Piano Prodigy Jude Kofie to Headline Project Harmony’s 30th Anniversary Gala
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United States Dengue Fever combines Cambodian rock and pop music with other global styles, carving a unique niche within the international music scene.
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Request A ShowStarting in September 2015, Dengue Fever partnered with The Asia Foundation to help raise money for Books For Asia, an initiative focused on creating a positive impact through books.
Dengue Fever has partnered with Wildlife Alliance, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting wildlife and forest conservation efforts in Cambodia.
The band compiled and released the album "Electric Cambodia" in 2010, with all proceeds donated to Cambodian Living Arts, an organization working to preserve traditional and popular Cambodian music.
Dengue Fever has donated songs for benefit records produced by the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, a charity that provides financial assistance to musicians facing illness, disability, or age-related issues.
Their cover of "Ethanopium" by Mulatu Astatke was featured on the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch's 2005 film "Broken Flowers."
"One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula" was included on the soundtrack for the second-season finale of the Showtime series "Weeds" and its recap for the third season.
The band's Khmer cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" was featured on the soundtrack of Matt Dillon's 2002 film "City of Ghosts," set in Cambodia.
"Seeing Hands" was used in the UK television series "Dirty Sanchez."
"Escape From Dragon House" was featured in the fourth episode of the HBO series "True Blood."
"Sni Bong" was featured in episode 21 of the podcast "Welcome to Night Vale."
"New Year's Eve" was used for a bwin commercial shown on German television.
Dengue Fever contributed several songs to the 2018 theater production "Cambodian Rock Band" by Lauren Yee.
Dengue Fever is an American band that formed in Los Angeles in 2001. The band infuses Cambodian rock and pop music from the 1960s and 70s with elements of psychedelic rock and various other world music styles. The group’s formation was initiated by keyboardist Ethan Holtzman, who discovered Cambodian psychedelic rock during his travels. His brother, guitarist Zac Holtzman, coincidentally found the same genre while working at a record store. The band’s initial lineup included bassist Senon Williams, saxophonist and flutist David Rallicke, and drummer Paul Smith. The band sought a vocalist fluent in Khmer to perform the Cambodian songs they intended to cover. They ultimately selected Chhom Nimol, a well-known singer from Cambodia who had emigrated to the United States.
Dengue Fever released their self-titled debut album in 2003, featuring primarily Cambodian rock songs from the 1960s-70s and two original tracks, all sung in Khmer by Nimol. Subsequent albums have predominantly featured original compositions, with lyrics initially written in English by the Holtzman brothers and then translated. Nimol performs these songs primarily in Khmer, occasionally incorporating English. The band’s second album, “Escape from Dragon House,” was released in 2005. That same year, Dengue Fever toured Cambodia during the Bon Om Thook water festival, receiving positive reception. This tour was documented in the 2009 film “Sleepwalking Through the Mekong,” which highlighted the enduring popularity of 1960s-70s Cambodian rock in the country and the band’s cross-cultural appeal.
In 2008, Real World Records released “Venus On Earth” internationally, an album that earned the Best Fusion Album award at the 2009 Independent Music Awards. The band expanded its musical scope with the 2011 album “Cannibal Courtship,” incorporating diverse world music influences beyond its initial Cambodian focus. Their fifth album, “The Deepest Lake,” released in 2015, further integrated elements such as girl group pop, surf music, jazz, and African rhythms, while maintaining its Cambodian psychedelic rock roots. In 2017, Dengue Fever supported Tinariwen on an extensive American tour. The band contributed several songs to Lauren Yee’s 2018 theater production “Cambodian Rock Band.” Their most recent album, “Ting Mong,” was released in September 2023.
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