Baksey Cham Krong was formed in 1959, with Mol Kagnol, his brother
Mol Kamach, and Samley Hong. The Mol brothers were from a wealthy family and were able to listen to Western radio stations, becoming influenced by singers
Paul Anka and
Pat Boone, plus the guitar-driven music of
The Ventures and
Chuck Berry. Mol Kagnol, 14 years old at the time and nicknamed "Uncle Solo," played lead guitar while Kamach performed vocals. They likened themselves to
Cliff Richard and
The Shadows, and modeled their stage presence after Richard's 1961 movie
The Young Ones. They gained popularity in Cambodia, but due to their parents' disapproval, along with the unlikelihood of turning music into a viable career, the group broke up in 1966. Mol Kamach went to college to study
finance, and Mol Kagnol went on to study
engineering. Kagnol joined the military and was training in the United States when the
Khmer Rouge took power in 1975, killing at least 20 of the Mol brothers' family members during the ensuing
Cambodian genocide. All members of the band are still alive. The band was featured in the 2015 documentary film ''
Don't Think I've Forgotten. In an interview with Mol Kagnol, he said that he remembers his brother attracting a lot of girls, and that he attracted a lot of boys who wanted to learn to play guitar. According to Folio Weekly'', the band "created a tsunami of guitar bands that played everything from hot-rod rock to go-go." Baksey Cham Krong's music exerted a wide influence on the
Cambodian rock and pop scene, while older singers like
Sinn Sisamouth were inspired by the band's popularity to add rock songs to their repertoires. The band reunited for a performance in New York City in 2015, with another pre-Khmer Rouge rock band,
Drakkar, which cites Baksey Cham Krong as one of its influences. ==References==