Kong Nay (Khmer: គង់ ណៃ), also known as Kong Nai (15 March 1944 – 28 June 2024), was a Cambodian musician from Kampot Province in southwestern Cambodia who played a traditional long-necked fretted plucked lute called chapei dang veng.
Commonly referred to as Master Kong Nay, he was a master of the chrieng chapei genre (Khmer: ច្រៀងចាប៉ី), in which a solo vocalist performs semi-improvised topical material within traditional epics self-accompanied with the chapei.[1]
He was one of relatively few great masters to have survived the Khmer Rouge era, and was known as the "Ray Charles of Cambodia".[2] Though his music was very different to Charles, the similarity they hold is that Kong Nay was also blind. The fact that most of the remaining chapei masters, such as Prach Chhoun and Neth Pe, are blind was a rather remarkable coincidence.[3]
Kong grew up in a poor family in Daung village, in Kampong Trach district's Svay Tong Khang Choeung commune, Kampot province. At the age of four, he contracted smallpox resulting in his blindness.[6] Drawn to the sound of the chapei players in his village, he mimicked the sound of the instrument until his father was able to purchase a used instrument. Learning from his great uncle Kong Kith,[7] Kong Nay became proficient quickly. By 18, he was playing professionally and married Tat Chhan.[8]
Post-war
After winning a national chapei competition in 1991, the Ministry of Culture gave him a monthly salary of $19 and some land in Phnom Penh's Dey Krahom area,[9] near the White Building in Tonle Bassac.
Death
In May 2022, Kong was hospitalised for treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes and lung problems at Kampot provincial hospital. Kong's son, Samphors, was quoted as saying his father may not play the chapei again.[10]
