Huoy Meas

Huoy Meas (Khmer: ហួយ មាស pronounced [huəj miəh]) (6 January 1946 – c. 1977^[1][2]) also known as Meas Mathrey, was a Cambodian singer and radio announcer in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Huoy Meas was born in Svay Pao Commune, Sangkae District, Battambang Province, Cambodia.^[3] 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).^[2][4][5]

Meas attended 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 then attended Net Yang High 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.^[6] According to Keo Chanbo, whose father was Meas’s professor, Meas was the most beloved student by her professor, Bun Thorng. She even took extra classes at his house such as French and ethics.^[5]

Her love for music began to emerge during a 3-day provincial ceremony in which her professor had signed her up for a singing contest called Sakmach Cheat. During the contest she sang “រាត្រីនៅសូមួរ” (Night in Somuor) by Mao Sareth and she won 1st place supported by admiration from her family, professor, and classmates. Due to winning the contest, she became popular within Battambang city.^[1][5]

In mid 1965, Meas failed the National Exam, and due to her dedication towards school, was too disappointed to retake the exam, so she gave up her studies and isolated herself in her home. However, Im Song Soeum had visited her and encouraged her to think positively, in which he invited her to join a vocal ensemble with him and Pan Ron for the Steung Khiev Bar in Battambang (Ros Serey Sothea would later join the group).^[6][5]

In just a few months after joining the ensemble, Meas’s became widely known throughout the province. Due to this, the ensemble decided to move to Toul Kork, Phnom Penh and continue their singing.^[5] Near the end of 1965, Meas was introduced to the National Radio of Cambodia and began her work as a radio DJ, storytelling in the form of Lakhon Niyeay and singing.^[7] 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.^[5]

Just a few months later, Meas met Oum Sophanoureak, they shortly married after and had a daughter named Oum Somavattey in 1966. However, their relationship began to extremely deteriorate after Sokphanoureak became alcoholic and had pressed her to buy a car for him.^[4][6] Upon visiting her professor back in Battambang, Meas explained how her mother-in-law had judged her and called her a dishonest wife for saving her own earnings behind Sophanoureak’s back. However, Meas had been doing so for the sake of taking care of her daughter since her husband was an alcoholic.^[5]

By 1968, the situation reached a breaking point in which a conflict erupted one night in an altercation between Meas and her mother-in-law. Her husband demanded her to apologize to his mother, but Meas refused. Due to this, Sophanoureak attempted to physically abuse her, in which Meas fled their house for the night. The next morning she returned, but when her husband once again demanded an apology, Meas refused and was kicked out of the house ending up separated from her daughter so she filed for divorce.^[7] This situation presumably had inspired her future repertoire. It is stated that after the divorce Sophanoureak would often write lyrics for other singers which subtly criticized Meas, in which Meas would subtly criticize him back in her own songs.^[5]

In 1969, Meas changed her radio personality alias to Meas Mathrey and remarried to Vanly Kesaro, a high-ranking officer, which is presumed to have been a healthy and happy relationship. She had two more children, Vanly Daly and Vanly Dodo (both reside in the United States now). During this time and Meas career began to rise to fame across Cambodia.^[8]

She also acted as a judge (with other singers such as Sinn Sisamouth, Liev Tuk, Touch Teng, Mao Sareth, and Chhoun Malai) in the formal public song contest Samach Cheat, which was established by Head of State Norodom Sihanouk.^[9] Until the Khmer Rouge took control of Cambodia in April 1975, Meas was the most popular female radio DJ in Cambodia,^[1] working for the National Radio station and promoting the Cambodian rock and pop scene.^[8] 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.^[8] Some of her notable songs include "សម្ផស្សបុរីជូឡុង" (Beauty of Tioulongville) ^[10] and "កូនអើយកុំសួរ" (My Child, Don’t Ask).^[8]

Meas died during the Cambodian genocide from 1975-1979. One of the Khmer Rouge's first actions upon taking control of Cambodia was to commandeer the National Radio service where Meas worked. Her husband, Kesaro, like many other government workers, was presumed to be killed after being “called” to welcome Sihanouk’s return to Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge after the fall.^[5] She is believed to have been one of the millions of residents of Phnom Penh ordered to evacuate the city and relocate to the countryside and become a farmer. It is widely accepted that she had relocated to Battambang with her two sons.^[8] According to a testimony by one of her children, it is speculated that during the 2nd anniversary of Democratic Kampuchea on 17 April 1977, Meas’s identity was revealed and was forced by soldiers to sing a song for one last time. Later that night Meas was presumed to have been taken out of her home.^[8][5] Srey Channthys stated in interviews that Huoy Meas was raped by several Khmer Rouge soldiers and then killed,^[1][2] though her exact fate has never been confirmed.^[8]

Much of Meas’s surviving discography has been archived by the Cambodian Vintage Music Archive (CVMA).^[11] Her work as both a radio personality and music artist was profiled in the 2015 documentary film Don't Think I've Forgotten.^[12]

• "Kampuchea National Radio with host Houy Meas - 1975". YouTube. Retrieved 2017-05-29. – "Houy Meas was the most popular radio DJ in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975. This is a clip from her show, Meas Mathrey"