Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Sinn Sisamouth

Role / Field:

The 'King of Khmer Music', a seminal Cambodian singer-songwriter of the 1950s-1970s.

Born:

1933-08-23

Died:

1976-06-18

Century / Era:

1933s Historical Era

Database Source:

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

Origins & Early Life

Sinn Sisamouth (c. 1933 – c. 1976) was a Cambodian singer-songwriter active from the 1950s to the 1970s. Widely considered the "King of Khmer Music", Sisamouth, along with Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, Mao Sareth, and other Cambodian artists, was part of a thriving music scene in Phnom Penh that blended elements of Khmer traditional music with the sounds of rhythm and blues and rock and roll developing unique sounds.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Sisamouth died during the Khmer Rouge regime under circumstances that are unclear. Sinn Sisamouth was born in Stung Treng Province, he was born to Seb Bunlei (mother) and Sinn Leang (father). He was the youngest of four siblings (one older brother, two older sisters). One source claims his father was of Khmer-Chinese descent while his mother was of Lao-Chinese descent. However, general consensus accepts Sisamouth was Khmer with partial Lao descent.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Most sources list his year of birth as either 1935, 1932, or 1933. However, 1933 is likely the correct year according to a short biography on original liner notes of his album លាហើយហុងកុង. Furthermore, people that had been alive during Sisamouth's era state that he was born during the year of the Rooster which would...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 13th Dalai Lama — Contemporary (Died in 1933) (1933): Spiritual leader of Tibet who championed national independence and modernization.
• Adolf Loos — Contemporary (Died in 1933) (1933): Pioneering architect and theorist of modernism, known for his critique of ornamentation.
• Adolph Caesar — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• A Day at the Races (album) — Contemporary (Born in 1976) (1976): Queen's fifth studio album, a companion piece to A Night at the Opera.
• Adolph Zukor — Contemporary (Died in 1976) (1976): Pioneering Hungarian-American film producer, co-founder of Paramount Pictures.
• Agatha Christie — Contemporary (Died in 1976) (1976): The 'Queen of Crime,' a master of the mystery genre, best-selling author of all time.
• Abu Bakr — Shared historical date (08-23 · Died) (634): First Rashidun Caliph and esteemed companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Allan Kaprow — Shared historical date (08-23 · Born) (1927): Pioneering American artist known for 'Happenings' and 'Environments' in performance art.
• Alan Davis — Shared historical date (06-18 · Born) (1956): English comic book writer and artist known for Captain Britain and X-Men work.
• Ali Akbar Khan — Shared historical date (06-18 · Died) (2009): Master sarod virtuoso who popularized Hindustani classical music in the West.
• 1933 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1933
• August 23 (08-23) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 23
• 1976 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1976
• June 18 (06-18) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 18

Frequently Asked Questions about Sinn Sisamouth