Coordinates: 40°0′N 73°0′E / 40°N 73°E / 40; 73

Osh Province
Ош областы, Ошская область
Province
Country	Kyrgyzstan
Capital	Osh
Area	28,934 km2 (11,171 sq mi)
Population	999,576 (2009)
Density	34.6 / km2 (90 / sq mi)
Governor	Sooronbay Jeenbekov (since May 14, 2010)
ISO 3166-2	KG-O
[1]

Osh Province (Kyrgyz: Ош областы, Russian: Ошская область) is a province (oblast) of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Osh. It is bounded by (clockwise) Jalal-Abad Province, Naryn Province, Xinjiang, China, Tajikistan, Batken Province and Uzbekistan.

Geography[link]

Most of the population lives in the flat northern part of the Oblast, on the edge of the Ferghana Valley. The land gradually rises southward to the crest of the Alay Mountains, drops into the Alay Valley and rises to the Trans-Alai Range which forms the border with Tajikistan. In the east, the land rises to the Ferghana Range which is roughly parallel to the Naryn border. This area is drained by the Kara Darya which flows northwest to join the Naryn River to form the Syr Darya in the Ferghana Valley.

Highway M41 goes south over the mountains from Osh to the Tajik border. At Sary-Tash a branch goes east to the Chinese border crossing at Irkeshtam. The other main road goes west through the flat country to Batken Province.

Demographics[link]

As of 2009, Osh Province (excluding Osh) comprised 3 towns (Nookat, Uzgen, and Kara-Suu), 2 urban-type settlement and 474 villages. Its de facto population, according to the Population and Housing Census of 2009, was 999,576. Of them, 82,841 people live in urban areas, and 916,735 in rural ones.

More than half of all Kyrgyzstan's Uzbeks live in Osh Province. They are 33% of the provincial population as opposed to 14,5% in Kyrgyzstan as a whole.^{[citation needed]}

Ethnic composition[link]

According to the 2009 Census, the ethnic composition of the Osh Province (de jure population) was:^[1]

Districts of Osh Province[link]

Osh province is divided administratively into 7 districts (listed counter-clockwise)^[2]:

Enclaves and exclaves[link]

Kyrgyzstan's only exclave within Uzbekistan is administratively part of Osh Province (Kara-Suu District). This is the tiny village of Barak (population 627) in the Fergana valley, located on the road from Osh (Kyrgyzstan) to Khodjaabad (Uzbekistan) about 4 km north-west from the Kyrgyz–Uzbek border in the direction of Andijan.^[3]

References[link]

• Laurence Mitchell, Kyrgyzstan, Bradt Travel Guides, 2008

	Andijon Province,  Uzbekistan Fergana Province,  Uzbekistan	Jalal-Abad Province	Naryn Province
	Batken Province		Xinjiang, China
		Osh Province    East
	Districts of Republican Subordination,  Tajikistan	Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province,  Tajikistan

v t e Provinces (Oblasts) of Kyrgyzstan Batken Bishkek (city) Chuy Issyk Kul Jalal-Abad Naryn Osh Osh (city) Talas

This Osh province location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Osh Ош
Panoramic view of Osh
Flag Seal
Osh Location in Kyrgyzstan
Coordinates: 40°31′48″N 72°48′0″E / 40.53°N 72.8°E / 40.53; 72.8
Country	Kyrgyzstan
Province	Osh Province
Government
• Mayor	Melis Myrzakmatov
Population (2009)
• Total	232,800
Website	http://oshcity.kg

A Soviet-era Lenin statue still stands at a square in Osh.

Sunday market

Osh (Kyrgyz: Ош) is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". The city is at least 3,000 years old, and has served as the administrative center of Osh Province since 1939. The city has an ethnically mixed population of about 220,000 (in 2003), comprising Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Russians, Tajiks, and other smaller ethnic groups.

Overview[link]

Osh is a lively place, with the largest and most crowded outdoor market in all of Central Asia. The city's industrial base, established during the Soviet period, largely collapsed after the break-up of the Soviet Union and has started to revive only gradually. The proximity of the Uzbek border, which cuts through historically linked territories and settlements, deprives Osh of much of its former hinterland and presents a serious obstacle to trade and economic development. Daily flights link Osh - and hence the southern part of Kyrgyzstan - to Bishkek and the north, and the recent upgrading of the long and arduous road through the mountains to Bishkek has greatly improved communications.

The city has several monuments, including one to the southern Kyrgyz "queen" Kurmanjan Datka and one of the few remaining statues of Lenin. A Russian Orthodox church, reopened after the demise of the Soviet Union, the largest mosque in the country (situated beside the bazaar), and the 16th-century Rabat Abdul Khan Mosque can be found here. The only World Heritage Site in Kyrgyzstan, the Sulayman Mountain, offers a splendid view of Osh and its environs. A cave in the mountain is the site of a museum containing a collection of archaeological, geological and historical finds and information about local flora and fauna.

Its first western-style supermarket Narodnyj opened in March 2007.^[1]

Population[link]

Osh is the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan after the capital city of Bishkek. According to census of 2009 the city population amounted to 232,800.^[2] The population of the city with its suburbs is estimated at about 500,000 inhabitants (for 2008).^[3]

The city's population comprises 43% Kyrgyz, 48% Uzbeks, 3% Russians, 2% Turks and 1% Tatars.

Ethnic composition of Osh city in 1926: Uzbeks 70.1% Russians 5.6% Kyrgyz 20% Others 3.3%

Ethnic composition of Osh city in 1989: Uzbeks 40.9% Russians 18.4% Kyrgyz 29.1% Others 11.6%

Ethnic composition of Osh city in 2009: Uzbeks 48.3% Russians 2.7% Kyrgyz 43.0% Others 6.0%

History[link]

Early history[link]

He inhabitants of Osh repulse the occupiers of their city and assist Babur.

The city is among the oldest settlements in Central Asia. Osh was known as early as the 8th century as a center for silk production along the Silk Road. The famous trading route crossed Alay Mountains to reach Kashgar to the east. In modern times, Osh has become also the starting point of the Pamir Highway crossing the Pamir Mountains to end in Khorog, Tajikistan.

Babur, founder of the Baburid Empire and descendant of Tamerlane, was born in nearby Andijan, in the Fergana Valley, pondered his future on Sulayman Mountain and even constructed a mosque atop of the mountain. Babur somehow concludes that the confines of the Fergana would cramp his aspirations as a descendant of famous conquering warrior princes. He wrote of the city:

"There are many sayings about the excellence of Osh. On the southeastern side of the Osh fortress is a well-proportioned mountain called Bara-Koh, where, on its summit, Sultan Mahmud Khan built a pavilion. Farther down, on a spur of the same mountain, I had a porticoed pavilion built in 902 (1496-7)" ^[4]

Russian and Soviet rule[link]

The city was occupied and annexed by the Russian Empire in 1876 when Russia overwhelmed the Central Asian khanates during the so-called "Great Game", the contest between Britain and Russia for dominance in Central Asia.

The Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Oblast was created within the Russian SFSR of the newly formed Soviet Union in 1919, with Osh as a part.

In the 1960s Osh and other towns in the south of the Kyrgyz SSR began to be industrialized. The population of Osh and other towns in the Fergana Valley that falls within Kyrgyzstan has traditionally consisted of a significant number of ethnic Uzbeks.^[5] When Osh started to industrialize the ethnic "Kyrgyz were encouraged to move from the Kyrgyz populated countryside to the cities to work in industrial jobs and public administration."^[5] This contributed to the rise of social tension between the two groups.

1990 and 2010 riots[link]

In 1990, shortly before the end of Soviet power in Central Asia, Osh and its environs experienced bloody ethnic clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. There were about 1,200 casualties, including over 300 dead and 462 seriously injured.^[5] The riots broke out over the division of land resources in and around the city.^[6]

In 2010, after riots in Bishkek and other major Kyrgyz cities, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev took refuge in the city to hide from protesters denouncing his government and its response to the nation's struggling economy. On May 13, 2010, Bakiyev supporters took over government buildings in Osh, and also seized the airport, preventing interim government officials from landing.^[7] The protesters demanded Bakiev's return, and forced the provincial governor to flee. The former Osh provincial governor Mamasadyk Bakirov was reinstated.

On June 10, 2010, riots erupted in Osh, killing at least 400 and injuring thousands of others.^[8] "An explosion of violence, destruction and looting in southern Kyrgyzstan on 11-14 June 2010 killed many hundreds of people, mostly Uzbeks, destroyed over 2000 buildings, mostly homes, and deepened the gulf between the country’s ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks."^[9]

Local media reported that gangs of young men armed with sticks and stones smashed shop windows and set cars aflame in the city center. Several buildings and homes across the city were also set on fire. The city's police force proved incapable of restoring order resulting in a state of emergency being declared and the army being mobilised.^[10] The Kyrgyz intelligence agency claimed that the 2010 violence was initiated by the just-deposed president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who is said to have made a deal with foreign narco-jihadist gangs: jihadists take over southern Kyrgyzstan and initiate a shariah state in exchange for the Bakiyev family's being returned to controlling Bishkek.[1] However, to the day no serious proof has been presented to the public and media. According to various sources, up to 100,000 ethnic Uzbek refugees fled to Uzbekistan. Many refugee camps have been organized in the Andijan, Fergana and Namangan regions of Uzbekistan for citizens of Kyrgyzstan who cross the border seeking safety.

Sister cities[link]

• Istanbul, Turkey
• Saint Petersburg, Russia
• Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Osh

• Info on Osh On Osh State University's Medical Institute's website (English)
• Official website of Medical Institute, Osh State University
• City of Osh Official website (in Russian)
• The Spektator - Society, culture and travel articles on Kyrgyzstan and the Central Asian region

v t e Provinces (Oblasts) of Kyrgyzstan Batken Bishkek (city) Chuy Issyk Kul Jalal-Abad Naryn Osh Osh (city) Talas

v t e Administrative seats of the provinces of Kyrgyzstan Batken Bishkek Jalal-Abad Karakol Naryn Osh Talas

Coordinates: 40°32′N 72°48′E / 40.53°N 72.8°E / 40.53; 72.8

Lorestan Province استان لرستان
—  Province  —
Location of Lorestan within Iran
Coordinates: 33°29′14″N 48°21′14″E / 33.4871°N 48.3538°E / 33.4871; 48.3538Coordinates: 33°29′14″N 48°21′14″E / 33.4871°N 48.3538°E / 33.4871; 48.3538
Country	Iran
Capital	Khorramabad
Counties	10
Area
• Total	28,294 km2 (10,924 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
• Total	1,716,527
• Density	61/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	IRST (UTC+03:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRST (UTC+04:30)
Main language(s)	Luri

Lorestan Province (Persian: استان لرستان‎, Ostān-e Lorestān ) is a historic territory and province of western Iran, amidst the Zagros Mountains. The population of Lorestan was estimated at 1,716,527 people in 2006.^[1]

Lorestan covers an area of 28,392 km². The major cities in this province are: Khorramabad, Borujerd, Aligoodarz, Dorood, Koohdasht, Azna, Alashtar, Noor Abad, and Pol-e-Dokhtar.

Geography and climate[link]

A road in Lorestan, winter 2006.

The name Lorestan means "land of the Lurs", and in the wider sense consists of that part of western Iran coinciding with the province of Ilam and extending for about 650 km on a northwest to southeast axis from Kermanshah to Fars, with a breadth of 150–180 km. The terrain consists chiefly of mountains, with numerous ranges, part of the Zagros chain, running northwest to southeast. The central range has many summits which almost reach the line of perpetual snow, rising to 4000 m and more, and it feeds the headwaters of Iran's most important rivers, such as the Zayandeh rud, Jarahi, Karun, Dix, Abi, Karkheh. Between the higher ranges lie many fertile plains and low hilly, well-watered districts.

The highest point of the province is Oshtoran Kooh peak at 4,050 m. The low-lying areas being in the southern most sector of the province, are approximately 500 m above sea level.

The climate is generally sub-humid continental with winter precipitation, a lot of which falls as snow (Köppen Csa). Because it lies on the westernmost slopes of the Zagros Mountains, annual precipitation in Lorestan is among the highest anywhere in Iran south of the Alborz Mountains. At Khorramabad, the average annual precipitation totals 530 millimetres (21 inches) of rainfall equivalent, whilst up to 1270 millimetres (50 inches) may fall on the highest mountains. The months June to September are usually absolutely dry, but Khorramabad can expect 4 inches of rainfall equivalent in December and January.

Temperatures vary widely with the seasons and between day and night. At Khorramabad, summer temperatures typically range from a minimum of 12 °C (54 °F) to a hot maximum of 32 °C (90 °F). In winter, they range from a minimum of -2 °C (28 °F) to a chilly maximum of 8 °C (46 °F).

Oshtoran Kooh Mountain

Administrative divisions[link]

Lorestan includes 10 counties (Shahrestans): Aligudarz County, Azna County, Borujerd County, Delfan County, Dorud County, Doureh County, Khorramabad County, Kuhdasht County, Selseleh County, and Poldokhtar County.

		Imamzadeh Ja'far, built during the Ilkhanid period, in Borujerd.
Anthropomorphic Tube, 9th-8th centuries BC.		Imamzadeh Ja'far, built during the Ilkhanid period, in Borujerd.

History[link]

In the 3rd and 4th millennium BC, migrant tribes settled down in the mountainous area of the Zagros Mountains. The Kassites, an ancient people who spoke neither an Indo-European nor a Semitic language, originated in Lorestān.

Lorestan was invaded and settled by the Iranian Medes in the 2nd millennium BC The Medes absorbed the indigenous inhabitants of the region, primarily the Elamites and Kassites, by the time the area was conquered by the Persians in the 1st millennium BC.

Lorestan was successfully integrated into the Achamenid, Parthian and Sassanian empires. Parts of the region managed to stay independent during the Arab, Seljuk and Mongol invasions.

According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, the Lurs, previously open adherents of the Ahl-e-Haqq faith, revere bread and fire like the Zoroastrians. "Being split up into numerous tribes and sections, they migrate to their summer pastures as separate bands without overall command. In 1936, Reza Shah's army conquered them, with much bloodshed and starvation, forcing many of the survivors to settle in villages under landlords."^[2]

People and culture[link]

Relief resembles a fish tailed woman holding snakes (Elamite era).

The Lurs constitute part of the Southwestern branch of the Iranian peoples and part of the Indo-Iranian linguistic group, spread across the Iranian plateau, stretching from the Hindu Kush to central Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf - a region that is sometimes termed Greater Iran.^[3] Their language (called Luri or Lurish language ) is closely related to Persian, and there are two distinct dialects of this language. "Lur-e-Bozourg" (Greater Lur), which is spoken by the Bakhtiaris, and "Lur-e-Kuchik" (Lesser Lur), spoken by the Lurs themselves. People in Borujerd speak in Borujerdi Dialect, a local Lori Persian dialect which is extracted from Luri. Northwest of Lorestan Province is dominated by Laki speakers. "Luri and Bakhtiari are much more closely related to Persian, than Kurdish."^[4] The overwhelming majority of Lurs are Shia Muslims. In Khuzestan, Lur tribes are primarily concentrated in the northern part of the province, while in Ilam they are mainly in the southern region.

Prior to the 20th century the majority of Lurs were nomadic herders, with an urban minority residing in the city of Khorramabad. There were several attempts by the Pahlavi governments to forcibly settle the nomadic segment of the Lur population. Under Reza Shah, these campaigns tended to be unsuccessful. The last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, used less forceful methods along with economic incentives, which met with greater, though not complete, success. By the mid-1980s the vast majority of Lurs had been settled in towns and villages throughout the province, or had migrated to the major urban centres.

A number of nomadic Lur tribes continue to exist in the province. Amongst the settled urban populace the authority of tribal elders still remains a strong influence, though not as dominant as it is amongst the nomads. As in Bakhtiari Lurs and Kurdish societies, Northern Lur women have had much greater freedoms than women in other Iranian groups.

Northern region[link]

Golden masks. Excavated in Kalmakareh, Lorestan. First half of first millennium BC. National Museum of Iran.

In the northern part of Lorestan, formerly known as Lesser Lorestan ("Lur-e-Kuchik"), live the Faylis, divided into the Pishkuh Lurs in the east and Pushtkuh Lurs in the adjoining Iraqi territory in the west.

Lesser Lorestan maintained its independence under a succession of princes of the Khorshidi dynasty, known as Atabegs, from A.D. 1155 to the beginning of the 17th century. Shah Abbas I then removed the last Atabeg, Shah Verdi Khan, and entrusted the government of the province to Hossein Khan Shamlu, the chief of the rival tribe of Shamlu, with the title of Vali in exchange for that of Atabeg. The descendants of Hossein Khan retained the title as governors of the Pushtkuh Lurs, to whom only the denomination of Feili now applies.

Southern region[link]

The southern part of the province, formerly known as Greater Lorestan ("Lur-e-Bozourg"), comprises the Bakhtiari region of the province of Khuzestan and the districts of the Mamasenni and Kuhgilu Lurs which are located in Fars province. At one time, Greater Lorestan formed an independent state under the Fazlevieh Atabegs from A.D. 1160 until 1424. Its capital, Idaj, survives as mounds and ruins at Malamir, sixty miles southeast of the city of Shushtar in Khuzestan.

People[link]

The Khoram Abad people were the oldest people in the Luristan region.

Lur man in traditional clothing, 1921

• Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi, religious man
• Prof. Shahin Shojai, Ph.D. - World-renowned Economist
• Shahmirza Moradi, Sorna player
• Nasrollah Kasraian, photographer
• Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob, writer, historian, and critic
• Sayyed Jafar Shahidi, writer, historian, and critic.
• Parviz Shahbazi, writer and filmmaker
• Loris Tjeknavorian, Armenian-Iranian composer and conductor
• Mehdi Karroubi, politician.

Colleges and universities[link]

• Lorestan University of Medical Sciences
• University of Lorestan
• Islamic Azad University of Khorram Abad
• Islamic Azad University of Aligudarz
• Islamic Azad University of Borujerd
• Islamic Azad University of Dorood
• Payam Nour University of Poldokhtar
• Payam Nour University of Alashtar
• Payam Nour University of Borujerd
• Al-ghadir Applicational Scientific Comprehensive University
• Shahid Madani school of Khoramabad
• Ma’soumeh School of Khoramabad
• Gahar Lake Place of Dorood

See also[link]

Falak-ol-Aflak Castle

• Chehel Minbari
• Demographics of Iran
• Ethnic minorities in Iran
• Lorestān bronze
• 2006 Borujerd earthquake

Notes[link]

References[link]

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Luristan". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lorestan

• Attractions in the province

Government[link]

• Provincial Cultural Heritage Organization
• Governor's Office
• Agricultural Jihad Organization of Lorestan Province
• Lorestan Department of Education
• Lorestan Urban Utilities Company
• Lorestan Rural Utilities Company

Peoples and culture[link]

• Information portal
• History of the Lur people
• Article about Lurs from the Encyclopedia of Islam
• Bakhtiari Tribe website
• Zagros Online, a website from Borujerd
• souri room shekan.com/ soori,online, a website from soori

Arts and culture[link]

• A Lori folk-song sung by Shusha Guppy in 1970s: I Have Come to Ravish My Heart.

	Kermanshah Province	Hamadan Province	Markazi Province
		Lorestan Province    East
	Ilam Province	Khuzestan Province	Isfahan Province

v t e Lorestan Province Capital Khorramabad Counties and Cities Aligudarz County Aligudarz Azna County Azna Momenabad Borujerd County Borujerd Oshtorinan Delfan County Nurabad Dorud County Dorud Chalanchulan Dowreh County Sarab-e Dowreh Veysian Khorramabad County Khorramabad Bayranshahr Sepiddasht Zagheh Kuhdasht County Kuhdasht Chaqabol Darb-e Gonbad Garab Kunani Pol-e Dokhtar County Pol-e Dokhtar Mamulan Selseleh County Aleshtar Firuzabad Sights Falak-ol-Aflak Castle Imamzadeh Ja'far Soltani Mosque Jameh Mosque Women's Park of Borujerd Yafteh Nojian waterfall Sarkaneh waterfalls Imamzadeh Dou Khaharan Kashkan bridge Zardabeh lagoon Gahhar lagoon Sheneh castle Rahmanabad Sasanian palace Gosheh caravansary

v t e Provinces of Iran Alborz Ardabil Bushehr Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari East Azerbaijan Isfahan Fars Gilan Golestan Hamadan Hormozgan Ilam Kerman Kermanshah Khuzestan Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Kurdistan Lorestan Markazi Mazandaran North Khorasan Qazvin Qom Razavi Khorasan Semnan Sistan and Baluchestan South Khorasan Tehran West Azerbaijan Yazd Zanjan

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

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

Ros Sereysothea (Khmer: រស់ សេរីសុទ្ធា) (1948^[1] – 1977 ^[2]) was a famous singer during the final years of Cambodia's Sangkum Reastr Niyum and the Khmer Republic. She sang from a variety of genres but romantic ballads 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 are relatively scarce and her fate during Democratic Kampuchea remains a mystery.

Biography[link]

Early Life[link]

Ros Sothea was born in 1948^[2] to Ros Sabun and Nath Samean in Battambang Province. Growing up relatively poor, Ros Sothea was the second youngest of five children and displayed vocal talent as a toddler. She grew up listening to early Cambodian singers such as Mao Sareth and Chunn Malai which doubtlessly had a profound influence.

Sothea's talent would remain relatively hidden until friends persuaded her 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 Sothea's talents and invited her to the capital, Phnom Penh in 1967.

Music Career[link]

In Phnom Penh, she adopted the alias Ros Sereysothea and became a singer for the 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 the lead singer of the era and they were a smashing success. She also performed with other prominent singers of the era such as Pan Ron, 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 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 or garage rock. Like the leader of the music scene, Sinn Sisamouth, Sothea would often take popular Western rock tunes, such as John Fogerty's "Proud Mary" and refashion them with Khmer lyrics.

Yet romantic ballads would remain her most endearing work amongst the more conservative 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 invaluable in identifying over 250 films lost during the communist regime.

Sothea never sang under any one record label and made a modest living as a musician. She is recognized as a national treasure and was honored by King Norodom Sihanouk with the royal title of "Preah Reich Theany Somlang Meas", the "Golden Voice of the Royal Capital".

From her brief relationship with a Khmer Republic parachutist and General Srey Ya, Sothea increasingly became involved in the military. As the Khmer Republic struggled in the civil war, Sothea and Sisamouth and their contemporaries published patriotic songs for the fledgling republic. Her career would continue until the Khmer Rouge captured the beleaguered capital, Phnom Penh in April 1975.

Personal Life[link]

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 was courted by fellow singer Sos Mat and eventually married. Unfortunately Mat was already legally married to two other wives. As her career moved forward, Sos Mat became insanely jealous of her success and of the men who came to watch her perform. Traumatized by the emotional abuse from the constant envy of his other wives and the domestic violence from Sos Mat, they separated within six months of marriage. With her name ruined as a result of the divorce she was left with one option and returned to her family in Battambang. It would only be with intervention and help from Sinn Sisamouth that she resumed her career in Phnom Penh.

Despite the high profile divorce with Sos Mat, Sothea's popularity resurged and she met and the son of the famous Van Chan film company as part of her contracts recording film songs. Their marriage resulted in a son but for undocumented reasons they separated. She is also noted to have had a relationship with a parachutist of the Khmer Republic. General Srey Ya of Lon Nol's government who was extremely infatuated with her, ended up holding her against her will in one incident. Sothea's unsteady relationship's may have been the inspiration behind her most depressing ballads.

Fall of Phnom Penh[link]

It is believed Sothea had traveled to Pailin Province for the Buddhist New Year in 1975. Some of her final recordings are those celebrating the New Year in Pailin. Many are skeptical of this claim as it had been increasing dangerous to travel outside Phnom Penh due to the encirclement of Khmer Rouge forces. When Phnom Penh fell ,there were apparently attempts by military personnel to evacuate Sothea out of the country. Like everyone else when the Khmer Rouge took over, she was forced to leave Phnom Penh. There are many speculations regarding her fate from a variety of witnesses.

Sothea was initially able to hide her identity well as she was from the Cambodian countryside and adjusted well contrary to most of the "New People". The survivors from her camp didn't even know she was amongst them until she secretly confided with them. Eventually she was discovered and was forced by Pol Pot to marry one of his assistants in 1977. As a prolific singer, Sothea was forced to exclusively perform songs for the new regime.

Her new marriage was an unhappy one marred by physical abuses. Eventually the disputes got out of hand and the Khmer Rouge cadre of her village decided she was more trouble alive. She was told that she and her family would be moved to another village and she was last seen by survivors departing by ox cart. 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 even says that she was still alive when the Vietnamese invading forces arrived in Phnom Penh in 1979 but died of malnutrition shortly after in a hospital.

As a high profile individual and a musician, she was a prime candidate for extermination during Pol Pot’s regime. Her two surviving 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. Her remains have yet to be discovered.

Legacy[link]

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 in 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 posthumously in Cambodia and 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, were featured on the soundtrack to Matt Dillon's film City of Ghosts. Tracks by Sothea are "Have You Seen My Love", "I'm Sixteen" and "Wait Ten Months".

The Los Angeles band Dengue Fever, 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, undoubtedly saved what was left of her discography while spreading and garnering interest in her music even after almost half a century later.

Partial discography[link]

Rock[link]

• "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"

Romvong[link]

• "Kaduk Dol Heuy"
• "Komping Puoy"
• "Rolum Saen Kraw"
• "Sarika Keo Kauch"

Saravann[link]

• "Sra Muy Keo" (One Shot)

Slow[link]

• "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[link]

• "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[link]

• 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

References[link]

• A Voice from the Killing Fields
• Queen of Golden Voice: A Biography of Ros Serey Sothear
• An Interview with Ros Serey Sother's Sisters (in Khmer)

External links[link]

• 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
• Ros Sereysothea Biography

Sevara Nazarkhan (Uzbek: Sevara Nazarxon, Севара Назархон; Russian: Севара Назархан is an Uzbek singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical style incorporates Uzbek folk and contemporary music. Nazarkhan has achieved worldwide fame and has collaborated with high-profile international artists.^[1] In 2004, Nazarkhan received the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award in the category "Best Asian Artist".^[1]

Life[link]

Nazarkhan was born into a family of musicians in 1978 in Andijan city, Uzbek SSR. Her father is a former editor at the State Radio Committee. Her mother taught how to play Uzbek traditional musical instruments at a musical school. Nazarkhan started her career in music as a doutar player in the Ensemble of the National TV and Radio Committee. Upon graduation from secondary school, she attended the Uzbek National Conservatory.

Work[link]

Nazarkhan started her solo career in 2000. In 2003, Sevara Nazarkhan released her critically acclaimed album Yol Bolsin on the UK label Real World Records. The album was produced by French producer Hector Zazou. Following the release, she extensively toured Europe and Asia with her band. She also was the support act in Peter Gabriel's Growing Up Tour 2004. The same year, she received the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award in the category "Best Asian Artist".

In 2004, Sevara recorded Gozal Dema - a collection of folk songs. It was a limited edition CD.

In 2007, Real World Records releases her album Sen. Most of the music of that album was composed by Sevara. She brought two producers to work on this album - Bruno Ellingham and Victor Sologoub.

In 2009, Sevara released a hit song titled "А Он Не Пришёл" in Russian, which became a major hit troughout the CIS countries.^[2]

Sevara's latest album, Tortadur - a collection of Uzbek traditional/classical songs - was released in the US on October 11, 2011, on her own record label, Sevaramusic. Sevara invited "the old school" instrumentalists for the live recording sessions. This album is not electronically treated.

Sevara Nazarkhan appears on the following tracks/albums:

1. Peace Song (Halla Bassam/Sevara Nazarxon) From the Album "Lullabies From The Axis Of Evil".

2. In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel), Peter Gabriel - Growing Up Live (2003) DVD

3. My Secret Bliss (Iarla Duet With Sevara Nazarxon) - AfroCelt Sound System. From the Album Volum5: Anatomic (2005)

4. Everything Comes From You (feat. Richard Evans, Joji Hirota, Sevara Nazarxon, Sinead O Connor, Guo Yue) - From the Album "Big Blue Ball" by Peter Gabriel.

Discography[link]

• Yo'l Bolsin (Where are you Headed?) (2003)
• Go'zal Dema (Don't Say I'm Beautiful) (2004)
• Sen (You) (2007)
• Tortadur (It Attracts) (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Record label site
• Sevara Nazarkhan uzbek lyrics