By Blen Romam  Cambodianess Sunday, August 3, 2025

Youn Mondet performs on Indigenous culture during the Asian Youth Theatre Festival 2024 in Chiang Mai. Photo by Keo Rattana

PHNOM PENH – Youn Mondet, a rising Brao artist, is bringing Indigenous music to new heights through a powerful blend of tradition and innovation. At just 26, he’s determined to use his voice—and his roots—to spotlight the culture of one of Cambodia’s least-known Indigenous communities.

“I love the arts, music, culture, and Indigenous traditions because they allow me to express my feelings,” said Mondet. “Culture is our identity. It’s our heritage, passed down through generations, and it deserves to be preserved.”

Born and raised in the remote Ta Veng district of Ratanakiri province, Mondet is the fourth of five children in a Brao family.

The Brao are one of 22 Indigenous groups recognized in Cambodia, according to a 2024 national report by the Ministry of Planning and the Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Alliance.

Most Brao live in the lush, mountainous areas of Ta Veng and Vern Sai districts, with others residing in Siem Pang district of Stung Treng province. Many live near Vireakchey National Park, a vital ecological zone that has long provided food, shelter, and spiritual grounding to the community.

Despite their deep cultural legacy, the Brao remain largely unknown to much of Cambodia—and the world. Their language, rituals, and traditional musical instruments such as the thas, gong, gong ring, mim, boung ampong, and hethot are rarely encountered outside their communities.

Since 2020, Mondet has been on a mission to change that. Through songwriting and performance, he is reviving and sharing the Brao language and musical traditions with broader audiences.

“Young people need to preserve, value, and promote our Indigenous traditions,” he said. “Many people have never heard of them. I want to share our culture with the ASEAN community and beyond.”

His music—infused with both ancestral melodies and contemporary rhythms—has begun to reach national and international stages. One of his standout songs, ‘Our Natural Resources’, explores the vital relationship between Indigenous communities and the environment.

“Our forests are more than trees,” Mondet said. “They’ve always been our source of food, shelter, and economic survival.”

Another of his songs, ‘Preserve Our National Culture’, delivers a heartfelt call to protect the customs and identities that define Cambodia’s Indigenous groups.

Both tracks are supported by the Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Organization, which promotes Indigenous voices through arts and culture.

In the early days, Mondet faced several setbacks. With little recognition for Indigenous music and few platforms to showcase his work, he struggled to gain visibility. Access to musical instruments and recording equipment was another major challenge. Yet, his passion kept him going.

He taught himself to play traditional instruments and emphasized how Indigenous music captures emotions in ways that don’t rely on written notation. To further his skills, he enrolled at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh.

In 2024, he became the first Brao youth from the Northeast to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in music. Before that, he completed high school in Ratanakiri in 2017.

Through his work, Mondet is not only pursuing personal creative goals but also sparking a broader appreciation for Cambodia’s Indigenous communities.

“Youth hold the vital responsibility to preserve and promote their traditions, culture, and identity—both at home and on the world stage,” he said.

His songs are more than performances—they are a form of cultural preservation, education, and advocacy. In each lyric and rhythm, Youn Mondet amplifies the voices of the Brao and other Indigenous peoples, ensuring their heritage continues to thrive for generations to come.

https://cambodianess.com/article/how-a-young-indigenous-artist-inspires-a-generation

SOURCE: Cambodianess Cambodia, Sunday, August 3, 2025

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