Ms So Savoeun is probably the best known female singer of the pre-war generation to have been spared from the wholesale purge of artists in the 1970s. I believe she was in France when Pol Pot came to power in April 1975. Of this golden generation of artists Mr In Yeng is likewise the only known male singer to have been spared from this purge. Both these legends are my heroes and inspirations for the sole reason that I had grown up hearing their songs along side those of Ms Huy Meas, Ms Ros Sereysothea, Mr Sinn Sisamouth et al, all of whom are reported to have met their end under brutal circumstances. Ms So Savoeun’s vocal is quite unique [in my view] in terms of its intense, high pitch and powerful quality, hence her richly earned nickname ‘bell cricket So Savoeun’ or ‘reay kondeng So Savoeun’ [referring to the near ‘deafening’ sounds of common crickets one hears in Cambodia today]. Mr In Yeng’s music on the other hand, competes with that of Mr Sinn Sisamouth and Mr Sos Math for the quintessential facet of the sentimental and gentle spirit of the Khmer soul. His songs and vocal have that ‘dreamy’ and trance-like quality about them that hypnotise the listener and transport him/her to a surreal realm beyond the mundane world. Come to think of it, this was probably why I fell asleep on the back of a moving motorbike after having hummed one of his famous songs [‘bopha kbal jrouy’] on the road from Phnom Penh to Svay Rieng... I doubt one will ever think the same way again of ‘bopha kbal jrouy’ after this! - School of Vice
jiet khmer min lgnong klov - meas samon & so savoeun
audom duang jet - so savoeun
So Savoeun & Plaktine ក្អែកបូល (ctn concert 30-03-2013 )
kolap kos keo - in yeng [this has to be among my all time favourites - ever]
17 comments:
Dear School of vice,
This song, by Mr. In Yeng is very sentimental. The lyrics (every word) is so meaningful. By just listening to the words and his tone of voice, without the help of any image, I could visualize all details he describes. Mr. In Yeng always sings this kind of songs.
As for Ms. So Savoeun, I agree with what you wrote, although she's not my favorite singer. She best all singers when it comes to pleng ka style. But I'm the kind of person who likes female singer with great vocal, but her voice has to be sweet and beautiful also, just like Ms. Ros Sereysothea and of course Ms. Huy Meas (my second favorite). Just my opinion only. Sweet and beautiful are the qualities I'm looking for.
~Jendhamuni
Let's not forget the late legendary Ma Lao Pee who wrote most of the sad lyrics for In Yeng to sing in all those final and peaceful years of the late 60's.
Hey nakmin So sovoeun!Indeed,I'm so content that i can see you here again.Because when i was younger i see you at bordeaux yet,And i like your voice a face full the charm!!Som kamthror nakming,ARCACHON^^
I enjoyed both videos. Thank you for sharing a little tidbits, reminiscing of the old time.
Dear School of Vice,
This is the first time I hear this song: audom duang jet by Ms. So Savoeun. I only hear the male version, and never knew we have one by Ms. So Savoeun (female) at all, till now. ~Jendhamuni
Dear School of Vice,
The song, "jiet khmer min lgnong klov" by Mr. Meas Samon and Ms. So Savoeun is so meaningful. Just like a patriotic song. You should stick that single song somewhere for a while. ~Jendhamuni
Dear Jendha,
Yes, this one is a well kept secret! I've been a passionate fan of the golden era songs since a little [whatever!] and yet was really surprised to have discovered it by chance one day only recently while I was looking for something to pass time with. The audio quality too is as perfect as it is possible to find for these old tracks.
'Audom doung jet' was written by Mr Samouth himself [I learned]to lure his wife back to him after a period of separation, resulting from her unilateral decision to accept defeat of losing her husband to another woman. One can only imagine the pain of a faithful Khmer woman who took it upon herself to raise all her children with no certain means of earning a steady income whilst her husband was finding fame, peace and happiness with another lover. Well, at least, that is what I am led to believe.
The song itself is very emotional, and when we think about the background to this sad real life story, it seems to add up. The male version by Samouth is great, but this one by Ms Savoeun is even better [I feel]. I skied for a whole afternoon just to keep the earphone to my ears the day I first discovered the song!
Hopefully I will be able to visit Mr Samouth's birthplace somewhere in Steung Treng some day and pay my due respect to his family and to his treasured memory.
I had not always been a great fan of Ms So Savoeun [I admit], but in recent years have come to appreciate her songs more and more. There are several great tracks sung by her, and like 'audom duong jet' are just as rare.
Perhaps, this appreciation of her songs has something to do with their melancholy mood and character I suppose.
Dear Jendha,
I tried [anonymously] to get "Heng Soy" to do that some years back; alas he wouldn't listen to me! I mean putting the song up somewhere semi-permanently on the home page.
Dear ឧប្បរាជអារាម (School of Vice),
រហាសនាមអ្នកស្រី សូ សាវឿន គឺ អ្នកចំរៀងសមេ្លង រៃកណ្ដឹង ឬ រៃមាស មិនមែន ចង្រិតកណ្ដឹងទេ.គួមិនគួសូមអភ័យទោស.
Dear School of Vice,
3:34 AM was right. Ms. So Savoeun is known as រៃមាស.
~Jendhamuni
Dear School of Vice,
Thanks so much for an extra info on Mr. Sinn Sisamuth's life/family. I never knew anything about that although I'm a big fan of him. I'm just like an old grandma, remains one biggest fan of the Golden Era. Too old-fashioned in fact, that I would never listen to any other singers from new generation, except patriotic songs. Thank goodness, my heart can accept patriotic songs by singers from all generations. That is it. Otherwise, Golden Era only! And I mean that!
Oh trying to get our friend HS to do such thing anonymously, Good Luck! Kind of sad because I tried to hide from him before he left; afraid he would assign me too much works. He sent me one last patriotic song by Mr. Koy Vanna and plenty of photos for all songs to add to my collection and that was the last time I spoke to him, nearly to weeks before he left us. Now you know why I'm actively here... He just like a brother to me...
The song, "jiet khmer min lgnong klov" by Mr. Meas Samon and Ms. So Savoeun: You should create a separate post and stick this song on top for a while for our readers. Patriotic song is very important. It helps awaken the souls of all Khmers from around the world, especially those who care for our nation, our people... My father was the first person who introduced me to Khmer Patriotic song, "Krola Homkong" this song stays in my heart forever...
~Jendhamuni
Both 'reay meas'[រៃមាស] and 'reay kondeng' [រៃកណ្ដឹង] are all her bestowed titles. There may be other names that only her fans and Ms Sovoeun herself can testify to. I even wrote 'reay kondeng' in Latin in my remark above.
'ចង្រិត' do not have that high pitch vocal sound that I am referring to [at any rate not high enough!], and they live mostly on the ground rather than ones perching up a tree! The latter species are called 'crickets' in English also.
I suspect that Ms Savoeun herself would rather be known as រៃមាស, whilst រៃកណ្ដឹង is possibly legitimate an analogy it is a bit cheeky and somewhat less flattering!
By the way, what does 'ឧប្បរាជអារាម' mean? I hope it's not a swear word!
Please count me out if any of you are into swearing contest...
Perhaps, I should start taking classes in Khmer literature after all.
Just playing.
Dear School of Vice,
I don't know how to translate 'ឧប្បរាជអារាម'in the exact term. But it's just like "School of Vice" Not a bad word, of course. And not a swearing word either. Otherwise I would leave the game as well. I just put together the flooding photos with Ms. Sovoeun song "Teuk lech poom oun" In fact that is my favorite song sung by her. When it comes to this pleng ka style, Ms. So Savoeun tops all singers.
~Jendhamuni
In fact, I was looking for the same song myself earlier to mark the flooding going on, but couldn't remember the actual title. That's what led me to all these other songs by her posted above.
School of Vice can be so absent minded sometimes.
Thanks for doing that.
Dear School of Vice,
I thought of this song long time ago because it's my best collection. I have this song on my desktop all the time, but was too lazy [not quite, but too busy] to turn this into video. I wanted to wait for more beautiful photos, so I could lay them out better with the lyrics. Then, I changed my mind because I needed to get the video up for the CNRP appeal. If I do it next time, I will make sure the photos match with her lyrics. Maybe I think too much! Or too picky! I still have many beautiful songs HS sent, but don't have time to turn them into videos yet. He said he had a box from Golden Era in his room and would send me more, but...
~Jendhamuni
រូបភាពប្រយុទ្ធលើសមរភូមិ ធ្វើអោយខ្ញុំនឹកស្រណោះពីអតីតកាលនាសម៍យសង្រ្គាមជាមួយខ្មែរក្រហមនៅសមរភូមិផ្លូវជាតិលេខ២ម្តុំសំរោងយ៉ោង,ផ្លូវជាតិលេខ៣ម្តុំកន្ទួត,វត្តទឹកថ្លារ,វត្តស្លែងផ្លូវជាតិលេខ៤ម្តុំបែកចាន,កំបូលកប់ស្រូវនឹងពេជនឹល។សូមព្រលឹងអ្នកតស៊ូ ពិសេសកងពលធំថ្មើរជើងទី៣ដែលមានភារះការពារនាទិសខាងត្បូងឈៀងខាងលិចភ្នំពេញ សូមព្រលឹងអស់លោកអញ្ជើញទៅកាន់ទីដសែនសុខកុំបីអាក់ខានឡើយ។
រូបភាពប្រយុទ្ធលើសមរភូមិ ធ្វើអោយខ្ញុំនឹកស្រណោះពីអតីតកាលនាសម៍យសង្រ្គាមជាមួយខ្មែរក្រហមនៅសមរភូមិផ្លូវជាតិលេខ២ម្តុំសំរោងយ៉ោង,ផ្លូវជាតិលេខ៣ម្តុំកន្ទួត,វត្តទឹកថ្លារ,វត្តស្លែងផ្លូវជាតិលេខ៤ម្តុំបែកចាន,កំបូលកប់ស្រូវនឹងពេជនឹល។សូមព្រលឹងអ្នកតស៊ូ ពិសេសកងពលធំថ្មើរជើងទី៣ដែលមានភារះការពារនាទិសខាងត្បូងឈៀងខាងលិចភ្នំពេញ សូមព្រលឹងអស់លោកអញ្ជើញទៅកាន់ទីដសែនសុខកុំបីអាក់ខានឡើយ។
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