Huoy Meas

Huoy Meas (6 January 1946 – c. 1975 She was born to Buth Chin and Huoy Yoth. She was an only sister and the youngest out of three siblings; the oldest being Huoy Siyoeurn and the second oldest being Huoy Saiyo (Saiyo is presumed to teach at Kork Banteay Primary School, Kampong Chhnang province).

In 1952, Meas began attending Sor Heu Primary School (now Sor Heu Secondary School). During festivals at her school or the pagoda she’d regularly entertain the crowd with smot, storytelling, and singing. She graduated from Sor Heu around 1958 and began attending Net Yang Secondary School, an all girls’ school. Meas was known to dedicate much of her time to studying and enjoyed learning. There she became friends with future singers Pen Ran, her classmate, and, from a neighboring school, Im Song Soeum, her senior. According to Keo Chanbo, whose father was Meas’s professor, Meas was the most beloved student by her professor, Bun Thorng. She took extra classes at his house such as French and ethics. The Lakhon Niyeay program aired every weekend in which she worked alongside narrators Yuok Kem, Khun Pol, and Meas Kok, et al. During this time Meas had almost all of her discography written by songwriter Ma Laopi or Im Song Soeum as she remained cautious around men, since many would often pursue her persistently and seek her affection. Meas also sang some songs written by Professor Bun Thorng back in Battambang who would write lyrics in his letters to her. Until the Khmer Rouge 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. During her work with the National Radio, she interviewed Cambodian artists like Mao Sareth, Sos Math, and others who played large roles in the music industry of Cambodia at that time. She was also a popular singer in that scene, noted for melancholy lyrics about her own personal life. Norodom Sihanouk compared her lyrics and singing style to those of Edith Piaf. and “កូនអើយកុំសួរ” [My Child, Don’t Ask]. Srey Channthys and Thach Soly though her exact fate has never been confirmed. Her work as both a radio personality and music artist was profiled in the 2015 documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten.