Social Shifts and Viable Musical Futures

The artistic, social, and liturgical practice of smot has been, in shifting manifestations, an integral part of Buddhist ritual in Cambodia for centuries. Smot faces new challenges in the twenty-first century, as its social and economic bases change as rapidly as Cambodia itself. This chapter reflects on the current situation and future prospects for smot, and includes an in-depth account of the experiences and views of one young urban smot singer, SreyNy. The issues raised are placed in the context of the wider applied ethnomusicological concern with safeguarding and revitalizing musical heritage seen to be “at risk.”