The “WASH YA HANDZ” COVID-19 Hygiene Music Video Goes Viral

Still from the music video “WASH YA HANDZ” by Phare Ponleu Selpak’s circus artists and the youth media NGO Minor Act.
  • Jazmyn Himel
  • April 24, 2020 2:07 AM

It is meant to show young Cambodians hand-washing techniques  



PHNOM PENH-- Phare Ponleu Selpak social Circus’s music video “WASH YA HANDZ” done in collaboration with the youth media NGO Minor Act has reached over 130,000 views in its first two days, according to Phare’s press release. 



Meant to explain to young Cambodians how to wash their hands to prevent COVID-19 contamination, the video starts in a mauve and blue haze with the title “Corona No” at the forefront and a drummer in the background. 



Dancers and singers move at a fast pace wearing garments ranging from today’s clothes to basic Khmer classical-dance ones as they explain how to “wash real good.” The Khmer classical dancers wear facemasks and one carries a bottle of hand disinfectant. At times, performers are replaced by “hand” animations.



Done with a Khmer-language soundtrack, the 3:10 minute video ends on a 12-screen animation demonstrating all hand-washing steps.    



“We are very happy the video has gone viral, [that] there has been a lot of engagement with younger Cambodians,” said Huot Dara, CEO of Phare Performing Social Enterprise and board member of the Phare Ponleu Selpak Association. “It was meant for young Cambodians, because they are the most active,” he said, and need to know the basic measures to take to protect themselves against the coronavirus.



The second goal of the video, Dara said, “is to bring interest in the fact that our artists have lost their income.” The video is also part of a crowd-funding campaign called “Simply Giving” aimed at providing either cash support or food items to Phare’s student artists who have lost 100% of their income, he said. 



The non-profit organization based in Battambang City serves more than 1,000 youth from poor backgrounds and employs 145 young adults in their social circus, dance and music programs. 



Due to theater closures ordered by the Cambodian government to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Phare has been unable to generate revenues from admissions at its circus facility in Siem Reap City, which is one of Phare’s main sources of income. As a result, graduate artists can only receive only 50 percent of their income, leaving student artists in urgent need of help. Phare hopes to raise $5,000 through its donation site https://www.simplygiving.com/event/save-the-circus-kids



The “WASH YA HANDZ”  music video can be seen at:  








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