creative original music

Songkites supports songwriters to discover and develop their creativity through songwriting.  The idea is simple; making original music is about understanding yourself.  When songwriters truly connect their feelings with their musical skills, people can't help but listen. Songkites provides the opportunity for creative original people to make creative original music.  Through specialised workshops, recording sessions and concerts, songwriters develop their abilities alongside their confidence and most importantly, become part of a community of aspiring artists who encourage and support each other.  

Season 1

The first season of Songkites began in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2013. Twelve young songwriters were selected and immediately became a close and supportive community.  Using the skills they developed in the workshops and individual sessions, each person wrote an original song and recorded it in Songkites studio.The resulting album was an instant success and was launched at a free outdoor concert to around 3,000 people. These inspiring artists became role models for a new generation of creative Cambodians and their fans demanded more. More about Season One

Season of Love

In 2017, the songkites community grew. Nine more songwriters were selected to join a season with a special theme. Love. The resulting songs became a soundtrack for a Cambodian-made movie, Love to the Power of 4. New songs were written and new songs became hits.

Be Yourself

Songkites Studio is on the top floor of Ragamuffin Boathouse, an arts therapy hub in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  The 'Boathouse' is a sanctuary for creative expression, where the arts are used to encourage healing and growth. Music is fundamental to human experience and can express our profound joy as well as our deepest fears. Songkites Studio is a place where songwriters can feel safe and free to express themselves through music. When you are allowed to 'Be Yourself' you unlock your capacity for creativity and personal development - which makes the recording process more meaningful and the songs better!

redefining success

Songkites is not about making stars. It is not a competition and it celebrates the benefits of working together as a team. A successful songwriter is often imagined as an artist who makes millions and performs to thousands. Songkites defines success in terms of the safety, creative control and happiness of the songwriter. The music industry is a challenging industry so Songkites aims to equip songwriters with emotional tools as well as technical ones to make sure they can sustain themselves throughout their career. 

One of the ironies of this focus is that the songs can become so rich with meaning and emotion that they do in fact become hits. Millions of fans continue to listen and support artists that have been part of Songkites. Check out the songs on our Youtube playlist.