The Biography of Sin Sisamout-the most famous singer

Early life Sinn Sisamout (alternative spellings: Sin Sisamouth, Sinn Sisamout/h, Sisamut/h or "Si" with spacing, e.g. Si Samouth) was born in 1933 in Stung Treng Province, the son of A Thai-Vietnam-Cambodia,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 five. At the age of six or seven, he started to show interest in the guitar, and he would be asked to perform at school functions. He was interested in Buddhist scripture, and he learned Pali from the Buddhist monks. He enjoyed reading books, playing soccer and flying kites. In about 1951 he finished elementary school, and went to study medicine in Phnom Penh, where he lived with an uncle. Despite the rigorous demands of medical school, Sisamouth still managed to find time to learn how to sing and compose songs. Just as he had in elementary school, he became well known in his school for his musical skills and lyrical talent, and was asked to sing at school ceremonies. One prominent elder Khmer statesman from the Sangkum and Lon Nol years, now living in Paris, has made the claim that he hired Sin Sisamouth and his band at his wedding in that year. If the claim is corroborated, this could probably be the first indication of Samouth's earliest public performance at the age of 18. 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. Music Career Early Hits and Music Lalent Samouth possessed a clear crooning voice which, combined with his own compositions about the pleasures and pains of romance, made him an 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. Samouth composed melodies on a mandolin. His songs were usually of a sentimental nature, reflecting on the longings, pains, and pleasures of romance. His lyrical talent was a result of hard work as well as natural ability. He was known to have used up to three different dictionaries in searching for just the right word in the Khmer, Sanskrit, or Pali languages. In the early 1950s he became a protege of Queen Kossomak Nearyrath. He was selected to join 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. Sometime in the mid-1950s a romantic ballad "Violon Sneha", composed by violinist Hass Salan (or Hass Salorn), catapulted Samouth into stardom. Samouth's other hits of the same period include "Srey Sros Khmeng","Anussavry Phnom Kravanh" (Meul phnom thom theng ream reng viyauk..), "(Chett Srey doch) Chong Srol", "Thngay Dob Pee Thnou" (thngay dob pee thnou chhea thngay kann touk sneha..), "Kakey (chheat chhea eung euy sattrey dauch neang Kakey kom k'chey yok khluon biet..)", "KangRey (kuor nass assor dal roub neang Kang Rey..)", "Thngay Muoy Kakkda", "Somros Chhne Keb", "Stung Pursat" (Toeuk ho roheng, ho m'neak eng katt wat song sar..), and "Prek Eng Oss Sangkhim". Three songs from this period were to be re-released much later in the early 1970s. These are "Oudom Duong Chett" available from a popular video site, "Prek Eng Oss Sangkhim" and "Chau Dork" (a clever musical duet with Ros Serey Sothea, showcasing Salan on violin and Samouth on mandolin). Interested readers should look for "Chong Srol" and "Somros Chhne Keb" on the internet. "Chong Srol" is currently freely available from one Khmer internet radio website, as is "Akhara bong sorseh teuv". This latter work, underpinned by a superb piano accompaniement, is a perennial Ramvong favourite at Khmer weddings. Dedicated fans should consider making more of these songs available on the web to future generations of Khmer listeners. They are priceless examples of Samouth's earliest vocal style and the poetry that pervades his art. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinn_Sisamouth) Please stay back to read the continuation. To listen to his songs, pls click here