Hello Westernstarr, Thank you for revealing the story of Sin Si Samouth as you saw it.
Now, has his widow indeed passed away?? hmm, it's sad if it's true. Yeah it's sad, I've also seen the video in which she begged for help from overseas Cambodians; I watched it several times. In many posts of mine elsewhere on the internet (under a username different from "Soriya"), I ask the Cambodian government to officially declare Sin Si Samouth as a national treasure, I urge the music companies who make money out of his songs to pay some royalties to his widow & surviving children, reminding them that they have a moral if not legal obligation to do so, & I ask overseas Cambodians who enjoy his music to create a fund to help his widow & surviving children. Right, the Cambodian society of before April 1975 didn't value artists, including movie stars & singers. Back then, people referred 2 Kong Som Oeun as "Ah Kong Som Oeun", or Meas Hok Seng as "Ah Meas Hok Seng". Remarkably, no one ever referred to Sin Si Samouth as "Ah Sin Si Samouth". They referred to him as "Sin Si Samouth" or, more affectionately, as "Samouth". Yeah Yeah, Sin Si Samouth was the most respected, or probably the only respected, Cambodian entertainer back then. Yeah Yeah, Sin Si Samouth for the Cambodian culture is at the same level as the Beatles & Elvis Prestley are to the English-language world. Even more so. The art, science, & technique of singing in Khmer by Sin Si Samouth for the Cambodian people are, to my ears, more sophisticated than those by the Beatles & Elvis Prestley for the English-speaking world. Furthermore, his average rate of producing hit songs (eg the average number of hit songs produced per year) is higher than that of the Beatles & that of Elvis Prestley. Once somebody gets to understand the Khmer language, he/she falls in love with Sin Si Samouth's songs. I've seen this phenomenon on the internet. Even some people who don't understand the Khmer language at all also claim they love his songs, & most of them even request that his lyrics be translated into English. I've seen this phenomenon on the internet. So, again, I ask the Cambodian government to officially declare Sin Si Samouth as a national treasure & his music as a national heritage, & to erect a memorial monument or statue to honor him. Soriya On Feb 22, 6:32 am, Westernstarr <[email protected]> wrote: > A few years ago, I read a magazine in which a person who claimed to have > been locked up in a prison in Kandal in which he met SSM there. The man > claimed to have composed the song Thngai 17 kakada for SSM to sing a few > years earlier. But due to the long separation between the two in the earlier > 1970s, SSM couldn't remember him until he was reminded of that > particular song. > > The man said later on a young KR cadre came into the prison and led SSM > away. SSM knew that he was to be killed. As he was being led away, he looked > back at the man and said goodbye. Soon after, the KR cadre brought back the > clothes to the prison. This man said he could recogonise the clothes > belonged to SSM. > > I am trying to recall which magazine I read. > > Yes, so true Khmer government should posthumuosly Okhna-ed him and pay some > pension to his immediate family members, along with other famous Khmer > artists who had perished. I think it would be good if the Opposition takes > up the case. > > But anyway, historically, Khmer artists have never been valued or looked > down by Khmer society and Khmer leaders of all persuasions never care about > what they see as non-issue like this. > It was so disheartening to see his wife begging for help in a video before > she passed away recently (?). > > > > On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 9:29 PM, Soriya <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hello Ta Boo, > > > Actually I encountered on the internet 2 versions of how Sin Si > > Samouth was killed by the Khmer Rouge. The 1st version is similar to > > yours, and the 2nd is presented in my 1st post in this subject. > > > The story in the 1st version is similar to those of 100s of 1,000s of > > other Cambodian victims, while that in the 2nd story is probably > > uniquely unspeakably cruel. So I present only the 2nd version. > > However, as I implied, it may or may not be true. > > > I take this occasion to urge the Cambodian government to officially > > declare Sin Si Samouth as a national treasure, and to erect some kind > > of memorial monument to honor him. > > > Soriya > > > On Feb 21, 3:01 pm, Ta Boo <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Hi Sorya! > > > > About Sin Si Samuth put to death by the Khmer Rouge after being evacuted > > from Phnom Penh, I have different version from you. Sin Sisamuth was > > evacuated from Phnom Penh to Bath Tambang where the Khmer Rouge had him to > > dig his own grave and had him to sin the best favorable song before put him > > to death. When to got at Surin, Thailand, on April 1975, somes Thai came to > > ask me if Sin Sisamuth was among you. > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Soriya <[email protected]> > > > To: Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - w ww.cambodia.org < > > [email protected]> > > > Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2009 6:53:5 6 AM > > > Subject: Sin Si Samouth & The Khmer Rouge Leaders > > > > Sin Si Samouth & The Khmer Rouge Leaders > > > > Several weeks ago I saw somewhere on the internet the following: > > > > Sin Si Samouth was ordered by the Khmer Rouge leaders to write & sing > > > a song to glorify their war victory over Lon Nol. He complied. As soon > > > as he finished singing the song, he was arrested by the Khmer Rouge, > > > his tongue was cut off, & he died of a slow painful death. > > > > That may be true, considering the hatred cruelty atrocity barbarianism > > > beastliness of the Khmer Rouge. > > > > Now, if that's true, do you have any English or Khmer word to describe > > > that unspeakable cruelty of the Khmer Rouge leaders?? > > > > Soriya- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. 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