1) How many times were you sponsored to go to Cambodia in 2012? Specify month and circumstances.
We were sponsored 3 times to go to Cambodia. In February 2011, we went on our very first tour to Cambodia and performed 6 shows in Phnom Penh and Siem Riep. Then later in May of 2012 we were sponsored to go back and shoot more music videos in Cambodia and begin a real Cambodian campaign in partnership with Cellcard and CTN. And finally once more in September we went back to do a mini-concert and meet and greet with our fans in Cambodia.
I think Cambodia decided to invest in us because they were aware that my heart was set on Cambodia itself. I think many of the Khmer overseas artists have done a tremendous job in representing Cambodians on the international scale by working hard to make a name for themselves in America or France. My words to them are GO GO GO because I'm rooting hard for them and we need international representation. However, for me, my heart has always been in Cambodia and has never left. My goals as a Cambodian American artist are focused solely on bridging the gap between the diaspora and our homeland. It is my greatest hope that others can follow a bridge I am building so that those abroad can come and fall in love with our home in the same way I did and contribute to national growth. For the sole fact that I am absolutely committed to working for the pride of our country, that is why I believe that Cambodia decided to invest in us. It turns out that Cambodian companies share the dreams of the people in that they wish to see Cambodia's markets, including entertainment, grow with pride and love. It is not an easy task, but it is not an impossible one either.
3) How would you describe your experience as a pop artist and its development in the past year?
Going from a band in a garage with a bad PA system to a band playing full on concerts in Cambodia has been extremely intense. This year our music videos played all over the entertainment airwaves in Cambodia so now when I walk around Cambodia, there is certainly a lot less anonymity, which it turns out I actually cherished from the anthropological side of me. However, getting a chance to meet young fans with so much hope in their heart, work with Khmer talents that prove everything you know about Cambodia's youth to be wrong, and speak to Cambodian nationals about their dreams for the country whether large or small and how those dreams just so happen to perfectly align with my own, is an experience that has changed my life forever. Everyday is filled with gratitude for the experiences that I have been able to share with my band and my family. My life feels like it turned into an adventure. I never thought that my sense of hope could actually grow no matter how many hard truths I learn about Cambodia's situation. However, I have learned this year that my high hopes for the country match that of the people's high hopes for the country, and there really just isn't a better feeling in the world.
4) What current projects/news for 2013 are you able to share to our readers?
In 2013, I will releasing a new solo EP in Khmer and English. I am very excited to get that out there as I will be returning a bit to more of my acoustic roots. But don't get me wrong, electric guitar is going to be in my life for the rest of my days. And furthermore, I have a Khmer documentary project in the works that I will soon be releasing information about. This year is definitely going to be a work-hard-play-hard kind of year.
