There's a song where she owns being 31 and single, and so what? In 1960s Cambodia, that simply wasn't done. Pen Ran sang it anyway. Between psychedelic rock, cha-cha-cha and near-constant controversy, here's a look back at the meteoric career of a Cambodian singer whose disappearance under the Khmer Rouge remains, to this day, wrapped in unanswered questions.

Born in 1944 in Battambang province under the name Pol Sarann, Mao Sareth grew up in a family of musicians. In an interview she once gave to journalist and singer Huoy Meas, she mentioned having three sisters and coming from a household where music held a central place.

Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 6pm, The Wave hosts “Melody & Joe,” a music night presented by Art for Kep pairing a rising voice of Cambodia's pop-jazz scene with the vintage guitar sound of a British musician based in Phnom Penh.

One name keeps coming up on Phnom Penh's music scene: Arôme Khmer. This fusion band draws on Cambodia's golden era to craft a sound that is thoroughly contemporary, one that appeals equally to fans of Khmer psychedelic rock and to lovers of world music — and it is also a regular presence on the Kep West stage, where it performs once a month.

James Speck built a career out of being early to new mediums. Now, a month into a residency at Knai Bang Chatt, he's writing a piece of music that puts the Mississippi and the Mekong in the same room.

The 16th charity concert of Musica Felice, Phnom Penh’s international choir, brings together music, theatre and solidarity for Europe Day.

She grew up amid the sounds of the Seine and the forgotten melodies of Cambodia. Wadey Nara, a Franco-Cambodian artist, has established herself in just a few years as one of the most singular voices in identity-driven pop. Her credo? Reviving Khmer classics from the 1960s with a contemporary production, without ever descending into cliché.

Cambodia has this special gift of seizing your heart around a street corner, a smile, or a child's gaze. For Marianne Medley, an accomplished musician and strong-willed woman, it was a revelation during two pivotal trips.

In the Cambodian capital, Jessica “Lisha” Srin has built a trajectory that runs counter to the scripts imposed on young Cambodian women. In Phnom Penh, she grew up in an unstable environment that she herself describes as “the ghetto,” with a single mother, a little sister, and a father she would only see three times.

Neo Geodesia, aka Saphy Vong, hits hard with Oknha Stamina, an album merging traditional Khmer pradal serey music and punk “powerviolence” in a bold sonic experiment.

For this festive season, Topaz is turning up the warmth and sparkle with a programme that puts live jazz back at the heart of Phnom Penh’s dining scene. Drawing on some of the city’s most respected performers, the restaurant is curating evenings where refined French cuisine meets soulful, improvisation‑rich music.

The celebrated French electro-brass ensemble FÜLÜ is arriving in Phnom Penh this January for an electrifying performance that promises to be one of the highlights of the city's cultural calendar. Taking the stage at Chew & Bash — the vibrant music venue in the Coconut Park building on Koh Pich Island — FÜLÜ will bring their distinctive musical style to Cambodia on Saturday, 10 January 2026, starting at 7:00 PM.

The music of the ចាប៉ីដងវែង (Chapei Dang Veng) continues to resonate strongly, nine years after this unique art was recognized on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This long two-stringed lute, rich in history and emotion, embodies popular wisdom and the cultural wealth of a resilient Cambodia.​

As the evening fell softly over the pavilions of the Francophonie Village 2025 in Siem Reap for the opening concert, Sokunthea’s music electrified the atmosphere far beyond the first notes.

On November 6, the birth of an essential legend of Cambodian music was celebrated: Ros Serey Sothea. Born in 1947 in Battambang province, within a modest family, she rose to embody the quintessence of Khmer singing, earning the honorary title of "Queen with the Golden Voice" bestowed by King Norodom Sihanouk himself.

A brand-new sound in Phnom Penh! On the 15th of this month starting at 7:00 PM, Chew & Bash at the Coconut Club on Koh Pich will host the debut of an entirely new musical group made up of twelve musicians with a very brassy sound: Brass On The Block.

This Sunday, the sumptuous ballroom of the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra pulsed with rare energy during the 15th charity concert by Musica Felice. Bringing together an enthusiastic audience, the evening became a true musical triumph, benefiting underprivileged children in Cambodia.

An exceptional evening of music this Tuesday 14 October, starting at 7pm, at the Hard Rock Cafe in Exchange Square Mall. This unique event will spotlight the talented Meng Keopichda, one of the most captivating voices on the contemporary Cambodian scene.

Phnom Penh is about to vibrate to the rhythm of an exceptional musical tribute. On Wednesday 15 October 2025, in the iconic ballroom of the Raffles Hotel Le Royal, French singer Marion Rampal will carry the voice and spirit of the legendary Abbey Lincoln, a major figure in jazz, a committed actress and an inspired composer.

The Cambodian hip-hop scene is coming together for a major humanitarian cause at Border Samaki – Hip-Hop for Hope, a charity event taking place on Saturday, 6 September 2025, from 6 p.m. at B-Box, Factory Phnom Penh.

After a long break, and in order to re-motivate our youngest members (but also everyone else) following the war, as well as ahead of the hip hop charity event on 6 September, the Khmers Atypical interviews are back. And it is the highly inspiring VIBOL LIM, one of the founders of ROMBAK BATTLE, who will kick things off.

Driven by their passion for films and songs from the pre-Khmer Rouge period—cultural treasures of their Khmer heritage—Preah Sorya, a group of young people working to document this golden age, recently published the results of their project. The group has archived more than 5,000 songs, including a wide range of traditional Khmer music.

The country has many musical traditions that are unique to the kingdom. One of the recurring problems in post-war Cambodia is finding ways to preserve and perpetuate these traditions so that they do not disappear as the country modernizes and generations of children grow up more accustomed to American hip-hop or Korean K-Pop by BTS than to the haunting melodies of an instrument from their local cultural heritage.

For the first time in its history, the renowned Chœur des Petits Chanteurs de Monaco will perform in Cambodia next July. Under the patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, the choir's Southeast Asia tour will include three charity concerts in Siem Reap, Sihanoukville, and Phnom Penh, combining music, philanthropy, and cultural exchange in an unprecedented celebration.