Listen to this episode of the “GroundTruth” podcast by clicking the play button below, or by subscribing to “GroundTruth” on the podcast app of your choice.
When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, the regime carried out a genocide that killed over 1.5 million people and specifically targeted nearly all of the country’s artists and musicians. Very few survived, but in a strange twist of fate, it was music that saved the life of a man named Sovann Khon, who was just 11 years old then.
After resettling as refugees in the U.S., Sovann and his wife now run a one-stop wedding shop for Cambodian American couples in Lowell, Massachusetts, which is home to the second largest Cambodian American community the country. The weddings take place in Massachusetts, but with Sovann’s wedding band and photo package, he can make a young couple seem like they are back in Cambodia.
Across town at a public elementary school in Lowell, there’s an Irish American music teacher who teaches Cambodian American students to play instruments like the pinpeat, a Cambodian xylophone. As it turns out, 9-year-old Maddox is a preternaturally gifted student. An explanation may lie with his grandmother, who is another genocide survivor.
Hear the full story above, or on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic and other podcasting apps.
Episode Credits
Reporter, producer & series creator: Heidi Shin
Producer & series creator: Ian Coss
Managing producer: Rachel Rohr
Executive producer & host: Charles Sennott
Producer: Qainat Khan
Advisor: Marilyn Halter
A version of this story appeared in PRI's The World on November 14, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this piece! What a delightful person Maddox is, and his love for his grandmother… thank you for the glimpse into the history behind Cambodian people here in MA!!!
great work Heidi – and I love the photo illustration of Maddox :))
A compelling radio broadcast about sweet Mattox