Huoy Meas ( km, ហួយ មាស ) (6 January 1946 – c. 1977) was a Cambodian singer and radio announcer in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Biography

She was born in Svay Por Commune, Sangker District, Battambang Province,

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

. She also acted as a judge (with other singers such as

Sinn Sisamouth Sinn Sisamouth; (c. 1932 – 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 artist ...

Liev Tuk Liev Tuk (sometimes spelled Liv Tek, km, លីវ ទឹក) was a Cambodian rock and soul musician active before the Khmer Rouge. Musical style Tuk's music incorporates elements from a variety of American popular genres, such as rhythm and blu ...

, Touch Teng, Mao Sareth, and Chhoun Malai) in the formal public song contest ''Samach Cheat'', which was established by Head of State

Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, Norodom Sihanouk filmography, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in vari ...

. Until the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge (; ; km, ខ្មែរក្រហម, ; ) is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. ...

took control of Cambodia in April 1975, Meas was the most popular female radio DJ in Cambodia, working for the National Radio station and promoting the Cambodian rock and pop scene.John Pirozzi and LinDa Saphan, liner notes, ''Don't Think I've Forgotten'', soundtrack, 2015. During her work with the National Radio (RNK), she interviewed Cambodian artists like Mao Sareth, Sos Math, and others who played large roles in the music industry of

at that time. She was also a popular singer in that scene, noted for melancholy lyrics about her own personal life.

compared her lyrics and singing style to those of Edith Piaf. Her most well-known songs included "Samros Borey Tioulong" and "Unique Child". Meas disappeared during the

Cambodian genocide The Cambodian genocide ( km, របបប្រល័យពូជសាសន៍នៅកម្ពុជា) was the systematic persecution and killing of Cambodians by the Khmer Rouge under the leadership of Communist Party of Kampuchea genera ...

of the late 1970s. One of the Khmer Rouge's first actions upon taking control of Cambodia was to commandeer the National Radio service where Meas worked. She is believed to have been one of the millions of residents of

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh (; km, ភ្នំពេញ, ) is the capital and most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since the French protectorate of Cambodia and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its economic, indus ...

ordered to evacuate the city and relocate to the countryside to become farm workers. Srey Channthys stated in interviews that Huoy Meas was raped by several

soldiers and then killed, though her exact fate has never been confirmed. Her work as both a radio personality and recording artist was profiled in the 2015 documentary film ''

Don't Think I've Forgotten ''Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll'' is a 2014 documentary film, directed by John Pirozzi, about Cambodian rock music in the 1960s and 1970s, before the Khmer Rouge regime and Cambodian genocide. Production The idea fo ...

''.

References

External links

* – "Houy Meas was the most popular radio DJ in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975. This is a clip from her show, ''Meas Mathrey''" {{DEFAULTSORT:Huoy, Meas 1946 births 1970s deaths Year of death uncertain 20th-century Cambodian women singers People who died in the Cambodian genocide People from Battambang province Executed_Cambodian_women