Ros Serey Sothea

Ros Serey Sothea
"Queen with the Golden Voice"
Background information
Birth name	Ros Sothea
Born	1948
Origin	Battambang, Cambodia
Died	1977 (aged 28–29)
Genres	Psychedelic rock Garage rock Kbach Romvong Saravan Blues Bossa Nova Film Music Classical Khmer Music
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1967–1975
Associated acts	Sinn Sisamouth Huoy Meas Eng Nary Im Song Seum In Yeng Chea Savoeun Pan Ron Dara Choumchan

Ros Serey Sothea (Khmer: or more correctly Khmer: ) (1948 – 1977) was a Cambodian singer. She was active during the final years of the Sangkum Reastr Niyum period and into the Khmer Republic period. She sang in a variety of genres; romantic ballads emerged as her most popular works. Despite a rather short career she is credited with singing hundreds of songs. She also ventured into acting, starring in a few films. Details of her life are relatively scarce. She died during Democratic Kampuchea's regime of the Khmer Rouge but circumstances of her fate remain a mystery. King Norodom Sihanouk granted Sothea the honorary title "Queen with the Golden Voice".

Ros Sothea was born in 1948 to Ros Bun (Khmer: ) and Nath Samien (Khmer: ) in Battambang Province. Growing up relatively poor, Ros Sothea was the second youngest of five children, included her older sister, activist Ros Saboeut (Khmer: ). She displayed vocal talent as a toddler and grew up listening to early Cambodian singers such as Mao Sareth (Khmer: ) and Chunn Malai (Khmer: ) which doubtlessly had a profound influence.

Sothea's talent would remain relatively hidden until friends persuaded her to join a regional singing contest in 1963. After winning the contest she gained the attention and praise of the province and was invited to join Lomhae Yothea (Khmer: ) (a musical troupe) which regularly performed at Stung Khiev Restaurant (Khmer: ) in Battambang. It is believed that Im Song Seurm (Khmer: ), a singer from the National Radio, heard of Sothea's talents and invited her to the capital, Phnom Penh, in 1967.