A comissioned mix for the Leipzig-based exhibition “Where is my karaoke? Still we sing” curated by Sarnt Utamachote & Phuong Phan (25/5/2022 – 2/10/2022 at D21 Kunstraum).

The show focuses on the social realities, life trajectories and world-making practices of the contract workers and exchange students from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (former Indochina) in the former GDR.

The mix is two part: a Khmer part, mixed by me, and a Vietnamese part, curated by Cường Minh Bá Phạm, aka Phambino (London, UK).

“In the Khmer section of the mix, Tol banks on her love for 90s & ’00s Rasmey Hang Meas VCD’s. She says: “My dad used to be thé guy with the DVDburner, providing the karaoke videos to the entire [Dutch] community.” The mix revolves around songs produced by Khmer-GDR band Bayon, Leipzig-based compositions by the late Prince Norodom Sihanouk (kindly provided by curator Sarnt Utamachote) and the dancefloor-filling genre Romvong. To her, hearing, singing and dancing the romvong is the epitome of a Khmer celebration. The mix is also her homage to Touch Sunnix. Of her, she says: “She has a voice like an angel. When I was young, I wanted to be her.””