Chluy Talk

In this episode, I chat with Chanda Mau. She's a Khmer-American Chef/Foodie based in Austin Texas. Chanda is very an upbeat personality and is always bringing people together with food. She often does pop ups in Texas, where she'll cook Khmer egg rolls and sells them to raise funds for various causes. She helped the people affected by the tragic snow storm that battered the state. On Sunday, May 23rd she will be helping with another pop up with Austin Pets Alive which helps people adopt dogs. She will be serving Cambodian Glass noodles with pork so if you would like to donate to the cause you can do via Venmo: chanda-mau. She hopes to one day make her very own cook book and help spread Khmer Cuisine to the masses.

In this episode, I interview Mz Rada Darling of Phoenix AZ. She was born in Cambodia and grew up in Long Beach, California. Rada talks about her challenges early on in her life and dealing with divorce. We chat about the struggles of growing up Khmer in America, her favorite Khmer foods, her love life, her real estate career, and more recently her role in Vh1's - Couple's retreat where her boyfriend and famous Comedian, Michael Blackson go on a retreat to take part in honest and uncensored conversations about how the celebrity factor can challenge a relationship, the importance of communication and the pain of heartache. The show will also dive into social issues including mental health, racial injustice and prison reform. It was really cool to sit down and learn more about Rada and talk openly about what most people are uncomfortable talking about. Make sure ya'll follow Rada on Social media and watch her on Vh1's Couples Retreat.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sophia Kao. Sophia is Cambodian singer/songwriter from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She's a rising star at Baramey Production, a power house record label and premium talent management agency with an all-star roster that includes artist such as Laura Mam, Vannda, Khmeng Khmer, Songha, Polarix, and RXTHY. I learned a lot of Sophia and I'm impressed not only her knowledge of music, but also her understanding of how to be successful in the music industry and how important it is to have a solid team behind you. I told her how much I loved her single "Time" which features Vannda who is making a name for himself as one of Cambodia's top artist. Time, has reached over 1M views in just a little over a week and hit the the #3 spot on the iTunes top 100 Chart in Cambodia. The #1 spot also belongs to the Baramey Crew, which made history in Cambodia as the 1st Music video to hit 1M views in less then 24 hrs. The historical smash hit "Time To Rise" made noise worldwide with hundreds of youtube reaction videos, and more recently a feature by HipHopDX Asia. What made this collaboration epic was that it featured Master Kong Nay on the Chapey (khmer traditional instrument) and he was singing back and forth with Vannda. It was the perfect combination of the old & new generation. It makes me proud and the rest of us watching & so happy to see that there are no rules to making great music and you can Rap with meaningful lyrics alongside "Ah Yie" and Chapey music. This interview was fun but also short and sweet. It's only a matter of "Time" where Sophia Kao & the entire Baramey Crew will be household names internationally. I am here for it! Watch or listen to full interview to learn more about Sophia and what her plans are. 

In this episode, we celebrate Women's History Month with one of the most influential Khmer Women in Cambodia's music & dance scene. Her name is Laura Mam and she is a Khmer American singer, songwriter, music producer, and businesswoman. She is known as one of the pioneers of “Khmer Original Music Movement”  and is the founder and CEO of Baramey Productions. Laura was born in 1986 in San Jose, California to Cambodian Refugee parents. She was the oldest of 2 siblings and attended UC Berkley. Her mother & father both were singers, and her little sister played guitar so music runs in her family. Not just music, her brother Andrew was a professional dancer who had a 5 year stint with the world famous b-boy crew, Jabbawockeez. In 2018, Laura won an arts and Culture prize from the Women of the Future Awards South East Asia. Laura & I had a great conversation and we talked about important topics such as creating original music, reading business contracts, building a solid team with the same drive and focus, collaborating with artists locally and internationally while maintaining dignity, staying safe during the pandemic, and we also shared our thoughts on the anti-asian hate thats going on here in America. We hope you guys enjoy the episode and please watch/listen to this interview in its entirety because Laura drops so many valuable information, pro-tips, and gems that will help those who may need to hear it, the youth, the next generation and to show you that dreams do come true if you work hard and don't give up.

Ep 34 features a special guest from Fordham Bronx: Chhaya Chhoum, an inspiring leader, activist, community organizer, mother and executive director at @mekongnyc_ Mekong NYC. We have an important conversation about issues in our community such as anti blackness, anti Asian violence, social justice, fighting deportation, accountability, collective healing and more.

About Mekong NYC

#chhayachhoum #mekongnyc #fordham #bronx #nyc #hellachluy #chluytalkpodcast #stopasianhate #civilrightsmovement #immigration #leadership #activism #khmer #vietnamese #lgbtq #womenempowerment #womenshistorymonth

In this episode, I interview Mona Sang of Chicago. She is a Cambodian Chef who started her catering company, specializing in Khmer cuisine to serve the Chicago community at he start of the pandemic last year. We shared a deep conversation about her family history and what it was like growing up in Chicago in the late 80s. Mona has worked professionally as a chef in the Chicago area for the past 6 years. She is originally from Cambodia, but came to the United States with her mother and her sister and two brothers as a child. They survived the Khmer Rouge genocide and made a new life in the city of Chicago. Her mother supported her family by working as a private caterer to their local community. Mona credits her mother with the unique taste she has developed in bringing Cambodian cuisine and culture to the United States. After graduating from college, Mona built a family of her own, and then started her career in the food industry with Lettuce Entertain You. Now she is bringing all her experiences forward to launch Mona Bella catering and introduce her unique flavor to the world.