Cambodians to identify themselves as a way of keeping their culture alive."


Musical style

Aularong was regarded as an original artist, incorporating elements of
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
, and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
into his songs. He often performed with his aunt Vanthy and
Pen Ran Pen Ran (, ), (c. 1944 – c. 1979) also commonly known as Pan Ron in some Romanized sources intended for English-speaking audiences, was a Cambodian singer and songwriter who was at the height of her popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s. Kn ...
's younger sister, Pen Ram, as backing singers. His lyrics were often humorous or sarcastic, based on everyday life and current styles, even when singing about more serious subjects. According to ''Rebeat'', his "subversive, satirical style and distorted psych guitar makes him the joker/rebel of the Cambodian rock scene." According to
LinDa Saphan LinDa Saphan (born 1975) is a Cambodian artist and social anthropologist. Born in Phnom Penh, she grew up in Canada and graduated in France. She has supported women artists from Cambodia, co-organizing the first Visual Arts Open festival celebrati ...
, "In the 1970s, Yol Aularong and
Meas Samon Meas Samon () was a Cambodian singer and comedian, active in that country's psychedelic rock scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a young adult, Samon was in an army band and became known for singing humorous songs. According to LinDa Sap ...
were the only singers and songwriters who were making social commentary through their songs. ularongused irony to comment on Cambodia's bourgeois conformist society."


Legacy

Western audiences were introduced to Aularong's work through compilation releases many years later. '' Cambodian Rocks'', released on the
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
-based Parallel World label in 1996, contained 22 uncredited, untitled tracks of pre-Khmer Rouge psychedelic and garage rock music. In the years since its release, the tracks have been identified and three attributed to Aularong. The compilation drew attention to the novel sound of music produced by Aularong and his contemporaries, who combined popular Western genres like
garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicl ...
,
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...
, and
surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...
, with Khmer vocal techniques, instrumental innovations, and the popular
romvong ''Romvong'' (, also romanized as ''Rom Vong'' or ''Roam Vong''), ''Lamvong'' ( Lao: ລຳວົງ - ) or ''Ramwong'' (; ; Tai Lue: ᩃ᪁ ᩴᩅ ᩫ ᩬ; Tai Khun: ᨽ᩠ᨿᨦᨴᩱ᩠ᨿᩃᩨᩢ; ; ), ''Rambung'' (), ) is a type of Southea ...
"circle dance music" trend. Reviewers likened his "Yuvajon Kouge Jet", for example, to a "fuzzed-out, reverb-soaked," "go-go organ and fuzz-guitar" cover of
Them Them or THEM, a third-person singular or plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fict ...
's " Gloria." Meanwhile, ''The Diplomat'' considered it "one of the most enduring pop hits of Cambodia's first period of independence." "Jeas Cyclo" is included in
Lauren Yee Lauren Yee ( zh, 余秀菊) is an American playwright. Early life and education Yee was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She graduated from Lowell High School in 2003. Yee graduated from Yale University in 2007, majoring in Engli ...
's
off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
production, ''Cambodian Rock Band''. Yee said it is "one of Cambodia's most enduring pop hits", and that she included it in the show after she named the show's fictional band "the Cyclos".


See also

*
Music of Cambodia The music of Cambodia is derived from a mesh of cultural traditions dating back to the ancient Khmer Empire, India, China and the original indigenous tribes living in the area before the arrival of Indian and Chinese travelers. With the rapid Wes ...
*
Cambodian rock (1960s–1970s) Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** For ...
*
Sinn Sisamouth Sinn Sisamouth (c. 1932 – c. 1976) was a Cambodian singer-songwriter active from the 1950s to the 1970s. Widely considered the "King of Khmer Music", Sisamouth, along with Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, Mao Sareth, and other Cambodian artists ...
*
Ros Serey Sothea Ros Serey Sothea (/ ; ) was a Cambodian singer. She was the first prominent female artist in the Cambodian rock scene during the final years of the First Kingdom of Cambodia and into the Khmer Republic period. She sang in a variety of genre ...
*
Pen Ran Pen Ran (, ), (c. 1944 – c. 1979) also commonly known as Pan Ron in some Romanized sources intended for English-speaking audiences, was a Cambodian singer and songwriter who was at the height of her popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s. Kn ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yol, Aularong 20th-century Cambodian male singers People who died in the Cambodian genocide Khmer people Cambodian musicians Rock guitarists Rock singers Psychedelic rock musicians Garage rock musicians