MANGO DREAM       MANGO DREAM 

Project Background:

 

After two stays in Cambodia, in 2006 and 2014, while touring in Asia, Mezcal Jazz Unit in its ongoing search for artistic collaborations with traditional musicians around the world, decided to organize a new musical collaboration in Siem Reap in Cambodia in February 2016 with the following partners :

- Cambodian Living Arts, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, whose mission is to « transform Cambodia society through Art » consists of a talented pool of artists from which we were able to select three traditional musicians who were also open to different kinds of music and who had already worked with Western artists..

- Music & Arts School of Siem Reap
Established in 2014, this dynamic music school is rapidly becoming a beacon in the cultural landscape of Siem Reap (a cultural and touristic city, home to the fabulous Angkor Wat). The residency was a co- production with the school that provided the rehearsal space and instruments. The working conditions were ideal and the Director, Alexandre Scarpati, from the National Music Conservatory in Montpellier, went out of his way to facilitate the residency.

- L'Institut français de Phnom Penh
Following the success of the Mezcal Jazz Unit concert in Phnom Penh in November 2014, The Institut Français invited Mango Dream for its premier in the capital.

Mango Dream was first created on february 21th 2016 at Music & Arts School of,Siem Reap, followed by 4 concerts in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, including a final concert at the National Museum of Phnom Penh.

French Tour (September 2017)

Made possible by the support of the town of Pézenas, which hosted the residency, the cities of Balaruc les Bains, Sète, Montpellier and Jacou, we organized a tour by MANGO DREAM in the Occitanie Region in the South of France.

This was accompanied by:
- School programs (Primary, and Junior High) with the Bassin de Thau School District.
- 2 photographic expositions, "Looking at today’s Cambodia by D. Solia in Balaruc and “Cambodia, land of smiles” Y. Azzar and D. Solia, in Montpellier.
- 2 conferences by Raj de Condapa (édition Kalash) on Contemporary Cambodia
- 1 film screening of "Diamond Island", by Davy Chou, young franco-khmer filmmaker

A CD "Mango Dream" was recorded in february 2018

Cambodian Tour december 2018

Jazz Festival of Phnom Penh, at L'Institut français
Concerts in Siem Reap

Mango Dream en quelques dates:


Photo© Elizabeth Riley 2017

December 2018: Cambodge

Concerts Mango Dream
11/12: Phnom Pehn Jazz Festival
14/12: Khema Agkor, Siem Reap
16/12: Music & Art School, Siem Reap

September 2017: France

Concerts Mango Dream
15/09: Théâtre de Pézenas
22/09: Théâtre de verdure, Balaruc
29/09: La Passerelle, Jacou

Concerts Trio Khmer:
20/09: Sieste musicale Jardin Antique Méditérranéen, Balaruc
21/09: Médiathèque F. Mitterand, Sète
28/09: Maison Pour Tous G. Sand, Montpellier

School Programs:
20/09: Ecole primaire de Balaruc et Collège Paul Valéry, Sète
21/09: Médiathèque F. Mitterand, Sète
22/09: Théâtre de verdure, Balaruc
29/09: La Passerelle, Jacou

Events:
19-30/09: Expo "Regards vers le Cambodge contemporain"
(Photos:D. Solia) Parc Sévigné, Balaruc
20-21/09: Conference about Cambodia: Raj de Condapa (Editions Kalash), Médiathèque de Balaruc, Médiathèque F. Mitterand de Sète
28/09-10/10: Expo "Le Cambodge, pays du sourire" (Photos de D. Solia & Y. Azzar), MPT G. Sand, Montpellier

Studio Recording:
18-27/09: Studio Recording CD "Mango Dream", Studio Conti, Pézenas

February 2016: Cambodia

21/02: Music & Ats School, Siem Reap
23/02: Shinta Mani, Siem Reap
24/02: King's Road, Siem Reap
26/02: Institut Français, Phnom Penh
28/02: Musée National, Phnom Penh