Smot
| Smot | |
|---|---|
| Khmer name | ស្មូត |
| Also known as | smot; smutr; smot srei |
| Practice type | Performing art |
| Usual occasion | Funerals and ceremonies |
| Subjects | Music & Sound; Dance & Theatre |
Smot is a performing-art tradition practised in Cambodia and Khmer communities. (Wikipedia)
Practice
Smot is a slow, highly ornamented Cambodian vocal tradition, usually performed solo and a cappella by men or women, monks or laypeople. Its style uses rubato, rich vibrato, dramatic glissandi, falsetto, and extended melismas, and may sometimes include Khmer instruments such as the tro sau. Its texts include laments, expressions of filial piety, Jataka stories, accounts of the Buddha’s life, Buddhist chants, and blessings. (Wikipedia; Systmuwi)
History
Smot is documented as existing before the Khmer Rouge period of 1975–1978, when Cambodian Buddhist and musical traditions suffered severe disruption. Monasteries teach the sophisticated style through extended training, and fieldwork in 2010 found it still actively performed in several Cambodian monasteries. The tradition also survived through lay performers and privately circulated recordings. (Wikipedia; Systmuwi)
Variations
Smot may be performed by monks, laypeople, men, or women; women’s performance is called smot srei. It is commonly solo and a cappella, though some performances use instruments, and its texts and functions vary between funerary laments, healing, Buddhist ceremonies, and other celebrations. (Wikipedia; Systmuwi)
Communities and practitioners
The tradition is especially associated with the achar, often an elderly man trained in Cambodia’s religious traditions, but some of the best performers are laypeople and women. Young singers continue to study with older masters. (Wikipedia; Systmuwi)