Music release
Time To Rise
Time To Rise is a 2021 single by the Cambodian rapper VannDa featuring Master Kong Nay, joining Khmer chapei music with hip-hop.[1][2]
About the release
The song joins traditional Khmer instruments and singing with hip-hop and drill sounds.[1][3] Master Kong Nay, a master of the chapei dong veng, plays the chapei and sings verses.[1][4] The chapei is a Cambodian long-necked guitar with two strings that is usually plucked.[5] VannDa answers with fast rap verses in Khmer.[2]
The lyrics call on Cambodian youth to keep the knowledge and traditions of the past and carry them into the future.[1][6] They celebrate Khmer heritage, from the temples to the wisdom of elders such as Master Kong Nay.[3] The lyrics also name the singers Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, Pen Ron and Meas Samon, whom VannDa calls "golden voice" legends.[5] One translated verse speaks to young artists: "To the male and female artists who seek to fulfill their dreams / Go forth and open the new chapter of the treasured arts."[7]
Credits
The recording is credited to VannDa featuring Master Kong Nay.[1][8] VannDa produced the track.[4] He wrote it with his fellow Baramey artists Vanthan and Songha.[3] Laura Mam, chief executive of Baramey Production, asked Master Kong Nay to join the song.[3]
Master Kong Nay (1944 to 2024) was one of the few great musicians to survive the Khmer Rouge.[6][7]
History
VannDa began the #TimeToRise campaign in November 2020, shortly after he signed with the mobile network Cellcard.[4] Andrew Mam, Baramey's chief marketing officer, built the campaign.[3] The campaign also sought fairer treatment and better contract terms for Cambodian artists who endorse brands.[4] The song was first released as part of a Cellcard marketing campaign.[1][7]
VannDa has said he was inspired partly by listening to Master Kong Nay's albums. He wanted Khmer people to keep their interest in Khmer instruments and culture.[5][2] He has compared the chapei to a rap song with no beat.[5]
The music video was filmed at the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh and shows the building's architecture.[1][6] VannDa and Master Kong Nay appear in traditional Khmer clothing. Sophia Kao and other Baramey artists also appear in the video.[1][4][3]
Reception
The single went on to become a pop hit.[7] It passed one million views within three months of its release.[1][6] VannDa has said the song found support in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar as well as in Cambodia.[3] In October 2022, its music video became the first by a Cambodian artist to reach 100 million views on YouTube.[1][9]
LiFTED Asia chose "Time To Rise" as its Song of the Year for 2021.[2] It is also listed as LiFTED Asia's Best Video of the Year for 2021.[1] In 2022, the song won the Branding & Marketing of the Year award from Cellcard Cambodia.[9]
Bandwagon credits the track with raising the profile of traditional Khmer music in today's music scene, alongside VannDa's own name.[5] VannDa used the song to introduce the chapei to international listeners.[5]
VannDa performed "Time To Rise" at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he joined the band Phoenix during its set. He says Phoenix first found his work through this song.[6]
Access
- Apple Music: Time To Rise (feat. Master Kong Nay), single
- Apple Music: Time To Rise (feat. Master Kong Nay), song
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Wikipedia, Vannda (2022)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 LiFTED Asia, 2021 has been VannDa's time to rise (December 15, 2021)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Focus Cambodia, "I am VannDa" (June 13, 2024)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Genius, VannDa (Ft. Master Kong Nay), Time To Rise (March 27, 2021)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Bandwagon, Introducing: Cambodian rapper VannDa on bringing Khmer music to the world (September 17, 2021)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 JoySauce, Cambodian rapper VannDa: "We're honoring what was lost while creating something new" (July 10, 2025)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 VICE, Rapper VannDa Is a New Voice From Cambodia's New Generation (July 4, 2022)
- ↑ Apple Music, Time To Rise (feat. Master Kong Nay), single
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Thaiger, VannDa profile (in Thai, August 18, 2025)