Siem Reap ក្រុងសៀមរាប 暹粒市
—  City  —
Street in Siem Reap
Nickname(s): Great Gate to Angkor
Siem Reap Location of Siem Reap, Cambodia
Coordinates: 13°21′44″N 103°51′35″E / 13.36222°N 103.85972°E / 13.36222; 103.85972
Country	Cambodia
Province	Siem Reap
Settled	802
Official	1907
Government
• District Chief & Governor	Sou Phirin (CPP)
• Deputy Governor	Kim Chay Hieng (CPP)
Population (2009)
• Total	171,800
Time zone	Cambodia (UTC+7)

Siem Reap (Khmer: ក្រុងសៀមរាប) is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and is the gateway to Angkor region.

Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market. In the city, there are traditional Apsara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary near the Tonle Sap Lake.

Siem Reap today, being a popular tourist destination, has a large number of hotels and restaurants. Most smaller establishments are concentrated around the Old Market area, while more expensive hotels are located between Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport and the town along National Road 6. There are a variety of mid-range hotels and restaurants along Sivatha boulevard, and mid budget to mid-range hotels in the Phsar Leu area.

History[link]

The name Siem Reap means the 'Flat Defeat of Siam' — today’s Thailand — and refers to the centuries-old conflict between the Siamese and Khmer peoples.

This name was baptized by King Ang Chan (1516-1566) as “Siem Reap”, meaning “the flat defeat of Siam” (Cambodians call Siam or Thailand “Siem”). It was because of the victory over the Thais which King Ang Chan counter-attacked, and shot Prince Ong dead on an elephant’s back, and routed the Thais and captured no less than 10,000 Thai troops.

The history was recorded that King Ang Chan of Cambodia tried to assert further independence against Thailand. The Thais also had been through internal trouble themselves during these years. King Prajai was poisoned by his wife, Queen Sri-Sudachan, who committed adultery with a commoner, Worawongsa, while he was on the campaign against Chiang Mai. The Queen then raised Woravongsa to the throne. The nobles hated Woravongsa, who was a commoner, and lured the usurper and his family to a place outside the city where he was assassinated together with Queen Sri-Sudachan and a new-born daughter during the royal family’s procession by barge to see a white elephant (allegedly just captured). The nobles then invited Prince Tienraja, who was a monk in a monastery, to disrobe and ascend the throne under the title of King Maha Chakrapat (1548-1569). Being informed of the internal troubles in Ayudhaya, King Ang Chan attacked Prachin in 1549 and successfully took away Thai inhabitants. At Prachin, he obtained information that King Maha Chakrapat had become the new king of Ayudhaya, signaling that the question of succession in Ayudhaya had thus become settled. King Ang Chan therefore retreated and did not advance any further. King Maha Chakrapat was very angry at this, but his hands were tied, because the Burmese had just come by the way of the Three Pagoda Pass, took Karnchanaburi and Suparnburi, and appeared in front of Ayudhaya.

Cambodian history presents the reason for the next Thai attack because King Ang Chan refused to give King Maha Chakrapat a white elephant when he asked for it, it is indicated that King Ang Chan declined any symbol of vassalage to Thailand. King Maha Chakrapat’s attention was now turned towards Cambodia. He put Prince Ong, the Governor of Sawankaloke and Srey’s son, in charge of an expedition against Cambodia. King Ang Chan counter-attacked, and shot Prince Ong dead on an elephant’s back, and routed the Thais and captured no less than 10,000 Thai troops. It was because of this victory over the Thais that King Ang Chan baptized that battle area as “Siem Reap” meaning “the flate defeat of Siam”.

Nightlife in Siem Reap

In 1901 the École Française d'Extrême Orient (EFEO) began a long association with Angkor by funding an expedition into Siam to the Bayon. The EFEO took responsibility for clearing and restoring the whole site. In the same year, the first tourists arrived in Angkor - an unprecedented 200 of them in three months. Angkor had been 'rescued' from the jungle and was assuming its place in the modern world.

Grand Hotel d'Angkor was built in the mid 1920's

Siem Reap was little more than a village when the first French explorers re-discovered Angkor in the 19th century. With the acquisition of Angkor by the French, in 1907, Siem Reap began to grow, absorbing the first wave of tourists. The Grand Hotel d'Angkor opened its doors in 1929 and the temples of Angkor remained one of Asia's leading draws until the late 1960s, luring visitors like Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Kennedy. In 1975, the population of Siem Reap, along with that of the rest of the cities and towns in Cambodia, was evacuated by the communist Khmer Rouge and driven into the countryside.

As with the rest of the country, Siem Reap's history (and the memories of its people) is coloured by spectre of the brutal Khmer Rouge Regime, though since Pol Pot's death in 1998, relative stability and a rejuvenated tourist industry have been important steps in an important, if tentative, journey forward to recovery. With the advent of war, Siem Reap entered a long slumber from which it only began to awake in the mid-1990s.

Today, Siem Reap is undoubtedly Cambodia's fastest growing city and serves as a small charming gateway town to the world famous heritage site of the Angkor temples. Thanks to those attractions, Siem Reap has transformed itself into a major tourist hub. Siem Reap nowadays is a vibrant town with modern hotels and architectures. Despite international influences, Siem Reap and its people have conserved much of the town's image, culture and traditions.

The Wat and the river[link]

The Town is a cluster of small villages along the Siem Reap River. These villages were originally developed around Buddhist pagodas (Wat) which are almost evenly spaced along the river from Wat Preah En Kau Sei in the north to Wat Phnom Krom in the south, where the Siem Reap River meets the great Tonle Sap Lake.

The main town is concentrated around Sivutha Street and the Psar Chas area (Old Market area) where there are old colonial buildings, shopping and commercial districts. The Wat Bo area is now full of guesthouses and restaurants while the Psar Leu area is often crowded with jewellery and handicraft shops, selling rubies to woodcarving. Other fast developing areas are the airport road and main road to Angkor where a number of large hotels and resorts can be found.

Economy[link]

Siem Reap International Airport

Businesses centered around tourism have flourished thanks to the tourism boom. There is a wide range of hotels, ranging from several 5-star hotels and chic resorts to hundreds of budget guesthouses. A large selection of restaurants offer many kinds of food, including Italian, Chinese, Indian, French, German, Russian, Thai, Korean, Japanese, and Burmese. Plenty of shopping opportunities exist around the Psar Chas area while the nightlife is often vibrant with a number of western-styled pubs and bars.

Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport in Siem Reap now serves the most tourist passengers to Cambodia. Most tourists come to Siem Reap to visit the Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, (about 6 km north of the city), and other Angkor ruins. While those are still the main attractions, there are plenty of other things to experience, such as a dinner with an Apsara Dance performance, a trip to fishing villages and bird sanctuary, a visit to a craft workshop and silk farm, or a bicycle tour around the rice paddies in the countryside.

The Gecko Environment Center is a floating environment center located in the province of Siem Reap on the Tonle Sap Lake. The goal of the center is to promote environmental awareness among the local community as well as visitors to the great lake.^[1] The province of Siem Reap is part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.

Attractions[link]

Angkor Wat, the reason for Siem Reap's prosperity.

Angkor Wat[link]

Angkor Wat (Wat temple) is the central feature of the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site containing the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization. Angkor Wat's rising series of five towers culminates in an impressive central tower that symbolizes mythical Mount Meru. Thousands of feet of wall space are covered with intricate carving depicting scenes from Hindu mythology.

Cambodian Cultural Village[link]

Opened on September 24, 2003, the Cambodian Culture Village assembles all the miniatures of famous historical buildings and structures of Cambodia. There are 11 unique villages, which represent different culture heritages, local customs and characteristics of 19 multi races. At each village, the tourists will be able to enjoy the excellent wood houses, carving, soft skill in stone, traditional performances in the different dance styles such as: Apsara dancing, performance of ethnic minorities from northeastern Cambodia, traditional wedding ceremony, Circus, Popular games, Peacock dancing, Acrobat, elephants shows, and boxing.

Angkor National Museum[link]

Opened on 12 November 2007, the Angkor National Museum offers visitors a better understanding of the area's archaeological treasures. The Golden Era of the Khmer Kingdom is presented, including the use of state-of-the-art multimedia technology. The museum covers Khmer history, civilization, and cultural heritage in eight galleries:

• Exclusive gallery: 1,000 Buddha images
• Gallery A: Pre-Angkor Period: Khmer Civilization
• Gallery B: Religion and Beliefs
• Gallery C: The great Khmer Kings
• Gallery D: Angkor Wat
• Gallery E: Angkor Thom
• Gallery F: Story from Stones
• Gallery G: Ancient Costume

^[2]

Angkor Thom[link]

Phnom Dei

This magnificent inner royal city was built by the end of the 12th century and is renowned for its temple grounds and towering southern gate.

Old Market[link]

This flea market offers fake Khmer antiques as well as tourist souvenirs.

Central Market[link]

Another market where one can find food, clothes and jewellery.

Phsar Leu Thom Thmei[link]

This market reconstructed from the wood to the stone structure. The word Phsar means Market, Leu means Upper, Thom mean Large and Thmei means New. Now this market is very popular and crowded. People sell all kind of things. It is located about 2 km from Siem Reap, on the right side of National Road #6 when travelling from west to east.

Climate[link]

According to the Koppen climate classification, Siem Reap features a tropical wet and dry climate. The city is generally hot throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures never falling below 30 C in any month. Siem Reap has a relatively lengthy wet season which starts in April and ends in November. The dry season covers the remaining four months. The city averages approximately 1500 mm of rainfall per year.

Accessibility[link]

Floating Village of Konpong Phluk

The town is 7 km from the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (IATA code REP). Siem Reap is accessible by direct flights from Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Seoul-Incheon, Pusan, Kunming, Kaohsiung, Manila and Taipei, and by land from Phnom Penh and the Thai border. It’s also accessible by boat and bus from Phnom Penh. A new airport is planned 60 km from Siem Reap.^[4]

Sister cities[link]

• Bagan, Myanmar^[5]

See also[link]

• Cambodian Cultural Village theme park and museum
• Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport

References[link]

External links[link]

Media related to Siem Reap at Wikimedia Commons

• Official Siem Reap website
• Siem Reap travel guide from Wikitravel
• Know More about Siem Reap Angkor Wat
• JoTravelGuide.com - A comprehensive up to date travel guide to Siem Reap.

Coordinates: 13°21′44″N 103°51′35″E / 13.36222°N 103.85972°E / 13.36222; 103.85972

v t e Siem Reap Province Capital city: Siem Reap Districts Angkor Chum District Angkor Thom District Banteay Srei District Chi Kraeng District Puok Thala District Kralanh District Prasat Bakong District Siem Reap District Sout Nikom District Srei Snam District Svay Leu District Variin District Geography Siem Reap River Tonle Sap Lake Angkor Sites Angkor Thom Angkor Wat Banteay Srei Baphuon The Bayon Ta Prohm

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since December 2011. Its citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. Tagged since December 2011. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since December 2011.

Aki Ra is a former Khmer Rouge conscripted child soldier who works as a deminer and museum curator in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Aki Ra is unsure of his age, but believes he was born in 1973. His parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge. Orphaned in the Khmer Rouge camp, he was taken in by a woman named Yourn who raised him and several other orphaned children until he was conscripted into the Khmer Rouge army at about 10 years of age.

Mae Yourn (Mother Yourn), who lived and worked at the Cambodia Landmine Museum, died at the age of 66 in April 2010 from complications from diabetes.

Aki Ra fought for the Khmer Rouge until 1983 when he was captured by the Vietnamese. He was conscripted into the Vietnamese army on threat of his life while still a boy. He later served with the Cambodian army as a teenager and still later received landmine clearance training with the United Nations.

Having laid thousands of landmines as a soldier and working for the UN to remove them he discovered he was quite adept at clearing landmines and UXOs, and decided to make it his trade.

Having no demining tools, he used a knife, a Leatherman, and a stick. He would defuse the landmines and UXOs he found in small villages and bring home the empty casings. Sometimes he would sell them as scrap to help fund his work.

Tourists began hearing stories about a young Khmer man who cleared landmines with a stick and had a house full of defused ordnance. Aki Ra began charging a dollar to see his collection, using the money to help further his activities. Thus began the Cambodia Landmine Museum.

Aki Ra cleared landmines where he had fought, when he heard about an accident, or when village chiefs and farmers would call him at the museum and tell him of mines in their villages and ask for his help.

While working in these villages he found many injured and abandoned children. He brought them home to live with him and his wife Hourt. Some of the children who moved to their home were also street kids from Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Eventually he had brought home over 2 dozen boys and girls.

The first child Aki Ra brought home was a 9-year old boy who had lost his leg to a landmine and was living on the street. His wife Hourt had no idea Aki Ra would be returning with the little boy, but when he returned home she took the child to her family and said "Look, now I have a son".^{[citation needed]}

In early 2009, a boy came to live with Aki Ra and Hourt who had lost an arm and most of a hand to a cluster munition. He was working with his uncle in a field near Battambong, west of Siem Reap when he found the explosive that had probably lain undisturbed in the field for 25 years. Aki Ra found him in hospital and told his family about the Museum. He now lives there and attends school.

Today, 29 children live at the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Center. Some are landmine victims, some were born without limbs, some are polio victims, one is HIV-positive, some are orphans and some have parents who cannot afford to raise them.^{[citation needed]} Hourt and Aki Ra feed them, clothe them, send them to school.

In 2007 the Cambodian government ordered Aki Ra’s museum closed. He was allowed to move it to a new location 40 kilometers from Siem Reap, near Banteay Srey Temple, inside the Angkor National Park. A Canadian NGO, the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund, founded by documentary film producer Richard Fitoussi, raised the money to buy the land and build the Museum. Most of the funding was provided by Tom Shadyac, a movie director from California.

The new museum opened in May 2007 and currently houses a 4 gallery museum as well as being the home to 27 children. The Cambodia Landmine Museum exists for 3 reasons:

• To tell Aki Ra’s story
• To tell the world about the horrors of landmines and explain that war is only half the problem. The aftermath of war continues long after the shooting stops.
• To care for the children who live at the museum.

In order to open his new museum, Aki Ra was required to cease his 'uncertified' demining activities in 2007. In 2008 with the help of the Landmine Relief Fund, an American charity, and the Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team – Cambodia, an Australian veterans group, he established a new NGO, Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD). It is certified by the Cambodian Mine Action Authority. The Landmine Relief Fund has had a representative in the country working with CSHD.

CSHD’s charter is to clear small villages, areas that it considers ‘low priority’. In its first year of activity CSHD cleared 163,000 square meters of land and put over 2,400 people back on land that had been killing them in prior years. It did it for an average cost of USD$ 4,314 per month.

The Cambodia Landmine Museum and Cambodian Self Help Demining are distinctly separate NGOs. They are headquartered in separate locations, run by different individuals (although Aki Ra is the MD), and funded entirely separately.

The Museum and Child Relief Center is funded by revenues gained from ticket sales, donations, and sales from the small shop.

CSHD is funded primarily by its American and Australian partners, the Landmine Relief Fund and the Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team – Cambodia. In 2009 the United States Department of State, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement granted the Landmine Relief Fund US$100,000 to help CSHD in their work to clear ERW (explosive remnants of war) in ‘low priority villages’ in Cambodia. Ongoing funding is uncertain.

A movie about Aki Ra's life is being made. It will be called The Perfect Soldier.

Aki Ra’s wife Hourt died on 15 April 2009. She had been ill and died in her sleep. She was 28 years old and left behind a legacy admired and honoured by all who knew her.

In July 2010 Aki Ra was selected as a CNN Hero. In September he was chosen as a Top 10 CNN Hero for 2010. His story can be seen at: http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive10/aki.ra.html

External links[link]

• Cambodian Self Help Demining http://www.CambodianSelfHelpDemining.org
• Landmine Relief Fund http://www.landmine-relief-fund.com
• Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org
• Cambodian Mine Action Center http://www.cmac.org.kh
• Aki Ra, Landmines and News from the Jungle Blog http://landmine-relief-fund.blogspot.com/
• Project Enlighten: http://www.projectenlighten.org/
• Year Zero, Story of a Khmer Rouge Soldier: http://www.yearzerodoc.com/
• Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team - Cambodia: http://members.optushome.com.au/glaust/index-1.htm
• YouTube Video for Cambodian Self Help Demining http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmKTu8xVxHg&feature=email
• Good site - http://badassoftheweek.com/aki-ra.html

Articles[link]

• New Zealand Herald story about Aki Ra http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10388620
• Common Language Project Article http://clpmag.org/article.php?article=Dismantling-a-Dangerous-Past_024

References[link]

Sinn Sisamouth
King of Khmer Music
Background information
Born	August 23, 1932 Stung Treng, Cambodia
Died	June 18, 1976 Koh Thom, Kandal Province, Cambodia
Genres	Psychedelic rock Garage rock Traditional Khmer music Romvong Saravan Jazz Bosanova Twist Jerk Latin Blues Cha Cha Cha Madizon Hala Hala Agogo Film Music
Occupations	Singer, Lyric and Music composer, bandleader, producer, Film producer
Instruments	Mandolin Sro lai Pey Pok
Years active	1957–1975
Labels	Independent
Associated acts	Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron, So Savoeun, Houy Meas, Haim Sovann
Notable instruments
Mandolin

This article contains Khmer text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Khmer script.

Sinn Sisamouth (Khmer: ស៊ីន ស៊ីសាមុត [sɨn siːsaːmut]; 23 August 1932 – 18 June 1976) 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 traditional music with the sounds of rhythm and blues and rock and roll to make a Westernized sound akin to psychedelic or garage rock. Sisamouth is believed to have been killed under the Khmer Rouge regime.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Sinn Sisamouth was born in August 23, 1932 in Stung Treng Province, the son of Sinn Leang and mother Seb Bunlei who was of Lao-Chinese descent.^[1]

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.

Sisamouth 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 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, Sisamouth'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[link]

After completing medical school, Sisamouth 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 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.

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 Sisamouth into stardom. In recent years the song has been re-issued by a large number of modern performers, including Song Seng Horn, who comes 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 Sisamouth's tape recordings from this period did not survive the years of social upheaval however, although now and then some of Sisamouth's 1950s and early 1960s hits are rerecorded successfully. One such hit, "Srey Sros Khmeng", re-emerged from oblivion with Suong Chantha's 2002 faithful rendition. Sisamouth'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 in around 1963, Sisamouth started recording on the Vat Phnom label. His "Champa Batdambang" won immediate acclaim across the country. In a 1971 Phnom Penh television show, Sisamouth's interviewer recalled that "Champa Batdambang" was the first song sung on the inauguration of the station in 1965.

What captured Sisamouth'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".

Sisamouth'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 1970s, Sisamouth sang the soundtrack songs to a number of popular films, such as Orn Euy Srey Orn, Tep Sodachan, and Thavory Meas Bong. In "Peou Chhouk Sar", a 1967 success directed by Tea Lim Kaing, Sisamouth 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 1960s, Mao Sareth, Keo Settha, Chhunn Vanna, Huoy Meas, Ros Sereysothea, and Penn Ron. Penn Ron began recording with Sisamouth 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 Sisamouth's songs deteriorated rapidly in the 1970s, save for a few notable examples written by lyricist Voy Ho who had 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. It is 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, Sisamouth 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) under the title "I Love Petite Women", "Sugar Sugar" and "Quando My Love".

The Killing Fields[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

In the aftermath of the coup d'état by the Lon Nol government on March 18, 1970, which saw the overthrow of the rule of Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Sisamouth 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", telling the story of a mother giving a mantra-covered magic vest to her soldier son on his way to battle. Referring to communist troop movements over Cambodian territory during the Vietnam War, a verse in the same song said that the deposed king had sold out Cambodian land to the Viet Cong. Such criticisms of the royal family were unprecedented, not least given that Sisamouth had been a protege of Queen Kossomak Nirirath, mother of Prince Sihanouk. The Khmer Rouge takeover of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975 saw Sisamouth 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 with 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, Sisamouth asked that he be allowed to sing a song for the cadre; but the cold-hearted soldiers were unmoved and after he finished singing, killed him anyhow.

Legacy[link]

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

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.

Sisamouth, 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 Sisamouth are "Mou Pei Na" and "Ne Te Fache Pas".

See also[link]

• Sinn Sisamouth discography

References[link]

• A Brief Biography of Sinn Sisamouth (retrieved from archive.org on December 22, 2006).

External links[link]

• 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.
• km:ស៊ីន ស៊ីសាមុត

• Sinn Sisamouth Biography