Chhayam

Chhayam (ឆៃយ៉ាំ) is a comic Khmer drum dance that leads processions at New Year, Kathin and other festivals. It is found in cities and villages throughout Cambodia, and among the Khmer of southern Vietnam it is called Chhay-dăm or Sa dăm.

Illustration inspired by a temple festival procession.

Tradition details
Also known as	Chhay-dăm; Sa dăm
Practice type	Performing art
Usual occasion	Khmer New Year and Buddhist festivals
Subjects	Music & Sound; Dance & Theatre

Practice

Chhayam is a light-hearted, animated folk dance. It joins steady drumming, exaggerated movement, loud call-and-response singing and improvisation. The drummers usually stand in one line at the back of the group, with the male dancers in front of them. The dancers form lines or circles. Some dancers play wooden clackers (krab) or hand cymbals, and others clap. The drummers sing loudly, in a call and response that can be nonsense.

The male dancers paint their faces for comic effect or wear masks, with exaggerated hair and makeup. They flirt with the graceful female dancer, who ignores them, to the delight of the crowd. Men wear loose pants and shirts, women wear the sampot, and both wear ornate jewelry. Chhayam is a public dance, and bystanders may join in at any moment.

The main instrument is the long drum, skor chhayam, a one-headed drum with a long, tapering body. In Cambodia the drums are brightly decorated with red, yellow and green cloth. Hand cymbals, krab and other noisemakers made from everyday materials complete the ensemble. The music itself is cheerful and loud, and the dance grew out of it.

Occasions

Chhayam drummers, dancers and singers lead the processions that open many of Cambodia's yearly celebrations. These include New Year in April and Kathin at the end of the rainy season, when people bring gifts to the monks at the temple. The music also accompanies processions at Bun Phka and Bous Naga. It is played for harvest celebrations as well.

Chhayam goes at the head of processions to and through Buddhist temple grounds. At the close of the monks' rainy-season retreat, the drummers and dancers lead hundreds of people three times around the sanctuary as an act of reverence.

In southern Vietnam

Performances vary by community and setting. Among the Khmer of southern Vietnam, Chhay-dăm joins music, movement and the epics, and it carries Khmer beliefs, moral values and cultural identity. It belongs to the great Theravada Buddhist festivals. It is performed at Chol Chnam Thmay, the Khmer New Year; at Sen Dolta, which honors ancestors and family lines; and at Ok Om Bok, the moon festival that gives thanks for the harvest. At each it is danced at pagodas and in processions.

The drums are single-headed and shaped like an elephant's leg. Performers make them from the hollowed trunks of old trees and paint them in bright traditional colors. Each drum is sized to the player's age and strength, and the heads are sun-dried buffalo hide or python skin, which give a deep sound without harshness. A typical group has five to seven dancers playing four to six drums, with gongs, cymbals and wooden beaters. The players use their hands, elbows and knees, sometimes close to the ground, and build from a steady beat to a fast climax of spins, leaps and shouts.

Performances often tell stories from the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Indian Ramayana. Prince Phrah Ream is kind and upright, and Neang Seda is virtuous and faithful. The demons, called Yeak in Khmer, follow Krong Reap, king of the Yeak. Hanuman appears as the brave and loyal monkey hero. Each character has its own body shape, costume and drum pattern. The demons move with sharp, forceful martial strokes, and the righteous characters stay calm and restrained, so the triumph of compassion over evil can be seen in the dance.

In May 2025, Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the Chhay-dăm drumming of the Khmer of An Giang Province as national intangible cultural heritage. An Giang has more than 100 people who can perform it, but fewer than 20 elderly masters still teach. The Snaydonkum, Tà Ngáo and Tro Peang Trao pagodas serve as informal classrooms, where young men and women learn rhythms and demanding techniques from the masters. At Snaydonkum Pagoda in Ô Lâm Commune, Chau Nê Som Nath́, who plays the demon king, practices with his friends for two to three hours every evening.

History

Chhayam has roots in community celebrations and temple processions. It has also been staged in concert performances since the 1950s.

Under the Khmer Rouge, performance, religious practice, schooling and ritual were forbidden, and traditional performance was badly broken. After Vietnamese forces entered Cambodia in 1979, surviving artists and teachers quickly began to perform and teach again. In the refugee camps along the Thai border, Cambodians rebuilt folk and classical performance through classes, improvised stages and shows. The Cambodians who resettled abroad formed communities beyond Southeast Asia, including a large community in the United States, where Cambodian artists continue to teach and perform.

Community

For the Asia Society program Dance: the Spirit of Cambodia, the Chhayam was played by Sok Tong, Ourn Sophon and Soeur Thavarak on drums, Soeur Vuthy on gong, Chheng Sochenda on krab and Buth Channa on cymbals, with Chhim Sokha as the comedian.

References