Crocodile’s Village. That is what Phum Krapeu Troum roughly translates to. But how did this village get such a distinctive name?
Phum Krapeu Troum is part of Roluos. Roluos is a village in the Khan Dangkao district. Khan Dangkao is in the southern part of Phnom Penh.
The krapeu, also known as takhe, is a three-stringed box zither. Krapeu means crocodile in Khmer. Takhe is the Siamese word for crocodile. The instrument got its name because the ancient Khmer made it in the shape of a crocodile. It had an open mouth teeth eyes and ornamental details.
The krapeu is made of jackfruit wood. It is about 1.30 meters long and stands on three or five feet a dozen centimeters high. The anterior part is narrow and rounded or triangular. The posterior part is wider and ends in a triangle. It once corresponded to the crocodile’s tail. The instrument has twelve frets made of neang nuon wood. They are usually covered with bone but were once made of ivory. The three pegs are also generally carved from neang nuon wood. The bridge was formerly ivory. Today it is made of wood wood and bone or resin. The color and texture imitate ivory.
The highest string is called kse ek. The second is kse ko. The third and lowest is kse ko santor. All three strings are attached to a small thin copper box. It is called “toad” and amplifies the sound by making a crackle. This device existed on the zithers of ancient India.
The krapeu uses the tremolo technique like the mandolin. The krapeu is used in mahori phleng kar and aayaaye wedding entertainment sets. In 1972 Hang Kin played the krapeu. Jacques Brunet directed and recorded it. Pou Thonevath donated this special collection to Bophana Center.
The contemporary mahori orchestra has Thai influence. But it was most certainly created by the ancient Khmer. It is one of the few non-ritual ensembles dedicated to recreation. It comprises a tro sau two-string fiddle a krapeu box zither a khim table zither chhing cymbalettes and a skor daey drum.
The krapeu was played in the Mohari and Ayay musical ensembles. Today it is primarily played in wedding ensembles. It is easier to transport than the Chapei Dong Veng. This information is based on Cambodian Music written by Keo Narom in 2005.
Perhaps Phum Krapeu Troum was named for a village famous for crafting these instruments. Or maybe a musician lived here. It is also possible the village was shaped like a crocodile. Unfortunately the true story is lost to time. But the name Phum Krapeu Troum keeps the legend alive.