Yang Chheang aka Somnieng Rithy – The only song composer treated as a political prisoner by Sihanouk

Dear KI-Media Readers,

Please allow me to share with you Cambodian singer/composer and lyricist Yang Chheang who is known as Somnieng Rithy (Powerful Voice). His songs were interpreted by no other than Sin Sisamouth and Ms. Mao Saret themselves. As a strong critics of Sihanouk's regime, he was sentenced to 5-year in jail. He was the only known political prisoner/singer of Sihanouk's tight fist regime which did not tolerate any open criticisms. Even in jail, he did not stop writing song lyrics and singers like Ms. Mao Saret had to come to jail to learn the songs from the master himself. To all of you out there who believe that Sihanouk's Sangkum Reastr Niyum was an idyllic regime in Cambodia, singer Yang Chheang's example should be a good indicator of Sihanouk's autocratic regime. The seemingly romantic song "Mekh Khmao Ngo-Ngit" by Ms. Mao Saret described nothing more than a jail cell under Sihanouk's regime.

Enjoy,

P. from Long Beach

Sin Sisamouth - Oh Psheng Barei

http://www.archive.org/download/SinSisamouth-OhPhsengBarei/SinSisamouth-OhPhsengBarei.mp3

Mao Saret - Mekh Khmao Ngo-nget

http://www.archive.org/download/MaoSaret-MekhKhmaoNgo-nget/MaoSaret-MekhKhmaoNgo-nget.mp3

Mao Saret - Thpoal Khuoch

http://www.archive.org/download/MaoSaret-ThpoalKhuoch/MaoSaret-ThpoalKhuoch.mp3

The composer of the song “Somneuch Chom-ork Prom-lekhet” (Laughter of the destiny)

25 November 2009

By Chumnit

Cambodia Express News

Translated from Khmer by P from Long Beach

Yang Chheang on a chair in the back row during actor Chea Yuthorn's wedding

Phnom Penh – “I want to curse the destiny that limits my ability, I practice Sila to attain peace…” that was the introduction of the song ““Somneuch Chom-ork Prom-lekhet” (Laughter of the destiny) composed in the 60s by Yang Chheang who is also known as Somnieng Rithy. In addition to being a famous song composer and lyricist, Yang Chheang was also a singer whom nobody can imitate, not even Sin Sisamouth himself.

Even though he passed away long ago, he left behind a voluminous number of songs that are still well known nowadays.

Yang Chheang’s friend said that he was born in the 30s and he lived with his elder mother near Phsar Silib in Phnom Penh city. He passed his high school diploma (Baccalaureate II) around the same time as Messrs. Son Ngoc Thanh (KI-Media note: In fact Mr. Son Ngoc Thanh was born in 1908, therefore he was much older than Yang Chheang), Hang Thun Hak (KI-Media note: Mr. Hang Thun Hak was born in 1924 and was much older than Yang Chheang also), Pov Sipho, Phuong Bopha, Pov Vanchorn, Ty Nguon Leng etc… During that time, it was quite rare for Cambodian youths to achieve their high school degree. He was known as very well built, and his had a protruding outgrowth on his left eye. His friends said that he lost his right toe during a childhood accident when he tried to pedal a cyclo left by the sidewalk. That adventure cost him his toe when his foot fell into the chain of the cyclo.

Brilliantine gel are usually sold in jars as the one above

As a young student, his artistic talent was well known and as he grew up into adulthood, he was known as peculiar artist. He had rather long and greasy hair from his use of the French “Brilliantine” hair styling gel (KI-Media note: The US equivalent of Brilliantine is “grease” that was use in the 50s and 60s – See the movie Grease with John Travolta). Although he gave an outside appearance of a foreign Filipino man, he was actually behaving like a woman. He loved flower shirts made out of “batik” material from Indonesia. On weekends, he would don his flower shirt, white pants and white shoes, and he would take a cyclo to travel from Phsar Silip to Phsar Kandal. [As a dandy of his time,] on his cyclo trip, he would cross his leg, smoke his pipe and hum a song for all to see and hear. Sometime, he would make the cyclo driver take him around the city until daybreak. Because cyclo rides were quite cheap during that time, he was known to move around on cyclo mainly and sometime he could be seen singing loudly all by himself. At other times, he would attach ankle belts to his shoes to get attention and during his cyclo rides, he would shake his feet to the tune of his singing while a pipe was dangling from his mouth.

He worked at the National Radio Station, but people said that he was not very lucky with love and he was not known to have any relationship with any women. In fact women used to nickname him: “the 3-scent man” from (1) the smell of the Brilliantine gel he used, (2) his bad armpit odor as he sweat a lot, and (3) the smell of his pipe. Because of that, most women were afraid of him and when they saw him approaching, women would scramble to get away from him.

In the evening, he would hang out at a barber shop near his house to watch people playing chess or to sing “Mohori” songs to the audience. He was also known for hanging out at the house of song composer and lyricist Pov Sipho also.

According to one of his old friends, he was very well admired by musicians for his lyricist talent. Most of his songs used very simple words but had very deep meaning. Most of his songs described his perception of everyday life or bitterness in life. He wrote the song ““Somneuch Chom-ork Prom-lekhet” (Laughter of the destiny) for Boramy Tioulong (the son of then-General Nhiek Tioulong) to be included in the movie by the same name. The original song was interpreted by Sin Sisamouth. Most of the songs he wrote had very deep meaning, such as the song “Mekh Khmao Ngo-ngit” (Dark sky) interpreted by Ms. Mao Saret, “Oh Phseng Barey” (Cigarette smoke) interpreted by Sin Sisamouth, or “Roam Calypso” (Dancing the calypso) by Sin Sisamouth.

Most of his lyrics included criticisms of the society in which he lived in (i.e. Sihanouk’s regime). Because of that, he was sent to jail. He was the only known Cambodian singer who had to spend 5 years in jail from his song lyrics, unfortunately, due to loss of documents, it was not known which song earned him the ire of Sihanouk’s regime. But even in jail, he did not stop writing song lyrics, for example the song “Trey Kreum Khnong Dorb” (Bottled beta fish) interpreted by Ms. Mao Saret included his protest: “Bottled beta fish opening its mouth back and forth to demand its freedom”. The other song by “Phop Khmao Ngo-ngit” (Dark universe) included another of his protests: “The dark universe that closes my eyes, oh pity me, I am blind. The friends I used to count on, they drifted away … Even the lotus plants that grow in the mud are still attached by their strings, their destiny is much better than that of the wretched humankind.” Although he did not compose that many songs, most of them are well known for containing deep criticisms against the daily life under [Sihanouk’s] regime.

Yang Chheang was known as a learned singer, he knew Thai, English, French in addition to his native Khmer. As a singer, he was known to give his all in his singing. Musicians are warned to know his song well to accompany him otherwise they would have a tough time following his singing. On some occasions, he was also known for singing whatever that came to his head during the middle of the song, then he would end up with the original song that he started as if nothing ever happened.

He loved traditional “Mohori” song. Lyrics of the songs “Thpoal Khuoch” (Dimple cheek) interpreted by Ms. Mao Saret and “Chivit Nea Kror” (Livelihood of the poor) interpreted by Sin Sisamouth were all written by Yang Chheang.

He disappeared in 1975, nevertheless he left behind several achievements for Cambodians and we are still attracted by the meaning of his songs.