Sisamouth, Sinn

***Several years in the making, Lion can now finally deliver on our promise of another Groove Club volume dedicated to the deep and moving (and grooving) compositions of Sinn Sisamouth, sung by the Emperor of Khmer music himself, alone or duetting with the other legendary singer of those halcyon days in Cambodian music: Ros Sereysothea, the "Queen with the Golden Voice.”

Groove Club Vol. 5 also includes a 16-page booklet featuring an exclusive interview with Mrs. Khav Thong Nhot, widow of Sinn Sisamouth, and Sin Sethsochhata, artist and granddaughter of Sinn Sisamouth, revealing more about Sinn Sisamouth than has ever been known before now. We hear directly from his wife about their courtship, their life together as Sinn Sisamouth became famous — and then what happened as the Khmer Rouge took control: the separation from her husband, and her own harrowing experiences trying to keep herself and their children alive. It’s not easy reading, yet stands as an important contribution (we feel) to a a story which until now has only been partially told. Sinn Sisamouth’s granddaughter, Sin Sethsochhata, a musical artist and also keeper of the family’s legacy, speaks of her own experiences in both realms.