Ros Sereysothea (1948 – 1977 ) was a famous Cambodia

Cambodia

Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...

n singer during the nation's thriving cultural renaissance. She sang from a variety of genres but romantic ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

s emerged as her most popular works. Despite a rather short career she is credited with producing hundreds of songs and even starring in a few movies. Details of her life and fate during the Khmer Rouge

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...

 is relatively unknown but it is generally accepted she did not survive.

Early life

Ros Sothea was born in 1948 to Ros Sabun and Nath Samean in Battambang

Battambang

Battambang is the capital city of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country...

 Province. Growing up relatively poor, Ros Sothea was the second youngest of five children and displayed vocal talent around the age of three or four. Her talent would remain relatively hidden until she was persuaded by friends to join a regional singing contest in 1963. After winning the contest she gained the attention and praise of the province and was invited to join Lomhea Yothea (a musical troupe) which regularly performed at Stung Khiev Restaurant in Battambang. It is believed that Im Song Seurm, a singer from the National Radio heard of Sothear's talents and invited her to the capital, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...

 in 1967.

Music career

In Phnom Penh, she adopted the alias Ros Sereysothea and became a singer for National Radio performing duets with Im Song Seurm. Her first hit, Stung Khieu (Blue River) debuted the same year and she quickly attracted fans with her clear and high pitch voice. Eventually she became a regular partner with Sinn Sisamouth

Sinn Sisamouth

Sinn Sisamouth was a famous and highly prolific Cambodian singer-songwriter in the 1950s to the 1970s.Widely considered the "King of Khmer music", Sisamouth, 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...

 another famous singer of the era and they were a smashing success. She also performed with other prominent singers of the era such as Pan Ron

Pan Ron

Pan Ron was a Cambodian singer and songwriter who was at the height of popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s. She had some success in the early 60s after her hit "Pka Kabass" in 1963, but her career really took off when she began recording with Sinn Sisamouth in 1966.In the late 1960s, Pan...

, Houy Meas, and Sos Mat.

The style of her early career is characterized by traditional Cambodian ballads and duets. She would eventually shift to a more contemporary style by combining romantic ballads drenched in loss, betrayal, and death with Western instruments. This change of style is most likely be attributed to her traumatic marriage with fellow singer, Sos Mat.

By the 1970s, American influence from neighboring South Vietnam

South Vietnam

South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...

 had reached Cambodia and Sothea along with her contemporaries began experimenting in Western genres. Her high, clear voice, coupled with the rock backing bands featuring prominent, distortion-laden lead guitars, pumping organ and loud, driving drums, made for an intense, sometimes haunting sound that is best described today as psychedelic

Psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...

 or garage rock

Garage rock

Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...

. Like the leader of the music scene, Sinn Sisamouth

Sinn Sisamouth

Sinn Sisamouth was a famous and highly prolific Cambodian singer-songwriter in the 1950s to the 1970s.Widely considered the "King of Khmer music", Sisamouth, 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...

, Sothea would often take popular Western

Western culture

Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...

 rock tunes, such as John Fogerty

John Fogerty

John Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...

's "Proud Mary" and refashion them with Khmer lyrics.

Yet romantic ballads would remain her most endearing work amongst the more conservative local populace. She was often sought out by film directors to perform the duet and/or solo in their movies. Sothea's collaboration with the Cambodian film industry is invaulable in identifying over 250 films lost during the nation's communist regime.

Sothea never really sang under any one record label and made a modest living as a musician. She was recognized as a national treasure and was honored by King Norodom Sihanouk

Norodom Sihanouk

Norodom Sihanouk regular script was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until his semi-retirement and voluntary abdication on 7 October 2004 in favor of his son, the current King Norodom Sihamoni...

 with the royal title of "Preah Reich Theany Somlang Meas", the "Golden Voice of the Royal Capital". Her career would continue until the Khmer Rouge

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...

 captured the beleaguered capital, Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...

 in April 1975. As a musician, she was a prime candidate for extermination during Pol Pot’s regime.

Personal life

Sothea's personality is invariably described as modest and reserved. She is known to have been involved in a few relationships throughout her life. When she arrived in Phnom Penh, she eventually caught the eye of fellow singer Sos Mat who was already legally married to two other wives but wanted her hand in marriage. This eventually came to be but their marriage lasted only a short six months. Sos Mat became insanely jealous of her success and of the men who came to watch her perform (she was very pretty as well as talented). Traumatized by the emotional and physical abuse since she was a constant envy of both of his wives, as well as domestic violence from Sos Mat, she then fled to back to her native Battambang. It wasn't until Sinn Sisamouth vowed to protect her did she return to Phnom Penh to resume her career.

Her next relationship was with the son of the famous Van Chan theatre owner. Their marriage resulted in a son but for undocumented reasons they separated. It is believed a general of Lon Nol's government who was insanely in love with her, kidnapped and held her against her will. She is also noted to have had a relationship with a parachutist of the Khmer Republic

Khmer Republic

The Khmer Republic or République Khmère, was the republican government of Cambodia that was formally declared on October 9, 1970. The Khmer Republic was disestablished in 1975 and was followed by the totalitarian communist state known as Democratic Kampuchea.-Background:Formally declared on October...

.

The Killing Fields

Like everyone else when the Khmer Rouge

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...

 took over, she was forced to leave Phnom Penh. There are many speculations regarding her fate from a variety of witnesses.

It is believed Sothea had traveled to Pailin Province for the Buddhist New Year. Many are skeptical of this claim as it had been increasing dangerous to travel outside Phnom Penh in April of 1975. When Phnom Penh finally did fall there were apparently attempts to evacuate Sothea out of the country.

Others say Sothea was forced by Pol Pot

Pol Pot

Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....

 to marry one of his assistants in 1977 who was said to have argued with her and beaten her often. She then disappeared under typically mysterious circumstances and is almost certainly dead. Other accounts believe that she died from being overworked in a Khmer Rouge agricultural camp. Another account said that she was still alive when the Vietnamese invading forces arrived in Phnom Penh and died of malnutrition shortly after in a hospital.

Finally, her sisters insist that Sothea along with their mother and children were taken to Kampong Som province and executed immediately following the Fall of Phnom Penh.

Legacy

With the cultural upheaval by the Khmer Rouge, scant evidence of Ros Serey Sothea's life remains. Her master recordings were either destroyed by the regime or deteriorated rapidly to the tropical environment due to lack of preservation. However, many vinyl recordings have survived and have gained reissues initially on tape cassettes and later on compact discs. Unfortunately many of these reissues are also remixed with extra beats usually overriding the original score. The vinyls from the master sources are thereby highly sought out by preservationist and collectors.

Nonetheless Sothea remained extremely popular even after her death in Cambodian communities scattered throughout the United States, France, Australia and Canada. Western interest in Sothea would not dawn until songs by Sothea, Sinn Sisamouth and other Cambodian singers of the era such as Meas Samoun, Choun Malai and Pan Ron

Pan Ron

Pan Ron was a Cambodian singer and songwriter who was at the height of popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s. She had some success in the early 60s after her hit "Pka Kabass" in 1963, but her career really took off when she began recording with Sinn Sisamouth in 1966.In the late 1960s, Pan...

, were featured on the soundtrack to Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon

Matthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...

's film City of Ghosts

City of Ghosts

City of Ghosts is a 2002 drama film co-written, directed by and starring Matt Dillon, about a con artist who must go to Cambodia to collect his share in money collected from an insurance scam...

. Tracks by Sothea are "Have You Seen My Love", "I'm Sixteen" and "Wait Ten Months".

The Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 band Dengue Fever

Dengue Fever (band)

Dengue Fever is a six-member band from Los Angeles who combine Cambodian pop music and lyrics with psychedelic rock.-History:The band was formed in 2001 by Ethan Holtzman and his brother Zac after Ethan was inspired by a trip to Cambodia...

, which features Cambodian lead singer Chhom Nimol, covers a number of songs by Sothea and other singers from the short-lived but rich Cambodian rock and roll scene. The advent of the internet, undoubtly saved what was left of her discography while spreaing and garnering interest in her music even after almost half a century later.

Rock

• "Chnam Oun Dop Prum Mouy (I'm 16)
• "Cry Loving Me"
• "Don't Be Mad"
• "Hair Cut, Hair Cut"
• "Have You Seen My Love"
• "I'm So Shy"
• "Phey! Phey!" (Scared! Scared!)
• "Since When You Knew Me"
• "Wait Ten Months"
• "Wicked Husband"
• "Mdeth gall daltarm kyum?(why do you follow me?)
• "Klein jurp nersa (The fragrant that lasts with me)
• "Rom Woolly Bully
• "Bong Srolań Oun Ponman Der (Tell Me How Much You Love Me)
• "Po Pruk Po Lngeach
• "Penh Chet Tae Bong Muoy"

Slow

• "Bopha Akasajal"
• "Jomno Pailin"
• "Kom Plich Oun Na"
• "New Year's Eve"
• "Pink Night"
• "Pga Reige Leu Maik"
• "Pruos Reing Awej?"
• "Lort sene duong chan
• "Chross O'yadao
• "Somnerng Bopha prey phnom(songs of the jungle girl)
• "Sralmall sene khyum(Shadow of my love)
• "Chmreing sene khyum(Story of my love)
• "Alay bong cher net(always misses you)
• "Teurk hoe teu (river flow)
• "Bong ban sonyah(You've promise)
• "Soum ros khbere bong
• "Oun soum angvall (I beg of you)
• "Oun neul tharl rong jum (I will still wait)
• "Complete men ban ( Can't forget)
• "Oun smak bong smoss
• "Oun sralnane bong nas( I love you so much)
• "San nuk alay
• "Men gor sralane bong( I shouldn't love you)
• "Chup sralane men ban (Can't stop loving you)
• "Jum neu tharl jum
• "Oun jum bong cher neth
• "Pros bondoll chiet
• "Kum keng oun na bong
• "Rom cha cha cha
• "Jum loss sone
• "Bong tvere eouy oun yume(You made me cry)
• "Yume samrapp thngay ness
• "Sall anosaovary
• "Lane khume teu (let me go)
• "Bondam stung keiv
• "Reastrei buth sene (missing lover of the night)
• "Pkah orchid
• "Auh! seneha khyume
• "Verjah boross (the word of men)
• "Popol gomah
• "Prote svamei
• "Oun soum phneu chheung
• "San klotpsa
• "Chhba mon reing khyum
• "Norok lokei(The sin of man)
• "Ahso kasalmerlerr
• "Rolok songka therm svamei
• "Thmnorng leakina
• "Thgnay lett oun sralnoss(When sunset,I miss u)
• "Tropeang Peay
• "San chok chem
• "Pathchere sralnoss
• "Gonsan nisei
• "Machass sene oun
• "Chmreing avasane
• Konsaeng Krohom(Red Scarf)
• Pros Del Ka'bor Chet (Man who betrays)
• Veal Srey Sronoh

Duets with Sinn Sisamouth

• "Ae Na Promajarey"
• "Bos Choong"
• "Chom Chait Pesaey"
• "Chor Louch Jet"
• "Have a Caramel"
• "Jong ban pka avey?"("What flower do you want?"
• "Kay Tha Kyom Jass"
• "Konarb snaeha" ("Love poem")
• "Komnoch veyo"
• "Pneik Kmohuoch"
• "Nao Tae Srolan
• "Oh! snaeha euy!" ("Oh! Love...")
• "Oun Rom Som Tae"
• "Sronos Oh Jrov"
• "Soniya 3 Tngai"(A Promise for 3 Days)
• "Tesepheap Prolim"
• "Tiev Euy Srey Tiev"
• "Tmor Kol Sromol Snae"
• "Tok Bong Om Skat"
• "Yaop Yun Thun Trojeak"
• "Yerng Kom Plich Knear"

Duets with Other Artists

• Kmao Euy Kmao(Em Song Seum-1972)
• Komloss Kromum Heu Ha(Em Song Seum-1972)
• Komloss Kromum Srok Srae
• Hann Pnal Da Ey(Eng Nary)
• Soll Tae Card
• Pka Sarai

External links

• The Golden Voice, short film about Ros Sereysothea by Greg Cahill
• Don't Think I've Forgotten - A documentary about the Khmer rock and roll scene.
• Ros Sereysothea - Biography, Videos, Music, Pictures - A fan site.
• Freedom Deal - Dramatic feature film with Cambodian rock and roll soundtrack elements