Filed under: Indonesia
Diah Iskander, and her backing band The Steps, were from Indonesia.
Indonesia has a population of over 200 million making ts the world’s fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation.
Under the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the islands of Sumatra and Java from the 7th to 14th century. The arrival of Arabs trading in spices later brought Islam, which became the dominant religion in many parts of the archipelago after the collapse of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms. When the Portuguese came in early 16th century, they found a multitude of small states, vulnerable to the Portuguese, and later other Europeans wanting to dominate the spice trade.
In the 17th century, the Dutch became the most powerful of the Europeans, ousting the Spanish and Portuguese (except for their colony of Portuguese Timor on the island of Timor). British occupied Benkulu (south of Sumatra) from 1685 to 1824 and built Fort Marlborough. The Dutch ruled Indonesia until the end of World War II.
Before 1965, pop music was banned from being broadcast on the state run Radio Republik Indonesia. The government had rejected Western culture, and specifically rock and roll. But after 1965, a new regime came into power, that embraced European and American music. Soon, The Beatles and Rolling Stones were became very popular, and as a result there were many groups forming in Indonesia.
I have not been able to fins any information about Diah Iskander, other than I have seen a couple of singles by her. The Steps recorded a half dozen or so albums, mostly instumental “Krontjong” music. I have only seen one other record that they recorded together, which was a single with all of the songs in English (also on Pop Records – catalog number 112300 PSE).
Catalog number PSY 112 221 on Pop Records of Indonesia. No release date listed.
Filed under: Senegal
Les Tabalas were from Dakar, Senegal.
Here’s what the liner notes have to say (translated from French):
Les Tabalas… They are four young people Dakaoris students for the majority. They all are musicians banded together in this formation by the love of the music. They interpret with brilliance their own compositions…
Dérétou Senegal (Blood of Senegal) – a composition of bass player. A nostalgic song rhythm on the tempo of the tom-tom of the village.
Initiation – a composition of the soloist. Song enchantment which emphasizes the mysterious side of traditional habits.
Here is their first disc! And if you like to dance, you will not be disappointed… Remember the name well Les Tabalas!
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number EG855 on Cadici of Dakar, pressed by Pathé Marconi of France. No other information is available.
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I recently received an e-mail from Serge Michel Huchard, from Senegal. Serge knew the drummer‘s brother. Here, I’ll let Serge explain it:
I gotta tell ya, this 45 vinyl cover (4 guys in a “4 chevaux” Renault French car) has been obsessin’ me for decades, for a lotta reasons: First of all, I had French friends who had a copy in 1965 and I used to listen to it a lot and secondly, I tried to find this record for decades, to no avail. But fortunately, last year (2008) a drummer friend of mine got me the original cover, but not the record.
This record (45 vinyl) was recorded round 1963-1964 in Dakar (Senegal). The Photograph was taken behind the actual presidential palace in Dakar. Back seat: left: Lucien Blain (not Blein) was the bass player, on the right at the back or sitting on the car: Ben Tall or Caristan (can’t remember who is who), one played the lead guitar and the other one played the rhythm guitar. And finally the guy holding the snare drum is Lucien Blain’s elder brother: Alain Blain. The Tabalas never recorded again as a group.
In this heyday, there were no recordin’ studios in Senegal (only the national AM radio “Radio Sénégal” would record artists on reel to reel tapes for broadcasting only).
From what I heard, CADICI was a musical production structure (not well known, they were just a few bands on the musical scene in Senegal in the early 60’s), but as far as I know, they were located in Dakar, downtown (49, rue de Grammont) in an electronic and record shop (selling old fashioned radios, amps, mics, loudspeakers, reel tapes, spare parts, records…) I guess, at the same time, they were recording a few artists locally in that location (I ain’t sure). This shop (which I knew very well) was later ran by a Spanish bloke by the name of Codina. This shop ain’t there no more.
To cut a long story short, I would say that The Tabalas were mainly influenced by Cliff Richard and the Shadows (whose records were being played on our local Senegalese radio very often). Lucien Blain (who was not only a bass player but also an accordionist, piano, organ and vibraphone player, and singer) and I met for the first time in 1971, when I joined his variety big band as a drummer (1971-1972). He left Dakar in late 72 for Abidjan (Ivory Coast). Since then, I lost track of him. His brother Alain Blain played as a profesional drummer for decades, in various bands in France. I ain’t never heard of Ben Tall & Caristan again since The Tabalas.
Thanks Serge!
Filed under: Sri Lanka
Mignonne & The Jetliners are from Sri Lanka, which is also known as Ceylon.
Mignonne Fernando first appeared onto the Sri Lankan music scene in 1963 when as Mignonne Rutnam she won a song contest on Radio Ceylon. The radio station is one of the oldest broadcasting institutions in South Asia.
Vernon Corea, who was a popular disc jockey in Colombo, Sri Lanka, introduced Mignonne to The Jetliners in 1965. Later, he would go on to play their music on his popular radio program on BBC Radio London called ‘London Sounds Eastern‘ in the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1980, Mignonne and The Jetliners began a 17 year contract to play The Regent Hotel in Hong Kong. And in 2003 when Mignonne Fernando released her first CD titled ‘A Celebration of Life.’ They still perform in and around South Asia, Australia and supposedly some dates in the United States in 2006.
This is the only song I have been able to find by them (so far) that is actually in Sinhalese. I’m also guessing that this is from the mid-Seventies since that sounds like an early drum machine and the liner notes talk about Mignonne’s succes at the World Popular Song Festival of 1972…
Catalog number LBEP-009 on Lewis Brown records of Columbo, Sri Lanka.
Filed under: Armenia
Eddie Petrosian was from Armenia, or at least of Armenian decent.
There are not that many records from Armenian other than the tradtional classical and / or folk music. This is mainly due to the fact that Armenia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991. And what little pop music that was recorded there was recorded in Russian.
Armenia had a strong influence on the Ethiopian music scene. Most of the state sanctioned bands were comprised of Armenian refugees who had been invited by Emperor Haile Selassie during the Armenian Genocide. But many others left soon after, and setteled in other countries.
Many popular musicans from around the world are of Armenian descent. Most notable being Sylvie Vartan and Charles Aznavour who were popular in France, Adiss Harmandyan who moved to neighboring Turkey, and Cherilyn Sarkisian (better known as Cher)…
I was unable to find any information on Eddie Petrosian. But since the record was released by Parseghian Record Studio of California, it’s most likely that this was recorded in the United States. I did find some information about the producer Albert Armen, who has recorded numerous of his own albums and is currently a music teacher in Southern California. And the record label Parseghian Record Studio, is now know as ArmenianMusic.com is the “largest producers and distributors of Armenian music in the world”. They have been in business since 1948.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Released by Parseghian Record Studio of California. There is no catalog number or release date listed.
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Since the initial posting, I have been contacted by friends of Eddie Petrosian – a.k.a. Ed Petros. And though he is of Armenian descent, he was born in America. He has worked as a Building Inspector in Costa Mesa, California since 1986. Eddie is also an avid, amateur wine maker. He is an active member of the Orange County Wine Society (OCWS). He specializes in cabernets and is doing very well. He bottles as “Petros Vineyards.”
Thanks to Dashiell Morgan for the additional information.
Filed under: Philippines
Ramon Jacinto & The Riots were, and apparently still are, from the Philippines.
In 1960, at the age of 15, Ramon Jacinto set up his first business called RJ ENTERPRISES. His company produced and released numerous records by his classmates, as well as his band RJ and The Riots. RJ Enterprises also pioneered multi-track recording in the country being the first owner of the Ampeg 300-3 track machine and became the studio of choice of many artists and advertising agencies.
Two years later at the age of 17, RJ established what was to become a legendary radio station, DZRJ, in his parents’ backyard. Manned by his volunteer group of classmates and experimenting with radio concepts unknown and unheard of before, DZRJ developed a “cult like” following. It did away with rampant “payola” and introduced alternative music. It was the first to expose The Beatles and Filipino bands on the airwaves.
A decade later, the Marcos dictatorship and the declaration of martial law on Sept. 21, 1972 changed everything in the Philippines. During this time RJ lived in exile until 1986 when he returned. At that point he reopened his radio station. He went on the air and said: “Hi, this is Ramon Jacinto. Some of you know me as RJ. Some of you don’t remember me and don’t even know there is a man behind the name RJ. Well, I own this station but I’ve been gone for 14 ½ years. Help me by calling in and suggesting what I should do…” Thousands of phone calls later, DZRJ became the leader in the revival/retro wave of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
After that, betting on his hunch that live bands would stage a comeback, he proved that nightspots could earn more by hiring live bands. He opened the Bistro RJ, a phenomenally successful 60’s Rock n’ Roll music lounge. At the time he did it, live bands were dead. Night life in the Philippines was confined to piano bars and discos. Bands had to travel abroad to make a living.
RJ also bet on the guitar coming back as the instrument of choice when karaoke and Yamaha Portatones were in vogue. He bought a hole-in-the-wall guitar repair shop owned by luthier Rudy Discipulo and set out to manufacture world-class guitars. RJ Music City now has 150 dealers and 3 retail showrooms.
Today, RJ still manages and operates his 10 radio stations, one TV station, a wholesale and retail musical instrument company, a company that has the exclusive franchise for Radio Shack stores, a shopping mall and has relocated Bistro RJ (now called RJ Bar) back to it’s original location at 826 Pasay Road, Makati. He still performs, sometimes with even Nokie Edwards of The Ventures. But for some reason, you can’t find any his records (vinyl or otherwise) anywhere…
Catalog number RR – 184 on Rajah Records of the Philippines. No release date listed.
Filed under: Nigeria
♬ Onye Ije
The Strangers were from town of Enugu, which was in the Biafra region of Nigeria.
Formed in the early 70’s by organist Bob Miga, The Strangers were influenced by the music that was coming out of the United Kingdom at the time. But The Strangers life would be short lived when Ani Hoffner and his colleagues parted ways with Bob Miga and formed the group One World. Then came Black Children, another offshoot of Strangers and One World. Bob Miga would go on to form The Hykkers (who were featured on the Soundway Records compilation NIGERIA SPECIAL: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Nigerian Blues, 1970-76)
I have heard a few other songs by them, and almost all of them have more of a Motown influence and are sung in English. This song seems to be the exception. Here they are singing in the Igbo language, and sound a bit more like fellow Nigerian and label mate of the time, Fela Kuti.
There is an interesting post on Nigeria-Biafra war, and the songwriters from that period here.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number HNS 1205 on EMI / HMV of Nigeria. No release date listed.
Filed under: Iran
This song, which title translates into “Hey Girl”, was recorded with the band Golden Ring.
Born Aref Arefkia, he introduced Western melodies with romantic lyrics to Iran in the 1960’s at a time when the only kind of popular music was in “Tasnif” style. Aref was one of the pioneers of this trend. This style was quite popular among the youth, so much that at the age of 21 he was invited to appear and sing on the Iranian National Television.
His first hit was “Daryacheye Noor” which is still popular among most Iranians to this day. Aref was also a very popular singer for movie soundtracks. His songs were heard on numerous Iranian films of the 1960’s & early 1970’s among which “Gholam Gandarm” and “Soltan-e Ghalbha” are the most famous. He also appeared in six different musical films.
Aref received many awards, one of which was granted to him by the Shah himself. Aref received the Highest Cultural Imperial Medallion from the Shah for singing at the Asian Games of 1974 in Iran. In this concert with Tehran’s Philharmonic Orchestra, Aref sang in front of 100,000 Iranians and in the presence of many International state officials and dignitaries. Aref performed his first concert out of Iran in New York City in Madison Square to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the American Independence.
Aref and his family left Iran in 1979, following the Islamic revolution. He first lived in London for a period of 3 years, then moved to Los Angeles, California.
Thanks to Delaram Koushyar for translating the Farsi for me.
Catalog number C – 2126 for MonoGram Records of Iran. No release date listed.
Filed under: Singapore
I can’t tell you anything about Yvonne or her backing band The Sparklers, except that they were from Singapore.
In 2003, Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) commissioned a six-part series documentary for televison on the Singapore music scene from the 1960s to the present day, entitled Jammin’. If anyone knows how I could get a copy of that documentary (especially the first two episodes), I would greatly appreciate it.
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number MEP 8003 on Magpie Record (that’s right, singular…), manufactured by EMI Australia Limited. No other information available.
Filed under: Pakistan
♬ Jungee
The Fore Thoughts were from Pakistan.
Apparently, there was a market for traditional music played on Western instruments. Not sure who this was being marketed to, either the indigenous population or foreign tourists. But there were a number of bands that released similar records, most notable being The Mods, The Panthers and The Slihouettes. The Four Thoughts actually released two records, both with the exact same front cover.
Here are the liner notes from the e.p.:
Let me present to you the first record released by the up coming group, ‘Fore Thoughts’. In this album they are playing four of the very popular Pakistani Folk tunes composed and arranged by the brilliant young maestro Sohail Rana.
Together they present a sound which you have not heard before, it is a successful and happy marriage of Eastern melodies to Western instruments. The instruments you will hear in this album are: Electric Guitar (lead, played by Anif Luqmani [printed as ‘Anis Luqmani’]), Electric Organ (played by Anis Ahmed), Bass Guitar (played by Bashir Belouch) and the drums (played by young Umeed Ansari).
The tunes presented here are from different regions of Pakistan, namely former provinces of Sindh, Punjab, and East Pakistan. You will agree with me when I say that they have done full justice to melodies by retaining their Eastern Flavour in the interpretation.
Wishing you all a very happy listening time,
Fazili Shakil, Manager
If you have any information, please contact me.
Catalog number EKCE 20003. on The Gramophone Company of Pakistan Limited and was manufactured by Columbia in Pakistan.
Filed under: Kenya
I could find no information what so ever on either the Rift Valley Brothers or the their label Sawa Sawa Sound. But, as you can see by the label’s address, they were most likely from Nairobi, Kenya. Also the language listed on the single is Kĩkũyũ, which is a language native to that region.
Here’s some information on the Kĩkũyũ tribe from Wikipedia:
The Kĩkũyũ are Kenya’s most populous ethnic group. ‘Kikuyu’ is the anglicised form of the proper name and pronunciation of Gĩkũyũ although they refer to themselves as the Agĩkũyũ people. There are about 5,347,000 Kikuyu people in Kenya, equal to about 22% of Kenya’s total population. They cultivate the fertile central highlands and are also the most economically active ethnic group in Kenya.
Although uncertain, ethnologists believe the Kikuyu came to Kenya from West Africa together with the other Bantu groups. On reaching present Tanzania, they moved east past Mount Kilimanjaro and into Kenya, finally settling around Mount Kenya, while the rest of the group continued migrating to Southern Africa . They were originally hunter-gatherers but unlike the Nilotic tribes who were pastoralists, they began farming the very fertile volcanic land around Mt. Kenya and the Kenyan highlands.
Since the initial posting, I have found that the Rift Valley Brothers recorded two more singles, one on Kalamindi label and the other on the Nguirubi lable. They also recorded as the Rift Valley Stars for the Sibour label.
Catalog number STD 7-06 on Sawa Sawa Sound of Nairobi, Kenya. No other information available.
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