QUOTE (mushrooms @ Aug 25 2011, 04:37 AM)

There's a problem with Cambodian entertainment. Covers are extremely popular. Creativity is not really encouraged.
On Cambodian TV, all entertainment programs consists of covering songs from 40+ years ago and songs from other culture. Sin Sisamouth covered songs from many genres around the world (something many Cambodians don't realize, his songs included covers of Latin songs, American songs, and even Japanese songs but with the lyrics translated). And the younger generation think it's ok to cover songs and naturally they will get it from like Korean and Thai pop.
In the view of Cambodians, covering songs has just been a normal part of Cambodian entertainment for many years now. This is actually a genre in Cambodia, called Chamrieng Kai Pikar, meaning to cover. I don't really like it. Hopefully there will be more creativity in the future.
In Cambodian hip-hop/rap, most of it is original, those artists know about how important creativity it is.
It's not like modern Asian music is really that creative either. I notice a lot of beats and styles taken from American pop. Even Kpop borrows from Western style pop. And Thai pop isn't really a unique genre that was built up without influence from other Asian pop or Western pop.
It is not a problem. You can't expect a country such as Cambodia just escaped from wars and poverty could produce such creative and original songs equal to America or Korea quality. It would take sometimes for Cambodian to learn from others first then they can start to produce their own stuffs.
Vietnam, Korea, even Japan, they were all started from "copy" or learn from others countries first before they could produce their own stuffs. Not only in music industry also in other industrial as well such as Automobile, electronic, health...etc. Japanese had to learn that from Americans and now their cars dominated in Americas. There s nothing to be ashamed of and it is not a problem neither.
From what I have been observing, Cambodia music were mostly influenced from Vietnam, not much from Thailand. This makes sense because Cambodia were greatly influenced by Vietnam since the Nguyen Dynasty.
Some of the songs I watched and liked before I know there is a Vietnamese version out there.
Here for example. the MV is much better than Vietnamese version.
Cambodian version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM08xa7vAXwVietnamese version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNJV_B-CRikAnd this song
Cambodian version ( clearly Cambodian MV is much better)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YH1dcUdTGQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBt7Orx0rtUVietnamese version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xHTM87mjewBy looking at the MV of Cambodian versions, one can clearly see Cambodian MV is much better and some level of creativity in these MV, even some Vietnamese like to watch. Khmers should not be always negatives, be positive instead. Be honest, Khmer music industry is much better than Laos.
I like Vietnamese and Japanese culture because they accept what they are. They are not insecure and always negative about their own culture. The Vietnamese they are not insecure to say that the Southern land that they took from Khmer and the Southern Vietnamese many mixed with Khmer Krom. They are not insecure like those Chinese nationalists always claim that everything must come from China even the Land they took from other thousands years ago. Even their slaves Chinese-Cantonese nationalist insecure about themselves as well, although speaking they have nothing to be proud of.