They are like sisters on stage but there's a way to differentiate Rita Chao & SAKURA TENG of which this article is about. The former is quiet, the latter animated although both sing Singapore-style Western pops just as well. New World Amusement Park was the place where Sakura Teng, a well-known 1960s Malaysian songbird, launched her music career at age 17.During her heydey in the 1960s and 1970s, the A Go-Go Queen as she was nicknamed, cut more than 50 records and was best known for her yodelling. Sakura aka Ying Hua was one of the more popular female Mandarin singers and had sung in a variety of languages, from Mandarin to Bahasa Melayu, English, Japanese and a few other languages.
Many of her recordings were accompanied by top pop guitar group The Quests. Ask any Singaporean and the answer would be the same, that she was a household name and appeared frequently on Radio and Television Singapore's (RTS) Chinese Variety Show, on local radio stations and looming larger than life in Singapore's nightclub scene during yesteryear.
Sakura and her family have a new life in the U.S. today. She has been to Singapore recently and appeared in a few shows. The 60s fans are still around to buy her concert tickets to cheer her on.
Image: Google.
Article: compilation from Website information.
What about Tracy Huang, the prettiest lady with that sophisticated voice? Shouldn't she be featured too?
ReplyDeleteOther than knowing that she lives in the US little else is known of Sakura.
ReplyDeleteI heard about Rita Chao some time back but didn't know how she died so young?
ReplyDeleteI met her again in the above show at the indoor stadium where we both were in the same show in 1994. She told me she is living in New York then. But we have lost touch again. Why the sudden interest in Sakura?
ReplyDeleteHer daughter's shop was very near to The World Trade Centre. On 9/11 she would experienced what it was like to be in a war zone!
ReplyDeleteWhen she first started she was singing at the Shamrock Bar in Dublin Road.She also sang with the late Rita Chiao at the New Word Singing Stage and at various concerts.One Sanyo Spectacular was held at the National Theatre where she was backed by The Stylers.I last saw her at the Roxy Theatre way back in the 60s
ReplyDeleteIt would be 'shiok' if someone would put together a show with all these old 'greats' like Sakura, Anneke Gronloh Riem de Wolf, Anita Sarawak, Veronica Young.
ReplyDeleteMust thank SK for starting this chat and the rest who responded to keep it going. A newspaper report in 2013 specified she's retired and lives in the US with daughter and family.
ReplyDeleteWe had "Down Memory Lane" about 3 years back at Esplanade... MC was Jerry Fernandez... packed with like minded people... mainly with silver strands on their hair... can ask Esplanade to revive this show... maybe every year.... before time passes by...
ReplyDeleteI remembered you had a show with Anneke Gronloh at the Museum.The idea of a concert featuring the singers you'd mentioned is one I am longing for,Mr S K Tan.
ReplyDeleteyes I remember now. This was in the late 1990s or early 2000s. It was an exhibition of pop music memorabilia at the National Museum. I was the GOH and after finishing my speech the MC Larry Lai asked me to sing a song with the band. Just impromptu. If I'm not wrong Henry Chua was in the band then and I had the pleasure of meeting Anneke Gronloh as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember. It was in the open courtyard of the museum. Victor Woo stood in for Reggie who broke his left forearm. You sang Under the Boardwalk I think
ReplyDeleteit was Save The Last Dance.😄
ReplyDeleteSakura was the girl friend of a friend and we sat at a table in McPherson Road for drinks and chit chat. Saw her and Rita Chao performing at a ker-tai (song n dance act) or a stage show in New World. The two of them were famous during that time.
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
ReplyDeleteSAKURA TENG. POP 50S SG QUEEN. Anyone with memories of one of our top icons... Comments welcome.
Stephen Han
Sakura Teng bf was among our group of friends. In the sixties she was staying in McPherson Road. The b/f managed to get a contract for her to sing at the defunct Shamrock Bar off Killiney Rd.
We went to the joint to give her the support.
She a later sang at a club in Orchard Rd and the Palace in Katong. Her favourite sing was.”I Don’t Care If Tomorrow Never Come” This song gave her a chance to yodel.
Foo Jong Fook
Thank you for sharing this!
Hope to see her soon in Singapore.
Andy Young
Foo Jong Fook thanks Fabian. Probably too old?
James Kwok
A SONG FROM HER
Andy Young
James Kwok thanks. that's sumethin'
Freda Hanum
Never miss Sakura Teng and on TV shows during my school days... Loved her smile and yodelling too.
ReplyDeleteHer voice is extraordinary in that you know is her.