ល្ខោនគែន រឿងក្រៃថោង : This performance was based on the story of Kray Thong and the beautiful Sompovmeas, a popular Cambodian legend related to the life by the Mekong River and a giant crocodile. The theater and dance form of lakhon ken was encouraged by King Sihanoul during his first reign, as researcher Sok Nalys explains here below in this notice written for Angkor Database.
ល្ខោនគែន [Lakhon ken], Ken theatre, is a traditional singing and dancing art form that was present in the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh during the reign of King Norodom Sihanouk (1941 – 1955). Ken is a wind instrument made of small bamboo tubes joined together, one of the original instruments of the Khmer Mon people, which are seen in many mountainous areas of Cambodia. Ken instruments are divided into long and short. The performer in Ken theatre has to sing and speak by themselves and move by using the gestures of the Royal Ballet Theater. As for costumes and jewels, performers of Ken Khmer were dressed in small sets of costumes including Kben of any color, long-sleeved or short-sleeved shirt, and scarf, and they put on bracelets and anklets of Khmer style, just like in Royal Ballet Theater. Old teachers confirmed that four Lao teachers, Khun Samjin, Khun Bou, Khun En, and Khun Phen, came to teach this art form to Cambodian artists in the Royal Palace in 1945.
Even though Ken is a musical instrument that represents Laos country and both art forms use the Ken instrument as the main focus, Khmer Ken art has some differences from Lam theater, which is present in Vientiane, Laos. The orchestra that accompanies this art form includes four ken instruments (from the sound of shuffling to the sound of small voices), Raneat Ek, Raneath Thong, Ta Khe, Tror Ou, Tror Soar, Tror Chhe, Krab, Chheuong, Thon Romnea drum and Samphor. Most of the songs played in this format are borrowed from the music of the Mohori Orchestra, whereas the Lam Theatre of Lao is performed with a modern orchestra. When we look at the performers who play in these two art forms, the Ken theater form existed in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, the performers are all female while the performers who can play the Lam theater are both male and female.
From the early years, ken theater was presented in the royal palace for entertainment or royal ceremonies, so very few people knew and remembered the art form. Soon after, the performance of this art form was no longer present. In 2000, the Cultural Research Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, with the support of UNESCO, invited former artists who had been trained at the Royal Palace at that time including teacher Em Theay and teacher Un Bo to come together and to recall this form so they can transfer their knowledge to the next generation from the Department of Arts. As a result, the team presented this Story of Kray Thong to national and international audiences during Cambodia Cultural Day on 3 April 2000 at Chaktomuk Theater, Phnom Penh. It was from that time that the Khmer people came to know and see the art form called “Lakhoan Ken” again.
