When Sophanna performs his music on stage, people naturally gather around.
Perched on a customised wheelcart that serves as an extension of his body, he sings only from his heart. Through his music, we see a young man with wisdom well beyond his years, and a tenderness that comes from the courage to share one’s vulnerabilities.
Tragedy happened at an early age for Sophanna. His parents were killed when he was six, and just four years after, he lost the ability to use his legs through a rare spinal disease.
Despite these multiple adversities, he chose to rise above them, to push forward in what he now describes as this “crazy but beautiful life” he lives, drawing strength from the love and memory of his father who was a well-respected farmer in his home community.
Sophanna’s childhood ambition has always been that of becoming a singer and composer.
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Defying Crazy Odds to Make Beautiful Music
You may have heard someone complain about how crazy their life is.
But once you meet Sophanna, you may realise how a crazy life can also be beautiful.
Orphaned at the age of six, and paralysed at ten, doctors gave Sophanna a year to live.
Sixteen years later, he’s alive - strumming and singing.
“When I play the guitar and sing, the pain and sadness in my life disappears,” he says.
“I can write English songs but I prefer to write Cambodian songs, because I want to inspire my fellow countrymen, especially those with disability.”
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
Performing every week at a local market in Siem Reap, Sophanna sings of empowerment and positivity.
Watching him on stage with the intention to motivate and inspire, you would never guess that he witnessed the brutal deaths of his parents and grandmother.
Such memories can haunt anyone till the end, and many turn to the darkness of life amidst their struggles to cope.
But Sophanna chooses to live his life with love, as he feels it will bring joy to those around him.
Perhaps some of it stems from his short but happy memories of watching his father help others in need.
“My father was my role model,” he says.
And in more ways than he may know, Sophanna seems to be guided by his father’s noble actions.
His desire to give back to society doesn’t just stop at uplifting others through his performances.
This young man also offers free English classes, guitar and singing lessons at his residential music school and Treak Community Centre.
Sophanna may be physically paralysed, but his spirit is more able than most in knowing how to give.
In his words, “When I share what I have with others, I feel love and warmth in my heart.”
How crazily generous is this heart.
And how beautiful it is too.
You can watch Sophanna play live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
When he received his first guitar in 2011, he taught himself music through YouTube videos, and has since written over 30 original songs, some of which have been aired on television.
“Hardship is just a lesson,” he sings in one of his songs. “You must strengthen your soul.”
For someone with whom much has been taken away from, Sophanna is anything but guarded and selfish. Instead, he gives freely from his heart with a smile that’s thoroughly infectious.
It is no wonder that Sophanna is the life of the community he is in. In his words, “We live from the heart, and I want to show the world how to make a beautiful life.”
I see that in him. I see beauty in his person, and his music. And I see beauty on the faces of his students with whom he spends his free time, teaching guitar at no charge.
Sophanna’s life is a celebration of the human spirit.
His story challenges the way society tends to draw the lines between disability and ability.
With over 45,800 followers on his Facebook page, Sophanna’s ability as a self-taught musician to draw people from around the world through his life and music is truly admirable.
He is also a talented chef. When I visited Sophanna at the music school he stays in, I was treated to a sumptuous meal prepared by the man himself. Since his roommates don’t cook, he heartily assumed the role of resident chef, feeding friends and visitors who come.
There’s so much to learn from Sophanna’s outlook on life.
Above all, it is his tenacity and heart of gold in sharing all he has with his community that earns the respect of those who meet him.
You can watch Sophanna live every Friday evening at the 'Made in Cambodia' market in Siem Reap.
Invite Sophanna to perform on stage, and follow his music on YouTube and his Facebook page.
