Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Ros Serey Sothea

Role / Field:

Iconic Cambodian singer, celebrated for romantic ballads and her role in the rock scene.

Born:

1948

Died:

1977

Century / Era:

1948s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Ros Serey Sothea (c. 1948–1978) was a Cambodian singer. She was the most prominent female artist in the Cambodian rock scene during the First Kingdom of Cambodia and into the Khmer Republic period. She sang in a variety of genres; romantic ballads emerged as her most popular works.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Despite a relatively brief career she is credited with singing hundreds of songs. She also ventured into acting, starring in a few films. She disappeared during the Khmer Rouge regime of the late 1970s but the circumstances of her fate remain a mystery. Norodom Sihanouk granted Sothea the honorary title "Queen with the Golden Voice." Ros Sothea was born in 1948 to Ros Bun (Khmer: រស់ ប៊ុន) and Nath Samien (Khmer: ណាត់ សាមៀន) in Battambang province, French protectorate of Cambodia. Growing up relatively poor on a farm, Ros Sothea was the second youngest of seven children; two of her younger sisters, Ros Sareth and Ros Saroeun, both passed away in 1955 at very young ages.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Her older sisters Ros Saboeut and Ros Saboeun became activists after the Khmer Rouge working with surviving artists to combat piracy. Ros Saboeun recalls Sothea displaying vocal talent as early as three years...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Contemporary (Died in 1948) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Abdullah Öcalan — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Founder of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and advocate for Kurdish rights.
• Abdulrazak Gurnah — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Acclaimed Tanzanian novelist and Nobel laureate exploring themes of colonialism and refuge.
• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — Contemporary (Died in 1977) (1977): Pioneering global spread of Krishna consciousness teachings and the Hare Krishna mantra.
• Aleksandr Vasilevsky — Contemporary (Died in 1977) (1977): A pivotal Soviet general who commanded forces during WWII and served as Minister of Defense.
• Alexei Stakhanov — Contemporary (Died in 1977) (1977): Soviet mining celebrity and pioneer of the Stakhanovite productivity movement.
• Akira Mutō — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): Imperial Japanese Army General implicated in war crimes during WWII.
• Akira Yoshino — Historical peer (Born in 1948) (1948): Pioneering chemist credited with the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery.
• Adolf Dassler — Historical peer (Died in 1978) (1978): Pioneering German cobbler and inventor who founded the sportswear giant Adidas.
• Ayumi Hamasaki — Historical peer (Born in 1978) (1978): Japanese Pop Icon, 'Empress of Pop,' best-selling solo artist in Japan.
• 1948 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1948
• 1977 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1977

Frequently Asked Questions about Ros Serey Sothea