Pen Ran

Known particularly for her western rock and soul influences, flirtatious dancing, and risque lyrics,[1] Pen Ran has been described by the New York Times as a "worldly, wise-cracking foil" to the more restrained Cambodian pop singers of her era.[2][5] Pen Ran was an early entrant in this music scene, with the hit song "Pka Kabas" in 1963,[6] but she became a national star when she began recording with Sinn Sisamouth in 1966.[8] Pen Ran was known for her unrestrained personality and western-oriented hairstyles and fashions, rejecting traditional demands on Khmer women and representing new and modern gender roles.[1] Translated titles of her songs indicate her risque focus on romance and sexuality (for example, "I'm Unsatisfied" and "I Want to Be Your Lover") and a rejection of traditional courtship (for example, "It's Too Late Old Man").Her younger sister Pen Ram said that she survived until the Vietnamese invasion of late 1978/early 1979 when the Khmer Rouge launched their final series of mass executions.