Sarika Keo (2025)

Sarika Keo (sah-REE-kah KOW; សារិកាកែវ in Khmer script) is a traditional children’s song from Cambodia. The title refers to a bird of the starling family, often kept as a pet in Cambodia and can even be trained to speak like a parrot. The lyrics of the song (though multiple sets of lyrics exist) describe the behavior of the starling such as what it eats and how it sings, and Khmer-language onomatopoeia is used for the sounds of the bird chirping. I came about this song while playing in a traditional Cambodian ensemble at UMass Lowell, where an immigrant master musician (lokru) teaches popular Khmer music on traditional instruments to music students.

It’s no coincidence that the timing of this arrangement coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Cambodian genocide, a horrific tragedy that led to the dispersal of Cambodians throughout the world. Over the years a strong Khmer community emerged in Lowell and has undeniably contributed to the progress and cultural heritage of the immigrant city— all for the better. In 2025 a community initiative called Proleung Khmer (“Khmer Soul”) hosted a series of cultural events and performances celebrating the resilience of the Khmer American community since they first arrived in the United States. Through parades, documentary screenings and performances (some of which I got to perform myself!) I got to immerse myself so deeply with people who have suffered through everything and yet continue to have the strength to fight.

The strong melodic and content of Cambodian songs has the potential to seamlessly fit in the repertoire of an idiom whose first repertoire was so firmly rooted in folk-song settings. I hope this arrangement will be a starting point for exploring Cambodian music, and maybe it will inspire more Khmer-influenced music to enter the band repertoire from a place of respect and utmost appreciation for the culture— a culture that was at risk of being erased only 50 years ago.