Folk Arts - Master Artist - Dara Nuon

Dara Nuon arrived in the United States in 1985 as a Cambodian refugee. Nuon learned to play traditional Mohory and Phleng Ping Peath Cambodian music by observing and imitating his father, who often performed at temple ceremonies.

Dara Nuon. Photo by Fritz Dent.

Since relocating to the U.S., Nuon continued to cultivate his talents as a traditional Cambodian Mohory musician and continued to perform as both a soloist and as the lead of a five- person traditional Khmer musical group. Nuon resided in Tacoma,

Washington where he engaged and enriched the Cambodian community until his untimely death in 2006. Nuon often performed at Cambodian weddings and celebrations

throughout Pierce and King counties. Dara Nuon taught Mohory to children within his community as a way to educate youth about other cultures and the beauty and intricacies of traditional Cambodian music.

 

Mohory is a form of traditional Cambodian music played at weddings. Mohory plays an important role in traditional Khmer Temple and Royal Palace ceremonies and dances. The Phleng Ping Peath ensemble consists of ten wind and percussion instruments. The Phleng Mohory ensemble consisted of six instruments and is played at wedding ceremonies and folk dances. Many Khmer Cambodians learn to play Mohory and Phleng Ping Peath music by ear and years of practice. Nuon developed a way to write Khmer music for his young students so that they could learn how to play musical compositions on the different traditional instruments.

As a recipient of a 2002 Apprenticeship grant, Nuon taught apprentice Michael Rubey to play Khmer Mohory music. Nuon focused on teaching Rubey to play the Takhe, a stringed instrument key to the Phleng Ping Peath and Phleng Mohory ensembles.

 

Michael Rubey currently lives in Tacoma, Washington. Michael began to learn Khmer dance in the 3rd and 4th grades at his elementary school and now wants to learn Khmer music.

 

As a recipient of a 2003 Apprenticeship grant, Nuon taught apprentices Chanpania Meas and Hien Luu to play khim and tahke music. Nuon began by teaching his apprentices to play simple compositions in unison. As Meas and Luu advanced, Nuon taught more complex compositions, and contrasting sounds. Meas and Luu learned to read the traditional form of Cambodian musical notation, which uses numbers for notes.

 

Chanpania Meas is the son of a member of Dara Nuon’s band. Chanpania wanted to learn to play khim and tahke music and his father suggested that Nuon would be more than willing to pass on his knowledge. Chanpania’s enthusiasm for khim and tahke music inspired his friend, Hien Luu, to peruse the traditional art form as well.

Hien Luu has always had an interest in different cultures. Hien’s parents have encouraged and supported his attraction to other cultures.

As a recipient of a 2004 Apprenticeship grant, Nuon taught Champanis Meas and Omar Montoya Nuon how to play the Khim and the Ror Neat instruments. Champanis and Omar performed at Lister Elementary, in Tacoma, where both boys are students as parts of assemblies. They have performed for the Tacoma Public Schools Music Specialist. Other events they perform at include, Cambodian New Year celebration, after-school activities, and other community cultural events.