Traditional Chapey Makes UNESCO List

The art form chapey dong veng was has been certified by UNESCO as  part of  Cambodia’s intangible cultural heritage . The UN body agreed to provide more than $230,000 to support its protection and potential resurgence as an art form.
 

At a UNESCO Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Wednesday, it was agreed to put the chapey dong veng on the list after two previous applications for the art to be recognized had been rejected. The chapey is an instrument with two to four strings used for traditional music, and when combined with poems in Khmer, becomes the chapey dong veng art form.
 

In their own announcement of UNESCO’s decision, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said: “Our intangible cultural heritage contributes to the country’s reputation and will be well known internationally as the others in the World Heritage Forum.” The ministry called on the public to continue supporting and preserving the nation’s traditional arts, adding that many of the Kingdom’s ancient art forms were falling by the wayside as globalization gains more of a foothold in the country. Prime Minister Hun Sen lauded the decision on his own Facebook page and thanked UNESCO for providing funding for the chapey to be taught to a new generation of players.

read more http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/32696/traditional-chapey-makes-unesco-list/

 

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