Sunday, April 14, 2024

Singapore 60's Music Siva Choy: Incredibly Gifted Intellectual. 'Why You So Like That?' By Old Bloke.

Siva Choy: 'Why You So Like Dat?'
50,000 vinyl copies sold.

    UP TO 250 VIEWS   

34 CHATS, COMMENTS

There are many moments when I find a rush going to my head; that there are generous people out there who write positively about others but yet do not reveal who they are. Old Bloke is one. Thank you for writing this piece about Siva Choy. Singapore 60s Music fans will ever be grateful for this gem of a write-up about him. 

"There'll never be another Siva Choy. And the world will be a poorer place for it.

The most apt description I've ever heard of Siva was while jovially chatting with a mutual good friend, now gone too - Zul Sultan of Tania. It was, "genius bordering on madman".

Our paths first crossed in 1982. Three years later, I returned to Singapore after being overseas and thus started an almost 40 year friendship, mentorship and the rare chance to be with an incredibly gifted intellectual. The year was 1986, he and I were in a bar, The Ancient Mariner off Adam Road, me with my orange juice (I'm a teetotaller) him with his beer. I'll never forget it. 


MC Siva C ft. Kopi Kat Klan: Why U So Like Dat? 
YouTube Video by: Famous or Forgotten Mu

I was 27 and he was about 38 going on 39 and gave me some sage advice; "Try to accomplish as much as you can by 40 because the years between now and then will disappear in the blink of an eye." It was one of the rare moments in my life I actually listened to someone and followed his advice relentlessly. I've always been grateful.

I'll never forget it, the rap song and comedy album "Why You So Like Dat," sold 50,000 copies. The newspapers and local music industry described it as "staggering". I witnessed him producing it. 


"Siva Choy is brilliant but incredibly humble."

Do I miss the many late night discussions, the many tears (admittedly all mine), the jokes, the nights where he was always invited on stage to sing with Zul and Tania, when we feasted on my horrendous cooking, laughed and joked with each other? Yes and no. What I miss most is his intellect and the deep conversations we had about everything and anything. He was a well read scholar but he knew the life of academia wasn't for him.

The most amazing thing about Siva I found was that for all his talent, ingenuity, creativity, intellect and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it - brilliance, he was incredibly humble; frustratingly so in fact. He did everything possible to avoid the limelight. I miss him.

There'll never be another Siva Choy. And the world will be a poorer place for it. I amongst many certainly feel his loss."

Author: Old Bloke. 

13th April, 2024.

Readers can connect to other posts about Siva Choy by clicking his name under Labels below. 

27 comments:

  1. Andy Young
    Siva Choy has gone an old friend of his wrote in to talk about this wonderful soul from 60s music. Check writer OLD BLOKE out... Do comment if you are familiar with Siva too...

    ReplyDelete
  2. CHIT CHAT15.4.24

    Andy Young
    Thanks Colin. That's the fastest draw from any holster I know. Cheers. First in line.

    Colin Colin
    Used to have the cd "Why you so like dat" but cd never came back to me after someone borrowed it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andy Young
    Colin Colin yes, your borrower will NOT return it. The song is so funny and truthful 🙂 Hard to get a copy nowadays. Anyone has an extra one?

    ReplyDelete
  4. JIMMY CHNG [MUSICIAN, DRUMMER, 'THE DECIBELS' GUITAR GROUP15.4.24

    I had that album too.

    It's really nice of 'old bloke' to pen his piece in honour of Siva and share it on your blog. Hope more old blokes [pioneer/merdeka gens?] would share their stories via your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RONALD HO15.4.24

    Excellent writing.

    ReplyDelete
  6. OLIVER BALASHINGHAM [FORMER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, DRUMMER]15.4.24

    Fully agree. I knew him in the University. Brilliant student, amazing musician and as down to earth as anyone could be. The world is poorer without him.

    ReplyDelete
  7. OLIVER BALASHINGHAM [FORMER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, DRUMMER]15.4.24

    University of Singapore...
    He studied English and was one of the founding members of the group X-PERIMENTS with Joe Chandran...
    Married to a journalist and lived in Australia.

    ReplyDelete
  8. IVOR LESSLAR [LEAD GUITAR [QUESTS AND OTHER BANDS]15.4.24

    Silva was never one to brag about himself and was always concerned about the welfare of others.

    ReplyDelete
  9. CHIT CHAT15.4.24

    Andy Young
    Thanks to ALPHONSO and STEPHEN HAN for the quick replies to LIKE this post.

    Hello SER KIONG and ROSE. Many thanks for the constant visits and for liking the posts on SG60sMusicBlog.

    ReplyDelete
  10. [In reply to COLIN's comment]:

    Andy Young
    The vinyl record used to cost $2 for a single, $5 for an EP. Now it's like $50 a piece.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous15.4.24


    Andy Young
    Thanks DICK and AMBROSE for the visit. Mighty nice for busy guys like you to check the blog...

    ReplyDelete
  12. COLIN COLIN [FOOD N DESSERT ENTREPRENEUR]15.4.24

    Colin Colin
    Andy Young expected it.
    Cuz no longer in print.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous15.4.24

    Good morning and bonjour from France. Siva discovered me and brought me to the world of music and was a super great person really gone n unforgettable.

    ReplyDelete
  14. For those who missed the song

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1fzjII4MsM&ab_channel=FamousorForgottenMusic

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi there Anonymous,

    Nice to hear a voice all the way from France.
    And that Siva discovered you.
    Would be great if you could tell your story for the blog.

    Thanks for visiting.
    Hope you come around again soon.

    ReplyDelete
  16. CHIT CHAT16.4.24


    Andy Young
    Thanks to ALPHONSO and STEPHEN HAN for the quick replies to LIKE this post.

    Alphonso Soosay
    Hello Andy Young. You Are Singapore’s Media ShowBiz Legend.

    ANDY
    Alphonso Soosay hi, coming from you I am deeply honoured because you are one also: SGs music legend. Thank you Al.

    ReplyDelete
  17. CHIT CHAT16.4.24

    Andy Young
    Hello SER KIONG and ROSE. Many thanks for the constant visits and for liking the posts on SG60sMusicBlog.

    Andy Young
    Thanks DICK and AMBROSE for the visit. Mighty nice for busy guys like you to check the blog...

    ReplyDelete
  18. FRED CHING [POP CONCERT GOER]16.4.24

    Fred Ching
    Brother Andy, I feel so lucky I grew up listening to music like this. I heard of The Cyclones (brothers James & Siva) when they released this EP and backed by The Checkmates. My personal favourite was “Oh No, She Didn’t Say” and I could not play it enough.

    It reminds how old music brought the best in me in my teen years. Thank you for posting as it bring back memories of my childhood.

    Cheers
    😊🙏❤️..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6X19qJeNZ4

    ReplyDelete
  19. Andy Young
    Fred Ching hi ! You must have a huge collection of vinyl records and CDs. Thanks again for the comment about Cyclones' EP. A favourite of mine too. Yes, they were Singapore's Everlys then.

    ReplyDelete
  20. HIROSHI DEGUCHI [JAPAN]16.4.24

    Hiroshi Deguchi

    I love the album "Why U Like Dad" by Siva Choy. It has been a good textbook of Singlish for me. It was really an accident to get hold of the tape in Chinatown when I took my mother to SG for the first time in 1992.

    I also remember that Heather said she was encouraged by Siva Choy as she was a new member of The Thunderbirds in the interview, "Music and Me" on VintageRadio.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Andy Young
    Hiroshi Deguchi hey my friend. Whenever I read your comments on my post, they have always been a learning experience. Thank you for sharing Hiroshi; truly applaud you for your love of 60s music and Singapore's too.

    I must tell Brian Richmond and Aloysius Tan we have a personal fan in Japan. Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
  22. CHIT CHAT16.4.24

    Yip Dick
    I had always enjoyed much when Siva Choy performed.
    A truly unforgettable sublime artist !
    🥰👍🙏

    Andy Young
    Yip Dick man! Coming from you, that's a precious statement.
    Thanks Dick.
    Keep the ukulele strummin'.

    ReplyDelete

  23. Thanks to
    kdsks2000
    for the connection to Siva's top hit.

    ReplyDelete
  24. CHIT CHAT18.4.24

    THANKS TO THE ABOVE READERS n FRIENDS WHO LIKE AND LOVE THIS POSTING.

    Fred Ching
    Freda Hanum
    Alphonso Soosay
    Roop Singh
    Ann Rowena Lim
    John Klass
    Richard Khan
    Stephen Han
    Rose Khoo
    Hiroshi Deguchi
    James Kwok
    Moody Cash
    Stephen Francis
    Juliana Lim
    Kali Dass S
    Veronica Young
    Jalani Mohamed
    Yip Dick
    Ambrose David
    Colin Colin
    Michael Tai
    Ser Kiong Tan

    ReplyDelete
  25. CHIT CHAT19.4.24


    Michael Tai
    I have digitised my classic CD, WHY U SO LIDAT AH? So not afraid of loosing mine anymore The DEBT COLLECTOR track was hilarious

    Andy Young
    Michael Tai hello, thanks for sharing. Welcome to this blog post. I have never heard of The Debt Collector. Will try to look it up.

    ReplyDelete
  26. A. ALOY2.5.24

    Choy Sivanandan [b. 1947, Singapore - d. March 2018, Perth, Australia], better known as Siva Choy, was a musician, humourist and writer. While he was famous for the popular 1991 album Why U So Like Dat?, the multi-instrumentalist was also a pioneer of blues music in Singapore.

    ReplyDelete