Kep West Finds Its Voice: Melody & Joe Light Up The Wave

Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 6pm, The Wave hosts “Melody & Joe,” a music night presented by Art for Kep pairing a rising voice of Cambodia's pop-jazz scene with the vintage guitar sound of a British musician based in Phnom Penh.

Melody Mouyseang and Joe Wrigley on stage, vintage mic and guitar in hand

It's become something of a habit at Kep West: whenever Art for Kep rolls out its cultural calendar, music is never far behind the visual art and marine conservation work that define the place. On Saturday, July 18, starting at 6pm, it's The Wave's stage that comes alive, with a duo that has already proven itself on Phnom Penh's live circuit: Melody & Joe.

Melody, a rising voice in Khmer pop-jazz

Billed as one of the capital's rising voices, Cambodian singer Melody Mouyseang has made a name for herself in recent years with a repertoire drawing on Western pop, jazz and Americana — a departure from the well-worn paths of traditional Khmer variety. Her regular presence on Phnom Penh's jazz scene, moving between intimate clubs and themed nights, has aligned her with a new generation of Cambodian artists reshaping the relationship between local music and international influences. Listeners often draw comparisons to the mood of Norah Jones or Icelandic-Danish singer Laufey, somewhere between jazzy phrasing and understated sensuality.

Jumpin' Joe Wrigley, vintage British guitar sets the mood

Alongside her, British guitarist Joe Wrigley — known as “Jumpin' Joe” — brings a distinctly retro touch. A familiar face on the capital's stages, where he has also performed alongside other figures of Phnom Penh's jazz circuit, he holds a strong affinity for 1950s and '60s tones and gear, an aesthetic choice that fits neatly with the duo's Americana repertoire.

An evening in the spirit of Art for Kep

This concert is part of the cultural programming run by Art for Kep, the initiative launched by Knai Bang Chatt and Kep West to turn the small coastal town into a regional creative hub, spanning artist residencies, exhibitions and live music. Having hosted painters, sculptors and photographers in residence on the hills above Kep, the organisation regularly extends its reach into live music, reinforcing its stated ambition: to make Kep far more than a beach stopover — a full-fledged cultural destination on Cambodia's coast.

So mark your calendar for Saturday, July 18, 6pm, at The Wave, Kep West, for an evening suspended between Western pop, mellow jazz and vintage guitar, facing the sea.

Practical information

Event: Melody & Joe, by Art for Kep

Venue: The Wave, Kep West, Krong Kep, Cambodia

Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026

Time: 6pm