Sinn Sisamouth

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Sinn Sisamouth
"King of Khmer music"
Background information
Born	1935 Stung Treng, Cambodia
Died	1975 Cambodia
Occupation(s)	Singer, Composer Bandleader, Producer
Years active	1950s-1975
Associated acts	Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron

Sinn Sisamouth (Khmer ស៊ីន ស៊ីសាមុត) (alternate spellings: Sin Sisamouth, Sinn Sisamout/h, Sisamut/h or 'Si' with spacing e.g. Si Samouth; pronounced: Sinn Sis-sa-mott with a silent 'h') (1935 - c. 1975) was a famous and highly prolific Cambodian singer-songwriter of the 1960s and 70s.

Widely considered the "King of Khmer music," Samouth, along with Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron and other artists, was part of a thriving pop music scene in Phnom Penh that blended elements of Khmer traditional music with the sounds of rhythm and blues and rock and roll to make a Westernized sound akin to psychedelic or garage rock. Samouth is believed to have been killed under the Khmer Rouge regime.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Music career 1.3 The Killing Fields 2 Legacy 3 Partial discography 3.1 Solo performances 3.2 A 3.3 B 3.4 C 3.5 D 3.6 G 3.7 J 3.8 K 3.9 L 3.10 M 3.11 N 3.12 O 3.13 P 3.14 R 3.15 S 3.16 T 3.17 V 3.18 Y 3.19 Duets with Ros Sereysothea 3.20 Duet with Pan Ron 3.21 Notes 4 Reference 5 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Sinn Sisamouth was born in 1935 in Stung Treng Province, the son of Sinn Leang and mother Seb Bunlei who was of Lao-Chinese descent.

He was the youngest of four siblings, with one brother and two sisters. His father was a prison warden in Battambang Province and was then a soldier during the Colonial Cambodia period. His father died of disease and his mother remarried, and the union resulted in two more children.

Samouth attended Central Province of Stung Treng Elementary School when he was 5. At around age 6 or 7, he started show interest in the guitar, and he would be asked to perform at school functions. He was also interested in Buddhist scripture and other books as well as playing soccer and flying kites.

Around 1951, he passed elementary school and intended to study medicine in Phnom Penh, but continued working at becoming a singer and writing songs. Just as he had in elementary school, he became well known in his school for his music and was asked to sing at school ceremonies.

By the time Cambodia was granted independence from France in 1953, Samouth's fine singing voice landed him a spot on national radio as a regular singer. He also continued his studies, working at Preah Ketomealea Hospital.

[edit] Music career

After completing medical school, Samouth became a nurse and married his cousin, Keo Thorng Gnut in an arranged marriage. The couple had four children. But he was also a very famous singing star in Cambodia, and his life as a celebrity eclipsed his family life.

He possessed a clear crooning voice, which combined with his own compositions of the pleasures and pains of romance, made him an irresistible idol. He sang many ballads, as well uptempo rock numbers that featured prominent, distortion-laden guitar, pumping organ and loud, driving drums. Other arrangements were more Latin jazz-sounding, featuring woodwinds, brass and auxiliary percussion.

In the early 1950s he became a protege of Queen Kossomak Nearyrath. He was selected into the Vong Phleng Preah Reach Troap (classical ensemble of the Royal Treasury) where together with Sos Matt, he performed at royal receptions and state functions. A number of songs he wrote subsequently bore the unmistakable melancholic melodies of traditional Khmer music he performed in those formative years. In the mid-1950s a romantic ballad "Violon Sneha", composed by violinist Hass Salan, catapulted Samouth into stardom. In recent years the song has been re-issued by a large number of modern performers, including Song Seng Horn (Sayonara CD 23) who hails from Rhode Island, Mol Kamach (a singer and guitarist of the 1960s who escaped the Khmer Rouge rule and is now living in France), Nay Sieng (a Khmer based in France) and Him Sivonn (a female vocalist from Phnom Penh).

Most of Samouth's tape recordings from this period did not survive the years of social upheaval however, although now and then some of Samouth's '50s and early '60s hits come back to life with the help of his thousands of Khmer fans from across the globe. One such hit, "Srey Sros Khmeng", re-emerged from oblivion with Suong Chantha's 2002 faithful rendition. Samouth's other hits of the same period include "Anussavry Phnom Kravanh", "(Chett Srey doch) Chong Srol", "Thngay Dob Pee Thnou", "Thngay Muoy Kakkda", "Teuk Keb", "Stung Pursat" and "Prek Eng Oss Sangkhim".

Beginning around 1963 Samouth started recording on the Vat Phnom label. His "Champa Batdambang" won immediate acclaim across the country. In a 1971 Phnom Penh TV show, Samouth's interviewer recalled that "Champa Batdambang" was the first-ever song sung on the inauguration of the station in 1965.

What captured Samouth's audience was the use of a four-piece, rock and roll band instrumentation with guitars and percussion, a departure from a backing band of wind instruments. He also experimented with Latin music, an infatuation that may have started with Prince Norodom Sihanouk's compositions such as "Reatry Del Ban Chuop Pheak" and "Phnom Penh".

Samouth's popularity nevertheless did not eclipse the work of other recording artists, notably those who sang at the National Radio such as Eum Song Seurm and Huoy Meas. Meas Hok Seng, a voice artist at the Phnom Penh University of Arts ("Sala Rachna") also achieved celebrity status in 1966 with "Lolok Nhi Chmaul". Hits by these artists often came from the pen of lyricist Ma Lao Pi, a talented poet and broadcaster now living in California, whose masterpieces include "Day Samot Trapaing Roung" and "Lolok Nhi Chmaul". Despite occasional hits such as "Akassyean", Sos Matt on the other hand appeared to have been unfairly sidelined in the commercialisation of music that took place with the arrival of recording productions such as Vat Phnom and Chan Chaya.

In the late 1960s and early '70s, Samouth sang the soundtrack songs to a number of movies catering to mass taste, such as Orn Euy Srey Orn, Tep Sodachan, and Thavory Meas Bong. In "Peou Chhouk Sar", a 1967 success directed by talented Tea Lim Kaing, Samouth captured the poignant breakup of lead actors Dy Saveth and Chea Yuthan with his "Neavea Chivit". Over his long career, Samuth recorded many duets with female singing partners including in the early 60's, Mao Sareth, Keo Settha, Chhunn Vanna, Huoy Meas, Ros Sereysothea and Penn Ron. Penn Ron began recording with Samouth in 1966. Ros Sereysothea started her career in around 1967 with the hit "Stung Khieu". Her high, crisp voice nicely balanced the deeper-toned voice of Sisamouth. Nevertheless the quality of Samouth's songs deteriorated rapidly in the '70s, saved a few notable gems written by lyricist Voy Ho who has been a long standing colleague. Over that same period Samuth adapted a number of Thai songs into his repertoire.

From 1972 to 1973 music publisher Kruorch Bunlyhe issued "A Collection of Sentimental Songs", which contained 500 of Sinn Sisamouth's songs. That was just one publisher. It's estimated that he wrote thousands of songs, possibly at least one for each day he was famous, his son Sinn Chaya has said.

Along with his original works, Samouth also introduced many Western pop tunes to Cambodia, simply writing new verses in Khmer language. Examples include "The House of the Rising Sun" as "I'm Still Waiting for You" (a particularly good showcase of his sustained phrasing and baritone voice), "Black Magic Woman" (drawing influence from the Santana version) as "I Love Petite Women", and "Quando My Love", a crooner's classic in any language.

[edit] The Killing Fields

In the aftermath of the coup d'état by the Lon Nol government on March 18, 1970 that saw the overthrow the rule of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Samouth started to sing propaganda songs in support of the fledgling Khmer Republic. One such song that became an enduring classic was 'Mae Owy Ao Yoann', relating a mother gifting a mantra covered magic vest to her soldier son on his way to battle. Referring to communist troop movements over Cambodian territory during the Viet Nam War, a verse in the same song charged that the deposed king had sold out Cambodian land to the Viet Cong. Such criticisms on the royal family were unprecedented not least given that Samouth had been a protege of Queen Kossomak Nirirath, mother of Prince Sihanouk. The Khmer Rouge takeover of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975 saw Samouth forced out of the city, along with millions of other residents.

By this time he had remarried, to a dancer in the royal ballet, who was pregnant at the time with the couple's second child.

The circumstances of his death in the Killing Fields are unknown. But he had connections to the old government, was highly educated and was an artist - all trappings of a society that Pol Pot sought to eradicate. One apocryphal story is that before he was to be executed, Samouth asked he be allowed to sing a song for the cadre, but the cold-hearted soldiers were unmoved and after he finished singing, they killed him anyhow.

[edit] Legacy

Because his presence and influence on Cambodian music was so great, he is still a household name and remains popular to this day in Cambodia.

Three children from Samouth's first marriage survived the Khmer Rouge and one son, Sinn Chaya, became a singer for the Cambodian Radio, though he himself has admitted he could not be compared to his father.

Out of the possibly thousands of songs that Samouth wrote, many have survived and continue to be recorded by new artists.

Although all the master tapes of his studio recordings are thought to have been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, his work lives on in recordings created from cassettes and LPs that have subsequently been transferred to CD, and are often heard on Cambodian radio stations.

Samouth, his frequent duet partner, Ros Sereysothea and other Cambodian singers of the era, including Meas Samoun, Chan Chaya, Choun Malai and Pan Ron, are featured on the soundtrack to Matt Dillon's film City of Ghosts. Tracks by Samouth are "Mou Pei Na" and "Ne Te Fache Pas".

[edit] Partial discography

Some of the songs (from the hundreds and possibly thousands) that Sinn Sinsamouth composed and sang himself, or with Ros Sereysothea or Pan Ron, include:

[edit] Solo performances

[edit] A

• Ae Na Tiw Than Suor? (Where is Heaven?)
• Annie...
• Anuksavary Phnom Sompov (Thoughts of the Sompov mountain)

[edit] B

• Ba Aun Ban Bang Aun (If baby you had me...)
• Baksa Slab Deik
• Battambang Bandol Jet
• Bong Som Pdum Srey Orn*
• Bopha Chiang Mai (Flower (ie. Girl) of Chiang Mai)
• Bopha dei krong (Flower (ie. Girl) of the city)
• Bopha Koah Kong (Flower (ie. Girl) from Koah Kong Island)
• Bopha tae mouy (Only one girl)

[edit] C

• Chang Trim Tae Khuñ (Just Want to See)
• Cheim Krohom Kmao
• Chmous Oun Diuc Doung Dara
• Chit niw tae prathna
• Chit Phit Kbat (Traitorous Lying Heart)
• Cut Saog Dai Aike*

[edit] D

• Devi*
• Dorng steung Porthisat
• Dorng steung Sangker
• Dourng netra

[edit] G

• Gaing Thov*

[edit] J

• Jevit Sach Loch

[edit] K

• Kandal dourng Chet
• Keng Youl Angrung (Sleeping, Rocking the Hammock)
• Kheung Pruos Sralanh (I am angry because I love...)
• Kolap Batdambong (Rose of Battambong)
• Kolap Mouy Tong (The One Rose)
• Kolap Pailin (Pailin rose)

[edit] L

• Lmorm heuy na srey

[edit] M

• Mai Ouy Owe Youn*
• Maloub dorng steung por bak khaing
• Meas Teuk Prambei (Impure Gold) aka Smaan Tae Niw Gramom (Thought (she) Was Still a Maiden)
• Meul Teuk Samotr (Looking at the water of the Ocean)
• Msel Menh (Yesterday)

[edit] N

• Neary chnam 72 (Girl in the year 1972)
• Neuk aun jearnich (I dream about you...)
• Nevei Jevit

[edit] O

• Oh oh yeh yeh A song by Sin Sisamouth containing a chorus in English
• On srey On (On, the woman, On)*
• Aun mok pee na? (Baby, where did you come from?)

[edit] P

• Pailin Soben Snae(Pailin dream of love)
• Pkai Proeuk (Morning star)
• Phap Samnarng

[edit] R

• Ream Kham Sror Mai
• Roomdourl dorng steung Sangker (Flower of the river Sangker)
• Roomdourl Pothisat (Flower of Pursat)
• Roomdourl Kok Kong
• Roomdourl Sorin

[edit] S

• Samotr ream
• Sangkhim Cheanich (Hoping Forever)
• Snae ney yoeung (Our love)
• Soriya reap lich
• Stoeung Sangker Kom Praeh jet tmey (River Sangker, don't change mind)

[edit] T

• Tep Thida Khnong Soben
• Tgnai Neas Min Jole Pteas (Won't Go Home Today)
• Thavory meas Bang (Thavory, my love)*
• Touh yarg nar
• Troap Koap Chenda
• Tumnuñ Kita

[edit] V

• Vil Veñ Oun (Come Back, Dear)
• Voasa Dal Haouy (Winter is Hear Already)

[edit] Y

• Youp 12 koert (unforgettable night of the 12th increasing moon)

[edit] Duets with Ros Sereysothea

• Aiy Na Prommajarey
• Atneja Kai Gnognit
• Akura Lohet*
• Bombai Tep Sodachan*
• Bos Choong
• Chhom Chet Pesey
• Chop Jeur Huey Bros
• Jang ban pka avey? (What flower do you want?)
• Jomno Throjak
• Jun Kasey
• Koch Madam Nas
• Kolarb snaeha (Love poem)
• Komloss Phnom Penh Kromom Battambang
• Konoch veyo
• Kromom Khmer Ler
• Lea Huey Kolap Battambang
• Oh! snaeha euy! (Oh! Love...)
• Snaiha Phenovong*

[edit] Duet with Pan Ron

• Ah run rah
• Chearng Maik Por Svay*

[edit] Notes

Song titles were in Khmer but have been translated to English pronunciations. Translations of song title pronunciations to English may not be accurate, may have been modified to be understandable in English, and under other circumstances should not be considered error-free. An asterisk (*) beside a song title means the song is known to be a soundtrack to a Khmer film at the time.

1. Khoeung Pruos Sralanh is also known as Bonaich jet snae
2. 'Aun' is a Khmer female name
3. Chmous Aun Doch Dourng Dara is also known as Chom Chet Pisey

[edit] Reference

• "GoKhmer: Sinn Sisamouth Biography".

[edit] External links

• Camweb: Sinn Sisamouth Songs Some songs of Sisamouth in Real Audio format
• Sinn Sisamouth song downloads at Khmer Rocks
• Don't Think I've Forgotten - A documentary about the Khmer rock and roll scene.