Ros Serey Sothea Continued

 

They arrived in Phnom Penh with no connections, and they started performing for free during the spotlight nights at the local clubs.  After just their first night, the two were hired by one of the clubs to be their regular singers.  The two of them continued to perform and get work at some of the other clubs around town, and Sothea quickly became a success.    


The little girl from the village not only had a marvelous voice, she was also very charming and vibrant.  Her beautiful and irresistible laugh would put a smile on your face and give you goose bumps simultaneously.
 

  Her fame grew across the capital and she began to work as a solo singer, attracting growing crowds.  The popular female artists at that time were good, but Sothea was something different.  She captivated men and women when they heard her sing.  Her voice could not only delight audiences, but also bring heavy tears to their eyes and sorrow to their souls.  When she opened her mouth and sang her heart out, audiences were breathless.


With Sothea's great talent, she had eclipsed her brother in both fame and popularity.  She decided to break out on her own, but to keep making music under the name "Sereysothea" as a tribute to her brother.  Around this same time, Sereysothea's popularity sparked the attention of Phnom Penh record producers.  She officially changed her name and signed her first record contract - soon her music could be heard on radios across Cambodia.   She had her first hit around 1967 with the song Stung Khieu.
 

During the following years, from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, Ros Sereysothea produced some amazing music, classics in many genres.  She even starred in a few movies.  It was during these years, the hay-day of Sereysothea's professional life, that King Norodom Sihanouk gave her the title, Preah Rheich Teany Somlang Meas, the Golden Voice of the Royal Capital.  It was the first time the King had given any singer such an honor.

  

 

  During this time a new sound was emerging in the capital, led by the famed male singer Sinn Sisamouth.  He and Sereysothea developed a great professional relationship and would colaborate often, each the reigning king and queen of Cambodian pop music.  The two worked with other Cambodian musicians of the time to create to create the best music in Cambodia.