Dengue Fever (band)
Encyclopedia
Dengue Fever is a six-member band from Los Angeles
who combine Cambodia
n pop music
and lyrics with psychedelic rock
.
, lead singer Chhom Nimol was discovered in a nightclub in the Little Phnom Penh
area of Long Beach
. She was already a well-known karaoke
singer in Cambodia, but decided to move to the United States after visiting her sister, and thought it was a good chance to make more money to send to her family back home. Zac is a vocalist and guitar
ist, fomerly with Dieselhed
, while Ethan plays the Farfisa organ. Rounding out the band are bass
ist Senon Williams (who played in Radar Bros until January 2009), drummer
Paul Smith, and David Ralicke on brass.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2003. All lyrics on the earlier albums are sung in Khmer
, while the third album introduces some songs in English
. Many of the songs are covers of 1960s Cambodian rock tunes by such artists as Sinn Sisamouth
, Pan Ron
, and Ros Sereysothea
, but some are originals, first written in English by the Holtzmans before being translated.
In 2005, the band toured Cambodia during the Bon Om Thook
water festival, to critical acclaim. The documentary film
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong documents the band's touring in Phnom Penh
and other major Cambodian cities. There, singer Chhom Nimol, whose family included renowned singers from the 1970s onward, reconnected with the Cambodian fanbase, many of whom remembered the heyday of Cambodian rock from that era. The trip was a transforming experience for the rest of the band as they performed with master musicians and recorded new songs along the way, providing the band with new material. The film also reveals aspects of modern Cambodia, as the band crosses a cultural chasm with the same spirit as Cambodia's original rock pioneers.
Also in 2005, their second album, Escape from Dragon House, was released, containing more original songs. Escape from Dragon House was one of Amazon.com
's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005
. It was re-released on limited edition colored vinyl on August 26, 2008.
In June 2008, Real World Records
released Venus On Earth in all territories outside of the U.S. and Canada. Peter Gabriel
, founder of their new label, said of the deal, "We have Dengue Fever coming out on Real World Records (outside of the USA) - it’s really cool stuff, with the small Cambodian singer and big American guys behind! They’re California based but have taken 60’s Cambodian pop as their main source of inspiration and it’s done with a lot of style. It’s spirited, impassioned stuff." Venus On Earth was selected as one of the best world music records of 2008 by the iTunes Store
.
Dengue Fever has entered into partnerships with a number of charitable organization
s to support causes in Cambodia. They are involved with the wildlife and forest conservation organization Wildlife Alliance
, and have donated recordings for charity records with the Sweet Relief Fund
, a charity that aims to provide financial assistance to musicians dealing with illness, disability, or age-related issues. The group also compiled a collected of Cambodian rock music from the pre-Khmer Rouge era, entitled "Electric Cambodia", in 2010. All proceeds from this album were dedicated to Cambodian Living Arts.
Dengue Fever were winners of the 8th annual Independent Music Awards
for best World Fusion Album.
n jazz
musician Mulatu Astatke
, was included in the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch
's 2005 film Broken Flowers
.
"One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula" was included on the soundtrack for the second season of the Showtime series Weeds
, as well as on the recap of that episode for the third season.
The band's Khmer cover of Joni Mitchell
's "Both Sides Now
" was included on the soundtrack of Matt Dillon
's 2002 film set in Cambodia, City of Ghosts
.
"Seeing Hands" was used as the theme tune to the 2008 UK television series Sanchez Get High.
"Escape From Dragon House" was featured in the fourth episode of True Blood
.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
who combine Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and lyrics with psychedelic rock
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
.
History
The band was formed in 2001 by Ethan Holtzman and his brother Zac after Ethan was inspired by a trip to Cambodia. As Ethan and Zac were searching for a vocalist to sing in KhmerKhmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
, lead singer Chhom Nimol was discovered in a nightclub in the Little Phnom Penh
Little Phnom Penh
Cambodia Town is the official name for a roughly one mile long business corridor along Anaheim Street between Atlantic and Junipero avenues in Long Beach, California. The area has numerous Cambodian restaurants, clothing stores, and jewelry stores, as well as churches, temples, and service centers...
area of Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. She was already a well-known karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
singer in Cambodia, but decided to move to the United States after visiting her sister, and thought it was a good chance to make more money to send to her family back home. Zac is a vocalist and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, fomerly with Dieselhed
Dieselhed
Dieselhed was a San Francisco-based band, originally from Arcata, California.-Early career:Dieselhed formed in 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area playing a blend of country, punk, and pseudo-classic rock. Drummer Heifetz spread his time between Dieselhed and the genre-bending experimentalists Mr....
, while Ethan plays the Farfisa organ. Rounding out the band are bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist Senon Williams (who played in Radar Bros until January 2009), drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Paul Smith, and David Ralicke on brass.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2003. All lyrics on the earlier albums are sung in Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
, while the third album introduces some songs in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Many of the songs are covers of 1960s Cambodian rock tunes by such artists as Sinn Sisamouth
Sinn Sisamouth
Sinn Sisamouth was a famous and highly prolific Cambodian singer-songwriter in the 1950s to the 1970s.Widely considered the "King of Khmer music", Sisamouth, along with Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron, and other artists, was part of a thriving pop music scene in Phnom Penh that blended elements of Khmer...
, Pan Ron
Pan Ron
Pan Ron was a Cambodian singer and songwriter who was at the height of popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s. She had some success in the early 60s after her hit "Pka Kabass" in 1963, but her career really took off when she began recording with Sinn Sisamouth in 1966.In the late 1960s, Pan...
, and Ros Sereysothea
Ros Sereysothea
Ros Sereysothea was a famous Cambodian singer during the nation's thriving cultural renaissance. She sang from a variety of genres but romantic ballads emerged as her most popular works. Despite a rather short career she is credited with producing hundreds of songs and even starring in a few movies...
, but some are originals, first written in English by the Holtzmans before being translated.
In 2005, the band toured Cambodia during the Bon Om Thook
Bon Om Thook
Bon Om Tuk , or the Cambodian Water Festival, is a Cambodian festival celebrated in November and marks a reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River. Every town and province joins in with the festival but the biggest celebrations take place in Phnom Penh with boat racing along the Sisowath Quay...
water festival, to critical acclaim. The documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Sleepwalking Through the Mekong documents the band's touring in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
and other major Cambodian cities. There, singer Chhom Nimol, whose family included renowned singers from the 1970s onward, reconnected with the Cambodian fanbase, many of whom remembered the heyday of Cambodian rock from that era. The trip was a transforming experience for the rest of the band as they performed with master musicians and recorded new songs along the way, providing the band with new material. The film also reveals aspects of modern Cambodia, as the band crosses a cultural chasm with the same spirit as Cambodia's original rock pioneers.
Also in 2005, their second album, Escape from Dragon House, was released, containing more original songs. Escape from Dragon House was one of Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
. It was re-released on limited edition colored vinyl on August 26, 2008.
In June 2008, Real World Records
Real World Records
Real World Records is a record label started in 1989 by Peter Gabriel to record and produce world music.-Overview:The label grew up alongside the success of the WOMAD festivals and Peter Gabriel's exploration of music from other cultures, and helped push world music into the general public's...
released Venus On Earth in all territories outside of the U.S. and Canada. Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, founder of their new label, said of the deal, "We have Dengue Fever coming out on Real World Records (outside of the USA) - it’s really cool stuff, with the small Cambodian singer and big American guys behind! They’re California based but have taken 60’s Cambodian pop as their main source of inspiration and it’s done with a lot of style. It’s spirited, impassioned stuff." Venus On Earth was selected as one of the best world music records of 2008 by the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Dengue Fever has entered into partnerships with a number of charitable organization
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
s to support causes in Cambodia. They are involved with the wildlife and forest conservation organization Wildlife Alliance
Wildlife Alliance
Wildlife Alliance is an international non-profit wildlife and forest conservation organization with current programs and partnerships in Cambodia, Thailand, and the Russian Far East...
, and have donated recordings for charity records with the Sweet Relief Fund
Sweet Relief Fund
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund is a non-profit charity that maintains a financial fund from which professional musicians can draw from when in need of medical care or financial needs...
, a charity that aims to provide financial assistance to musicians dealing with illness, disability, or age-related issues. The group also compiled a collected of Cambodian rock music from the pre-Khmer Rouge era, entitled "Electric Cambodia", in 2010. All proceeds from this album were dedicated to Cambodian Living Arts.
Dengue Fever were winners of the 8th annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
for best World Fusion Album.
Discography
- Dengue Fever (2003)
- Dengue Fever EP (EP, 2005)
- Escape from Dragon House (2005)
- Sip Off the Mekong (EP, 2006)
- Venus On Earth (2008)
- Sleepwalking Through the Mekong (2009)
- Cannibal Courtship (2011)
Use in other media
"Ethanopium", a cover of a song by EthiopiaEthiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician Mulatu Astatke
Mulatu Astatke
Mulatu Astatke is an Ethiopian musician and arranger best known as the father of Ethio-jazz....
, was included in the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
's 2005 film Broken Flowers
Broken Flowers
Broken Flowers is a 2005 French/American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. The film focuses on an aging "Don Juan" who embarks on a cross-country journey to track down four of his former lovers after receiving an anonymous letter...
.
"One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula" was included on the soundtrack for the second season of the Showtime series Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, as well as on the recap of that episode for the third season.
The band's Khmer cover of Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
's "Both Sides Now
Both Sides Now (song)
"Both Sides, Now" is a single by Joni Mitchell. Her recording first appeared on the album Clouds, released in 1969. She re-recorded the song in a jazz style for the album of the same name, released in 2000....
" was included on the soundtrack of Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon
Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
's 2002 film set in Cambodia, City of Ghosts
City of Ghosts
City of Ghosts is a 2002 drama film co-written, directed by and starring Matt Dillon, about a con artist who must go to Cambodia to collect his share in money collected from an insurance scam...
.
"Seeing Hands" was used as the theme tune to the 2008 UK television series Sanchez Get High.
"Escape From Dragon House" was featured in the fourth episode of True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
.
Sources
- Mindenhall, Chuck (June 21, 2002). Reverb 2002 East of the Moon. LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
- Bardeen, Sarah (November 3, 2005). Dengue Fever: 'Escape from Dragon House'. NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
- Huey, Steve. [ Dengue Fever]. Allmusic
External links
- [ Dengue Fever at Allmusic]
Audio
- Dengue Fever Review from National Public Radio, November 3, 2005
- Dengue Fever interview from National Public Radio, January 31, 2008
- Dengue Fever interview on Fresh Air radio program, February 25, 2008
- Dengue Fever interview on The World radio program, 4 April 2008
Video
- Interview and songs, including "A Go Go", "Uku" and "Gendjer Gendjer" on PBS Soundtracks presents Quick Hits