Chhom Nimol Explained

Chhom Nimol
Birth Place:Cambodia
Occupation:Singer, songwriter
Instrument:Vocals
Genre:Cambodian rock, Rock, psychedelic, surf, indie
Years Active:1997–present
Label:Tuk Tuk Records

Chhom Nimol (Central Khmer: ឆោម និមល; in Central Khmer pronounced as /cʰaom niʔmɔəl/) is a Cambodian-American singer and lead vocalist for the band Dengue Fever, which she joined in 2001.

Career

Chhom Nimol was born in Cambodia and for a time her family lived in a refugee camp in Thailand. She learned how to sing from her family, who are well-known musicians and singers in Cambodia.[1] In 1997, she won Cambodia's Apsara Awards, a national singing competition. She emigrated to the United States in 2001.[2]

Upon arriving in America, Nimol began singing in restaurants and bars in the Little Phnom Penh area of Long Beach, California.[3] She was soon discovered at an audition by the American rock band Dengue Fever, who were interested in the Cambodian rock and pop music of the 1960s and 70s and sought a singer who could handle the Khmer lyrics of the original Cambodian songs they wished to perform. Dengue Fever released their first album in 2003 and have since expanded their repertoire into original songs inspired by Cambodian rock and many other world music styles. Nimol still usually sings in Khmer but now occasionally sings in English as well.[4] She became a United States citizen in 2014.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Voices Carry: Chhom Nimol. Audrey Magazine. 19 August 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052523/http://audreymagazine.com/voices-carry-chhom-nimol/. March 4, 2016. mdy-all.
  2. Web site: Cambodian Rockers Dengue Fever Celebrate Their Singer's U.S. Citizenship. LA Weekly. 19 August 2015.
  3. Web site: Warner . Brad . Interviews > Dengue Fever's Ethan Holtzman . Suicidegirls.com . 2008-03-17 . 2011-08-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629050836/http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Dengue+Fever%27s+Ethan+Holtzman/ . 2011-06-29 .
  4. Web site: Dengue Fever: Artist Biography. . 1 February 2018.