Liev Tuk (sometimes spelled Liv Tek, km, លីវ ទឹក) was a

Cambodian Cambodian usually refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Cambodia ** Cambodian people (or Khmer people) ** Cambodian language (or Khmer language) ** For citizens and nationals of Cambodia, see Demographics of Cambodia ** Fo ...

rock and soul Rock and Soul may refer to: * ''Rock'n Soul'' (Everly Brothers album), a 1965 album by the Everly Brothers * ''Rock 'n Soul'' (Solomon Burke album), a 1964 album by Solomon Burke *'' Rock 'n Soul Part 1'', 1983 compilation album by Hall & Oates ...

musician active before 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. ...

Musical style

Tuk's music incorporates elements from a variety of American popular genres, such as

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

. Critics and historians have drawn comparisons with

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the ''Bill ...

and

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, both important figures in American soul music. He was an animated "rock star" performer, combining his loud, fast music with colorful movements and dancing.

LinDa Saphan Linda Saphan (born 1975) is a Cambodian artist and social anthropologist. Born in Phnom Penh, she grew up in Canada and graduated in France. She has supported women artists from Cambodia, co-organizing the first Visual Arts Open festival celebratin ...

described him as having "sultry looks, swinging arms and dynamic vocal style

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

drove teenage listeners wild."

Legacy

Tuk was featured in

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 ...

's 1968 film ''

The Joy of Life ''The Joy of Life'' is a 2005 experimental landscape documentary film by filmmaker Jenni Olson about the history of suicide at the Golden Gate Bridge, and the adventures of a butch lesbian in San Francisco, California. Following its January 2005 ...

''. A performance from that film was later included in the 2015 documentary ''

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 ...

'', juxtaposed with a clip of Wilson Pickett to show influence and similarities. Two of Tuk's songs appeared on the 1996 album ''

Cambodian Rocks ''Cambodian Rocks'' is a compilation of 22 uncredited, untitled Cambodian psychedelic and garage rock songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s. When the tracks were recorded, musicians in the thriving music scene were combining Western rock and ...

'': "Rom Sue Sue" ("Dance Soul Soul"), which has been likened to "Hip-Hug-Her" by

Booker T and the MG's Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an American instrumental R&B/funk band that was influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Le ...

, and "Sou Slarp Kroam Kombut Srey" ("Rather Die Under the Women's Sword"), performed with

Yol Aularong Yol Aularong ( km, យស អូឡារាំង ; also romanized as Yos Olarang) was a Cambodian garage rock musician, and a leading figure in that country's rock scene of the 1960s and 70s. He is presumed to have been killed during the Ca ...

. The compilation of Cambodian psychedelic and garage rock from the late 1960s and 1970s was controversially published as a

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

, without providing attribution to the artists, even after they had been identified. It sparked, in part, Western interest in the music and was followed by a number of similar compilations, many of which feature Tuk among contemporaries like

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 ...

Meas Samon Meas Samon ( km, មាស សាម៉ន) was a Cambodian singer and comedian, active in that country's psychedelic rock scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a young adult, Samon was in an army band and became known for singing humorous ...

Ros Serey Sothea Ros Serey Sothea ( km, រស់ សេរីសុទ្ធា/ ; c. 1948 – c. 1977) was a Cambodian singer. She was active during the final years of the First Kingdom of Cambodia and into the Khmer Republic period. She sang in a variety of ...

, and

Pan Ron Pen Ran ( km, ប៉ែន រ៉ន, ), (c. 1944 – c. 1979) also commonly known as Pan Ron in some Romanized sources intended for English-speaking audiences, was a Cambodian singer and songwriter who was at the height of her popularity in th ...

Musical style

Legacy

Filmography

References

External links