The Cambodian Space Project has been at the forefront of an astonishing cultural revival in
Cambodia since 2009. Singer Channthy Kak and musician Julien Poulson teamed up in
Phnom Penh to sing back to life the lost divas and rock legends of Cambodia’s golden age of rock 'n' roll. The CSP has created a sound full of vibrancy, a heady trip through ethnic Khmer
styles, psych-rock, motor city funk and Motownesque pop to the new – totally spaced-out –
grooves of Southeast Asia today.
In 2018, Channthy was killed in a tragic road accident. Founding members Bong Sak – a
farmer, drummer and former child soldier, bassist Bun Sophea, and guitarist Julien Poulson
vowed to carry forward The CSP in homage to the legacy of Kak Channthy “the barefoot diva
of the Cambodian rice fields”, and began again as the CSP Mothership, in tribute to the lost
artists of Cambodia’s Golden Era such as Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea and Pan Ron.
Today, CSP performs Cambodian dance hall hits from the sixties to present day. It’s hot, it’s
spicey, and it’s an exhilarating experience!
Listen back to Global Village with Roger and hear a very special Studio 5 Live set from The Cambodian Space Project.
PBS thanks the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust for funding assistance to build and fit out Studio 5.
