Yol Aularong

Yol Aularong performing in the early 1970s, from archival footage used in the film Don't Think I've Forgotten.

Yol Aularong (Khmer: យស អូឡារាំង [jɔːh ouˌlaːˈraŋ]; also romanized as Yos Olarang) was a Cambodian garage rock musician in the 1960s and 1970s. He is presumed to have been killed during the Cambodian Genocide that took place under the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and 1979.

Biography

Aularong was from a family of notable Cambodian musicians: singers Sieng Vanthy and Sieng Di were his aunts, and classical violinist/composer Has Salon was his uncle.[1][2] His father was a member of Cambodia's diplomatic corps and he spent some of his childhood in France.[2]

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.[1] The Guardian called him "a certifiable maniac" and The New York Times described him as "a charismatic proto-punk who mocked conformist society."[3][4] He often utilized Vanthy and Pen Ram (younger sister of Pen Ran) as backing singers.[2]

As with many of his contemporaries, a great deal of the information about Aularong's life, as well as his creative output, was lost during the Khmer Rouge regime. He was last seen shortly after the Khmer Rouge seized control in April 1975 and ordered all residents of Phnom Penh to evacuate the city. He left with his mother, although in an interview for the 2015 documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten, which profiles Aularong, his aunt speculated he was likely killed.[1] A member of the Cambodian royal family who knew Aularong explained that as a non-conformist musician with western influences, Aularong was likely targeted for imprisonment or execution immediately.[4] His fate has never been confirmed.

Musical style

Aularong was regarded as an original artist, incorporating elements of soul, funk, and rock into his songs. His lyrics were often humorous or sarcastic, based on everyday life and current styles.[1] According to Rebeat, his "subversive, satirical style and distorted psych guitar makes him the joker/rebel of the Cambodian rock scene."[5] According to LinDa Saphan, "In the 1970s, Yol Aularong and Meas Samon were the only singers and songwriters who were making social commentary through their songs. [Aularong] used irony to comment on Cambodia's bourgeois conformist society."[6]

Western audiences were introduced to Aularong's work through compilation releases many years later. Cambodian Rocks, released on the New York-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.[7] A few more of his songs have appeared on subsequent compilations by Khmer Rocks Inc. and others.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pirozzi, John (director, producer), Andrew Pope (producer) (2015). Don't Think I've Forgotten (film) (in English and Khmer). Argot Pictures.
  2. 1 2 3 John Pirozzi and LinDa Saphan, liner notes, Don't Think I've Forgotten, soundtrack, 2015.
  3. ↑ Cohn, Nik (19 May 2007). "A voice from the killing fields". The Guardian.
  4. 1 2 Sisario, Ben (9 April 2015). "'Don't Think I've Forgotten,' a Documentary, Revives Cambodia's Silenced Sounds". New York Times.
  5. ↑ O'Rourke, Sally (27 April 2015). "LIVE: Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll at City Winery, NYC (4/24/15)". Rebeat.
  6. ↑ Saphan, LinDa (January 2015). "From Modern Rock to Postmodern Hard Rock: Cambodian Alternative Music Voices". The Journal of Ethnic Studies.
  7. ↑ "Cambodian Rocks (MP3s)". WFMU blog. 9 December 2007.
  8. ↑ Discogs.com. "Yol Aularong at Discogs.com". Retrieved 17 January 2018.
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