This week we feature the final installment of The Like Me’s songs of the week.

The Like Me’s “Chun Peas Kluan” (Refugee)
 

Click play to listen to this mp3. Please note sound files are not playable on mobile devices.

The Like Me’s are an R&B/Alternative/Pop band that started in March of 2009. Bonded by simultaneous heartbreaks and empowered by the love of music, members Loren Alonzo, Helena Hong, Monique Coquilla and Laura Mam found solace in making music and performing. Their inspiration was founded on the ideals of music and art as a means to heal and empower all while having fun. Though the ideology hasn’t changed, they have grown with a new keyboardist, Loren Alonzo, and have worked with different bassists to help nurture their current sound. They include Ben Everett (Case In Theory) and Raymond Bernal (Fakepublic).

The Like Me’s creed still stands as, “Healing through Expression, Interpreting Adversity, and Celebrating Adventure.”

Although The Like Me’s are a Northern California-based band, their audience has expanded nationally and internationally through viral exposure such as YouTube and press coverage. Their fan base is quite diverse; however, they are extremely popular among Southeast Asian youth and Cambodian communities around the world because of their efforts to re-establish a Cambodian music scene. The band performs songs in English, Cambodian and French.

Over the last 30 years, Cambodia has been recovering from a state of post-war devastation following the 1975-1979 genocide that took place during the Vietnam War. Since then, the Cambodian music scene has been limited at best and prone to copying musical compositions from neighboring or influential countries. The Like Me’s have made it one of their goals to reverse this trend and re-spark a lively tradition and appreciation of original music in Cambodia. In addition, the all-female band is attempting to achieve Southeast Asian female representation in the international music scene and hope to inspire other young Southeast Asians. Given many of the similar social problems found in contemporary Southeast Asian communities domestically and internationally, The Like Me’s hope to discourage negative outlets of expression and encourage the next generation to find healing, understanding and empowerment through the expression of art.

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube
NPR Article | Article Phnom Penh Post | Article from Angry Asian Man Blog

This week we feature the second installment of The Like Me’s songs of the week.

The Like Me’s “Pka Proheam Rik Propreay” (Morning Flowers Blossoming)
 

Click play to listen to this mp3. Please note sound files are not playable on mobile devices.

The Like Me’s are an R & B/Alternative/Pop band that started in March of 2009. Bonded by simultaneous heartbreaks and empowered by the love of music, members Loren Alonzo, Helena Hong, Monique Coquilla and Laura Mam found solace in making music and performing. Their inspiration was founded on the ideals of music and art as a means to heal and empower all while having fun. Though the ideology hasn’t changed, they have grown with a new keyboardist, Loren Alonzo, and have worked with different bassists to help nurture their current sound. They include Ben Everett (Case In Theory) and Raymond Bernal (Fakepublic).

The Like Me’s creed still stands as, “Healing through Expression, Interpreting Adversity, and Celebrating Adventure.”

Although The Like Me’s are a Northern California-based band, their audience has expanded nationally and internationally through viral exposure such as YouTube and press coverage. Their fan base is quite diverse; however, they are extremely popular among Southeast Asian youth and Cambodian communities around the world because of their efforts to re-establish a Cambodian music scene. The band performs songs in English, Cambodian and French.

Over the last 30 years, Cambodia has been recovering from a state of post-war devastation following the 1975-1979 genocide that took place during the Vietnam War. Since then, the Cambodian music scene has been limited at best and prone to copying musical compositions from neighboring or influential countries. The Like Me’s have made it one of their goals to reverse this trend and re-spark a lively tradition and appreciation of original music in Cambodia. In addition, the all-female band is attempting to achieve Southeast Asian female representation in the international music scene and hope to inspire other young Southeast Asians. Given many of the similar social problems found in contemporary Southeast Asian communities domestically and internationally, The Like Me’s hope to discourage negative outlets of expression and encourage the next generation to find healing, understanding and empowerment through the expression of art.

For Khmer lyrics & English translation please visit click here.

This is my very first ORIGINAL KHMER SONG and this is only the beginning of an incredible journey. I have chosen to start writing original Khmer songs because of how many inspiring letters I have received from you lovely people about ending this tradition of copying, and finally re-sparking the great tradition of Khmer music. I have composed this song and my dear sweet mother (Neak Madai), Thida Buth, has helped to write these lyrics. Pka Proheam Rik Popreay is a love song just in time for this Valentine’s day. Enjoy!!!

-Laura Mam via youtube.com

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube
NPR Article | Article Phnom Penh Post | Article from Angry Asian Man Blog

This week we have a special treat for our CSEAS audience as we bring you a month of songs from The Like Me’s! Each week we will showcase a different song from this up-and-coming band!

The ears of our entire office were smiling when we initially heard The Like Me’s a month ago. This unique group hails from California, but they have shown their love and devotion to Khmer music by showcasing modern Cambodian music is alive. We applaud their efforts and invite everyone to check out the amazing talent of these four women! We guarantee your ears will fall in love, too…

The Like Me’s “Sva Rom Monkiss” (Monkey Dance Monkey)
 

Click play to listen to this mp3. Please note sound files are not playable on mobile devices.

The Like Me’s are an R & B/Alternative/Pop band that started in March of 2009. Bonded by simultaneous heartbreaks and empowered by the love of music, members Loren Alonzo, Helena Hong, Monique Coquilla and Laura Mam found solace in making music and performing. Their inspiration was founded on the ideals of music and art as a means to heal and empower all while having fun. Though the ideology hasn’t changed, they have grown with a new keyboardist, Loren Alonzo, and have worked with different bassists to help nurture their current sound. They include Ben Everett (Case In Theory) and Raymond Bernal (Fakepublic).

The Like Me’s creed still stands as, “Healing through Expression, Interpreting Adversity, and Celebrating Adventure.”

Although The Like Me’s are a Northern California-based band, their audience has expanded nationally and internationally through viral exposure such as YouTube and press coverage. Their fan base is quite diverse; however, they are extremely popular among Southeast Asian youth and Cambodian communities around the world because of their efforts to re-establish a Cambodian music scene. The band performs songs in English, Cambodian and French.

Over the last 30 years, Cambodia has been recovering from a state of post-war devastation following the 1975-1979 genocide that took place during the Vietnam War. Since then, the Cambodian music scene has been limited at best and prone to copying musical compositions from neighboring or influential countries. The Like Me’s have made it one of their goals to reverse this trend and re-spark a lively tradition and appreciation of original music in Cambodia. In addition, the all-female band is attempting to achieve Southeast Asian female representation in the international music scene and hope to inspire other young Southeast Asians. Given many of the similar social problems found in contemporary Southeast Asian communities domestically and internationally, The Like Me’s hope to discourage negative outlets of expression and encourage the next generation to find healing, understanding and empowerment through the expression of art.

“After 3 months of planning, creating, networking, shopping (lots of shopping), story-boarding, daydreaming and then MORE re-planning…its finally here!!! I have finally consolidated all my music–English and Khmer–with my band and will be making music with The Like Mes. This is our rendition of the infamous Pan Rons Sva Rom Monkiss. We hope that this story speaks to ending the silence between the young and old Cambodian generations. In my belief, it is about time that we make that small but necessary effort to understand ourselves by understanding each other. This is dedicated to the incredible Cambodian musicians of the 60s, may their spirit live on in all of us and may they bless us with the ability to express ourselves once again.”

-Laura Mam via youtube.com

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Youtube
NPR Article | Article Phnom Penh Post | Article from Angry Asian Man Blog

The UHM Asian Studies Program is saddened to learn of the passing of Houghton “Buck” Freeman on December 1. The Program benefited-and continues to benefit-from the generosity of the Freeman Foundation (aka Buck) and its vision for Asian Studies in America. Buck supported two major projects for us, neither of which would have been possible without the Foundation’s grants.

The Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative allowed us to take our students on two study tours, one discovering contemporary cultures of the Mekong River Region and the other retracing the travels of King Kalakaua through Asia as part of his historic circumnavigation of the globe. The multi-year project enabled us to increase our staff (Pattie Dunn for student services), develop audio-visual materials (DVDs by Michael Aung-Thwin on Burma and Dru Gladney on the Kazakh), continue our online inter-institutional courses with the southern Philippines (Ateneo de Zamboanga University), and provide travel funds for faculty and other teaching staff.

The Freeman Foundation also supported a project to infuse Asian Studies into undergraduate curricula at Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). We were able to develop study tours for teachers from MSI colleges-to Korea, the Mekong region and Japan-with follow-up symposia on the mainland for participants. The most recent symposium was at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

The MSI project has resulted in a greater presence for Asian Studies at a number of MSI colleges, the introduction of Asian languages in at least two, an MSI presence in an international conference in Hainan, and collaborative initiatives on Asian Studies between MSI institutions. The funding enabled scholar residencies for UH faculty Patrice Flowers and Paul Rausch at MSI institutions on the mainland and the two-year long tour of our photograph exhibition, “Islamic Reflections: Islam in Asia,” which is currently at Central State University (Ohio). Both projects have long-term value for Asian Studies in the U.S. tertiary experience, the first essentially (but not entirely) local and the second very national.

Buck and his wife Doreen have also been personal friends to the Program. They had spent a few months each year in Honolulu and had an office down the street at the East-West Center. Buck took a keen interest in young people, and frequently came to our student gatherings to meet “his” alumni. He and Doreen were unassuming as persons, very warm and genuinely interested in people. Buck had little patience with artifice and could immediately read the opportunist. At a couple of dinners organized by then UH President Dobelle, Buck insisted that I be seated next to him so he could engage me “in conversation” when those just “after the money” got too oppressive! As a New Englander, he was very direct and spoke his mind, which we experienced once when there was an accounting glitch in a grant. An image of the three Freemans dispensing millions of dollars to dozens of colleges and universities while sitting around their kitchen table in New Hampshire would be apocryphal if it were not true!

Houghton “Buck” Freeman was passionate about Asia, and he expressed that passion through stewardship. The UHM Asian Studies Program is grateful for that stewardship and especially for the opportunities it gave our students to increase their own passion, understanding, and experiences about Asia.

Buck considered Hawai’i a favorite place and came here often. Therefore I find it fitting to close with a Hawaiian saying:

Ua pau, ua hala lakou
Koe no na hana no’eau

His days are over; he has passed
His works live on

Our thoughts and condolences go to his wife Doreen and son Graeme. Me ke aloha.

Ricardo D. Trimillos
Past Chair, Asian Studies Program
2 December 2010

University of Hawaiʻi Study Abroad Program via UH System News
Family supports East-West Causes via Honolulu Advertiser
Asian Studies Program Received Freeman Foundation Grant via East-West Center
Freeman Foundation Undergraduate Study Grants to Asia via Asian Studies @ UH
UH Asian Studies Freeman Foundation Initiative via Asian Studies @ UH
Freeman Foundation via dkosopedia.com

Muhamad Ali (Ph.D. History, Islam, Southeast Asian Studies 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies at UC Riverside. His most recent works include the books Bridging Islam and the West: An Indonesian View (2009) and Teolgi Pluralis Multikultural (2003) and journal articles “‘They are not All Alike’: Indonesian Intellectuals’ Perceptionsof Judaism and Jews” (2010) and “Religion, Imperialism, and Resistance in the Nineteenth Century’s Netherlands Indies and Spanish Philippines” (2010). Dr. Ali is a member of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists of North America, Association of Asian Studies, American Academy of Religion and the East-West Center Alumni Association.

Congratulations to Dr. Ali and our best wishes on his future endeavors!

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