Dengue Fever (band)

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This article is about the rock band. For the disease, see Dengue fever.
 This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (May 2009)
Dengue Fever

Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genres Cambodian rock, Rock, psychedelic, surf, indie
Years active 2001-present
Labels M80 Music, Birdman
Website www.denguefevermusic.com
Members
Chhom Nimol
Zac Holtzman
Ethan Holtzman
Senon Williams
David Ralicke
Paul Smith

Dengue Fever is a six-member band from Los Angeles who combine Cambodian pop music and lyrics with psychedelic rock. They were 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 Khmer, lead singer Chhom Nimol was discovered in a nightclub in Little Phnom Penh area of Long Beach. She was already a well-known karaoke singer in Cambodia, but decided to move to the US after visiting her sister, and thought it was a good chance to make more money to send to her family back home. [1] Zac performs vocals and guitar, while Ethan plays the Farfisa organ. Rounding out the band are bassist Senon Williams (who played also 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, whilst 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 in Cambodia, and were acclaimed. The film Sleepwalking Through the Mekong, described below, documents the band's touring in Phnom Penh and other major cities. There, 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.

Also in 2005, their second album, Escape from Dragon House, was released, and contained more original songs. It was re-released on limited edition colored vinyl on August 26, 2008. Escape from Dragon House was one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005.

In June 2008, Real World Records released “Venus On Earth” in all territories outside of the U.S. and Canada. [2] Peter Gabriel, founder of Real World Records, said this 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 organizations 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 Sweet Relief Fund, a charity that aims to provide financial assistance to musicians dealing with illness, disability, or age-related issues.

Contents

[edit] 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)


[edit] Film & Television

The band is the subject of the documentary film, Sleepwalking Through the Mekong. The film chronicles the band's visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, during the Bon Om Thook water festival in 2005. This trip was the homecoming of singer Chhom Nimol and a transformation for the rest of the band as they performed with master musicians and recorded new songs along the way. The film reveals modern Cambodia as the band tours through Phnom Penh and beyond, crossing a great cultural chasm with the same spirit of Cambodia's original rock pioneers. [3]

"Ethanopium", a cover of a song by Ethiopian 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.

"Both Sides Now (song)", a Joni Mitchell cover but sung in Khmer, was included on the soundtrack of Matt Dillon's 2002 film set in Cambodia City of Ghosts.

[edit] Sources

[edit] References

  1. ^ SuicideGirls > Interviews > Dengue Fever's Ethan Holtzman
  2. ^ Venus On Earth by Dengue Fever » Catalogue » Real World Records
  3. ^ Sleepwalking Through The Mekong - Synopsis

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