Sinn Sisamouth

Widely considered the "King of Khmer Music", Sisamouth, along with Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, Mao Sareth, and other Cambodian artists, was part of a thriving music scene in Phnom Penh that blended elements of Khmer traditional music with the sounds of rhythm and blues and rock and roll developing unique sounds. Sisamouth died during the Khmer Rouge regime under circumstances that are unclear.

Sinn Sisamouth was born in Stung Treng Province, he was born to Seb Bunlei (mother) and Sinn Leang (father). He was the youngest of four siblings (one older brother, two older sisters). One source claims his father was of Khmer-Chinese descent while his mother was of Lao-Chinese descent. However, general consensus accepts Sisamouth was Khmer with partial Lao descent. Most sources list his year of birth as either 1935, 1932, or 1933. However, 1933 is likely the correct year according to a short biography on original liner notes of his album លាហើយហុងកុង. Furthermore, people that had been alive during Sisamouth's era state that he was born during the year of the Rooster which would translate to 1933 in the Gregorian calendar. Sisamouth's father was a soldier during the French Protectorate period and also served as prison warden in Battambang Province. His father died when he was a child and his mother then remarried. After moving to Battambang at the age of 7 or 8 he learned to play stringed instruments such as the guitar and showed a natural singing talent. He also enjoyed playing soccer (football) and flying kites for recreation. He was often invited to perform music at school functions and became well-known throughout his school for his talents. At about age 16 he graduated from secondary school and moved to Phnom Penh for post-secondary studies in medicine; this was meant to please his parents when his true goal was to become a musician. He began composing his own songs around this time. Sisamouth graduated from medical school in the early 1950s. He became a nurse at a Preah Ket Mealea Hospital in Phnom Penh, and was hired by ថាសចម្រៀងរាជសីហ៍ [Lion Records]—which operated within the National Radio of Cambodia—around that time. In accordance with the liner notes of លាហើយហុងកុង, it mentions 1951 as being the year Sisamouth began singing. Sisamouth regularly performed at the ក្បាលថ្នល់ [Kbal Thnal Nightclub], the very first nightclub in Cambodia. According to a prominent Khmer statesman of that time, he had hired Sisamouth along with a band to perform at his wedding in 1951 indicating that Sisamouth’s earliest public performance was around the age of 18, corroborating with the liner notes. Around this time, Sisamouth married Keo Thorng Gnu in an arranged marriage, and they eventually had four children.

While performing with the National Radio of Cambodia, Sisamouth became a protégé of Queen Sisowath Kossamak, mother to the Head of State, Norodom Sihanouk. Sometime in his early career while he was performing at the Kbal Thnal, Sisamouth’s lyrical content had offended an influential patron of Preah Ket Mealea hospital leading to a demotion. However Queen Kossamak, aware of his demotion, arranged an immediate transfer to Preah Ang Duong hospital so that he could work in general nursing again. He continued working for a short time before he quit to focus on his singing career. The Queen invited Sisamouth to join the Vong Phleng Preah Reach Troap [Classical Orchestra of the Royal Treasury] with which he would perform at royal and state functions. He first gained popularity around this time by writing and performing songs in traditional Khmer styles. Around the mid-1950s, the romantic ballad Violon Sneha, one of Sisamouth’s earliest songs, composed by musician Has Salan, put Sisamouth into fame across Cambodia. Sisamouth became known for his crooning voice, which has been compared to that of Nat King Cole, while his stage presence has been compared to that of Frank Sinatra. Sisamouth was a polygot, he could speak in Khmer, French, Lao, Chinese, Thai, and some English which helped with his versatility in genre. By the late 1950s, Sisamouth had established himself as the leading figure in an expanding Cambodian popular music scene. King Norodom Sihanouk, a musician himself, encouraged the development of popular music in Cambodia. Initially, pop records from France and Latin America were imported into the country and became popular, inspiring a flourishing music scene based in Phnom Penh. His music from the 1950s was mainly pressed on 78 RPM shellac records under Nippon Columbia. Sisamouth’s oldest song is believed to be, ឱ! សែនឆ្ងាយ [Oh! So Distant]—released around 1958—due to the presence of his northeastern accent. As for his first song, it was either never pressed on a record or was lost during the Cambodian genocide. In 1962, Sisamouth began recording singles under the record label Wat-Phnom Disques. His debut album under Wat-Phnom titled លាហើយហុងកុង [Goodbye Hong Kong] —produced in Hong Kong—was released the same year and features soulful melancholic balladry, bossa nova, and other styles. During the early 1960s, Sisamouth toured and visited various places such as China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, France, Japan, Singapore, Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia—sometimes whilst accompanying Norodom Sihanouk on state visits—each dedicating songs to them. Music by Sisamouth and his contemporaries had become popular throughout the country. According to an interview in 1971, Sisamouth's song, Champa Battambang, released in 1962, was the first piece of content aired during the inauguration of the Royal Khmer Television in 1966. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Cambodian music scene was further influenced by Western rock and roll and soul music via U.S. armed forces radio that had been broadcast into nearby South Vietnam. This resulted in a unique sound in which Western pop and rock were combined with Khmer vocal techniques and instruments. Sisamouth was considered a pioneer of these trends, moving from traditional Khmer music and romantic ballads to Latin jazz, cha cha cha, a go go, and eventually psychedelic rock in which he employed younger rock musicians. Sisamouth also made use of bossa nova and doo-wop influences. Sisamouth had become established as Cambodia's most popular singer and songwriter. Nevertheless, his popularity did not eclipse that of other singers such as Im Song Soeum and Huoy Meas. He collaborated directly with Mao Sareth and Chhuon Malay, among others. He also wrote songs for, and duetted with, other popular Cambodian singers to nurture their careers. For example, starting in the mid-1960s he recorded many popular duets with Pen Ran. Sisamouth’s most notable duet partner was Ros Serey Sothea, and he is credited with launching her career. Sothea had been singing at weddings and other functions, later becoming the leading female singer in the Cambodian rock scene. Sisamouth and Sothea recorded many popular duets from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s. In later years, Sisamouth contributed songs to the soundtracks for a number of popular Cambodian films, such as Orn Euy Srey Orn, Tep Sodachan, and Thavory Meas Bong. Sisamouth's highly prolific songwriting became well known during this period; he is confirmed to have sung and written more than one thousand songs for himself and others (see Sinn Sisamouth discography). The true total may be considerably higher. His son, Sinn Chanchhaya, believed that Sisamouth sung/wrote roughly one song every day during his career as a professional musician, a period of nearly 20 years. In 1973, his music publisher Krouch Polin issued A Collection of Sentimental Songs, which contained 500 of Sinn Sisamouth's songs. He was also known to adapt popular Western pop and rock songs with Khmer lyrics, such as a song based on Santana's "Black Magic Woman" titled “សុំរាំជាមួយផង” [May I Dance With You?] more commonly known as “Srolanh Srey Touch” [I Love Petite Girls]; plus covers of "Hey Jude" by The Beatles (titled “នៅតែសង្ឃឹម” [Still Hoping]), "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum (titled “ព្រាត់ស្នេហ៍សំណព្វចិត្ត” [Away From My Lover]), and "Love Potion No. 9" by The Searchers (titled “ក្រៅពីអូនបងមិនស្ម័គ្រ” [Only You]). By the 1970s, Sisamouth’s fame reduced the time he had available for writing, so he began to work regularly with lyricist and composer Voy Ho. Most of his discography between 1970-1975 was written by Voy Ho. Sisamouth’s sphere of listeners had extended into neighboring Thailand. For example, the song “ព្រំដែនចិត្ត” [Border of My Heart]—sung by Sisamouth and Ros Serey Sothea—was a part of the soundtrack for the 1971 Thai-Cambodian co-produced film “ជីវិតផ្សងព្រេង” [Life of Adventuring]. The song was released to audiences with Sisamouth singing in both Khmer and Thai. Reportedly, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand admired Sisamouth’s works ever since he adapted a Thai song in the late 1950s. It’s also claimed he received an award from Bhumibol as well but that remains unverified. In addition, during major escalations of the Cambodian Civil War in 1973, it is said that Bhumibol had offered Sisamouth and his family refuge in Thailand but Sisamouth declined.

Sisamouth was notably friends with singers Mao Sareth, Keo Sokha, Sieng Dy, and Sos Math (which ended after Sereysothea’s domestic abuse situation). Some of his close friends were composers Peou Sipho, Mer Bun, and Sive Sun. Arguably his most famous friendship was with Ros Serey Sothea who he viewed as a little sister.

According to Krouch Polin and Sisamouth’s granddaughter, Sin Setsochhata, he was a quiet and very introverted person yet immensely kind and dedicated to his career. Family members recall he spoke very little and had stage fright when performing in front of large crowds, often blanking. Gnu reports having to be at his performances to calm him down. He had a person installed in the stage wings to mouth words whenever he blanked. Furthermore, his neighbors recall barely seeing his face; in exaggeration, stating that one could blink after he pulled into his driveway and he’d already be inside his house. When not performing, he would spend his time writing music in his backyard or house studio until late evenings, and would then tune into the radio broadcasts afterwards. One of Sisamouth’s other hobbies were rooster-fighting which he would bet with his friends on. In a 2014 interview with Keo Thorng Gnu, she stated that Sisamouth respected everyone regardless of their identity or background. Ros Serey Sothea told her sisters that he stood up for her when she got into a post-divorce altercation with Sos Math. Additionally in a 2006 documentary, his son Sinn Chanchhaya recalled. He also enjoyed reading books at the library and watching French films. Sisamouth had contracts with three restaurants in Phnom Penh to regularly perform music for customers. After performances, he would meet with friends and eat rice porridge. Sisamouth avoided drinking alcohol or soft beverages, as well as consuming spicy foods or smoking cigarettes in order to avoid damaging his voice in which he encouraged other singers to avoid as well.

Sinn Sisamouth was a Therevada Buddhist. Since his childhood he learned Buddhist scripture and Pali from the monks at the pagoda. Buddhism was integral to his personality and career as well. He called Pali his “special language”, when he couldn’t express a feeling in the other languages he spoke, he did so in Pali.

After the establishment of the Khmer Republic in 1970, Sisamouth, along with other artists, was required to record patriotic songs supporting the Republic's stance against the Khmer Rouge insurgents. For a year Sinn Sisamouth worked for the Ministry of National Defense’s Fifth Bureau, and then joined its orchestra where he became a second lieutenant. Like many artists across the world at that time, his salary was average, not poor nor elite level earnings because of low royalties. Due to this, he discouraged his children from pursuing careers in the arts. However, his earnings were enough to own a Mercedes-Benz 220D and build a villa in Tuol Tompoung which he named Villa Socrates (named after the Greek philosopher Socrates). His career would continue until the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975.

Sinn Sisamouth died during the Khmer Rouge genocide and his exact fate has never been confirmed, with multiple sources making contradictory claims. Due to his ongoing popularity in Cambodia, there has been a great amount of speculation about his whereabouts after the Khmer Rouge forced the evacuation of all residents from Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, and his apparent death at the hands of the new regime. In the film Don't Think I've Forgotten, Sieng Vanthy reported that she, Sisamouth, Yol Aularong, and all their family members were evacuated to the outskirts of Phnom Penh, and it was then that Sisamouth and Aularong were ordered to return to the city to work for the Khmer Rouge in some capacity where he was likely sent to a jail instead, but it is unknown if he in fact followed this plan. Also in Don't Think I've Forgotten, Sisamouth's son states that many different people have given him contradictory stories of his father's death. Like many of his contemporaries, as a popular musician with Western influences, qualities widely known to be disdained by the Khmer Rouge, Sisamouth was likely to have been targeted for imprisonment or execution immediately. A popular but apocryphal story claims that Sisamouth was about to be executed by a Khmer Rouge firing squad but requested the opportunity to sing one last song in an attempt to appeal to the soldiers' emotions, but they executed him anyhow. In 2006, Khmer Apsara magazine granted a long interview to a government official and former Khmer Republic soldier named Keo Chamnab who claims to have seen Sisamouth's execution at a jail in Prek Ta Duong village in 1976. Remaining family members believe Keo Chamnab’s claim as the most reliable since Chamnab had sung with Sisamouth at military events during the Khmer Republic period. Chamnab further stated that Sisamouth was executed at the site of a current banana plantation. In 2009, Sisamouth's son claimed to know the name of his father's executioner from Chamnab’s accounts and that the person was still alive. Whatever the cause, Sisamouth almost certainly died during the Khmer Rouge regime but his remains have never been discovered.

• Don't Think I've Forgotten – A documentary about the Khmer rock and roll scene. • Sinn Sisamouth Documentary