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Oknha Preap Sovath
ព្រាប សុវត្ថិ
Oknha Preap Sovath performing during the 32nd SEA Game in Cambodia, 2023
Born	(1975-01-25) January 25, 1975 (age 49) Kandal Province
Occupations	Singer Actor Brand Ambassador
Musical career
Genres	Pop, Rock, Folk, Hip-Hop, and Traditional Khmer
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Labels	Rasmey Hang Meas (1997–2020) Galaxy Navatra (2020–present)
Musical artist

Preap Sovath ( Khmer: ព្រាប សុវត្ថិ [priəp soʋat]; born January 25, 1975) is an iconic and talented singer of the modern Cambodian music industry. His career spans approximately thirty years, and he continues to be one of the most well-known artists in Cambodia, which has inspired many young singers to follow in his footsteps. Aside from being a talented singer, he is also a talented actor; he appeared as a main actor in the well-known movie The Crocodile * [1]*. Being considered a legend in the Cambodian modern music industry, he had been chosen to be an audition judge on international TV programs such as Season 1 of Cambodian Idol, Season 1 of Cambodia's Got Talent, and The Voice Kid Cambodia Seasons 1 and 2. With his fame and tireless social work, he continued to represent Cambodia on the international stage and received the prestigious honorary title of Oknha via royal decree in 2022.

Early life

During the year 1975, he was born under the Streblus asper Lour. Subsequently, his mother assigned him the name (Khmer: ស្នាយ), which was derived from the tree name from which he was born. 1975, the year he was born, was the year that the majority of Cambodians were subjected to the oppressive rule of the Khmer Rouge government. He was born during the forced evacuation of Khmer Rouge, during which his mother was forced to walk for 3 days after 12 hours of giving birth to him. He suffered from a lack of food from the moment he was born, which is not different from what other Cambodians experience. His mother was unable to produce enough breast milk for some reason, which forced her to ask another mother to feed him. In 1977, his father was ordered to work at another place, but he never returned, leaving him to continue his life journey with his mom without his father until the present.

Career

Oknha Preap Sovath and his mom were living in Kaoh Thum District, Kandal Province, from 1977 to 1982. Due to poverty, his mother decided to move to Phnom Penh City. On the journey without a home, the mother and son slept in the eaves whenever dusk came. His mother later joined the Army, which supported him in the pursuit of a bachelor's degree in economics after receiving his high school diploma in 1991. His journey to become a singer is unexpected, as he never expected to become a singer. The unexpected journey began in 1990 when he collaborated with one of the most popular artists, Touch Sunnix, and people started to appreciate his talent. Before joining the army in 1992, there was a party at which he sang, which attracted more attention and helped him land a job to sing in the pub at night and work for the army during the day. Due to his passion for music, he joined Rasmey Hang Meas in 1997, where he recorded songs across various genres, including pop, rock, folk, hip-hop, and traditional Khmer music. After spending 23 years with Rasmey Hang Meas, he signed for Galaxy Navatra, where he remains one of the most respected and successful singers in Cambodia.

Performances

Oknha Preap Sovath took part in the MTV EXIT Concert in Phnom Penh on December 12, 2008.^{[ citation needed]} The concert was part of a campaign to raise awareness to end exploitation and human trafficking in Asia.

Oknha Preap Sovath has performed at the Best of the Best: Live Concert, a concert which has taken place annually since 2004 at Phnom Penh Olympic Stadium and has included performances by Cambodian singers from Raksmey Hang Meas and more. The concert is free to the public; DVD sales cover the costs. He also performed at Best of the Best 2012 on February 14, 2012, at Koh Pich's Concert Hall.

Oknha Preap Sovath has also been involved in many international concerts such as:

• Japan Music Festival – 2003
• Thai-Cambodian Friendship Concert 2010
• Japan ASEAN Music Festival for Healing 2013

Achievements

Logo Brand	Brand Name	Brand Ambassador Institution	Year
	Isuzu Motors Ltd.	Isuzu-Cambodia	2019 [5]
	Vivo (technology company)	Vivo Mobile-Cambodia	2019 [6]

Discography

Solo albums

Compilation albums

Filmography

• 2005: The Crocodile ("នេសាទក្រពើ")
• 2013: Have You Ever Loved Me? ("ធ្លាប់ស្រលាញ់ខ្ញុំទេ?")

Television

• 2014: Cambodian's Got Talent Season 1 (judge) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2015: Cambodian Idol Season 1 (judge) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2016: Cambodian Idol Season 2 (judge) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2017: The Voice Kids Cambodia Season 1 (coach) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2017: Cambodian Idol Season 3 (judge) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2018: Cambodian's Got Talent Season 2 (judge) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2018: The Voice Kids Cambodia (coach) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2018: The Voice Kids Cambodia Season 2 (coach) Hang Meas HDTV
• 2019–2020 Cambodian Idol Junior (judge) Hang Meas HDTV

References