Meas Samon ( km, មាស សាម៉ន) 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 ...

singer and comedian, active in that country's

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. As a young adult, Samon was in an army band and became known for singing humorous songs. According to

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 ...

, Samon and

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 ...

"were the only singers and songwriters who were making social commentary through their songs." Samon in particular "used humor to draw attention to social conventions around relationships." Samon collaborated with several contemporary artists, such as

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 ...

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 ...

, and several duets with So Savoeun. According to 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 ...

'', he was caught playing music at a work camp during 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. ...

regime. He was told to stop, and when caught a second time, he was taken away and imprisoned or executed. Decades later, he became better known to Western audiences after appearing on compilations of Cambodian psychedelic and garage rock music, such as the influential ''

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 ...

'' (1996), ''Cambodian Cassette Archives: Khmer Folk & Pop Music'' (2004), and ''Groove Club Vol. 2: Cambodia Rock Spectacular!'' (2010).

Filmography

Was uncredited as a performer in the film,

The Joy of Living ''The Joy of Living'' ( it, Che gioia vivere, french: Quelle joie de vivre) is a 1961 Italian-French comedy film directed by René Clément. It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. Plot The story is set in Rome, in the year 1921. Ul ...

. Was featured in the horror film,

Crocodile Man ''Crocodile Man'' (''Kropeu Charavan'' in Khmer, also known as ''Kraithong Krapeu Chalawon'' in Thai or ''A Water Warrior and a Crocodile Man'') is a widely acclaimed Cambodian horror film released in 1972 by Hui Keung. It starred Khmer actress Dy ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meas, Samon 20th-century Cambodian male singers People executed by the Khmer Rouge