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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.
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.
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.
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteSiva 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...
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteThanks 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.
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteColin 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?
I had that album too.
ReplyDeleteIt'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.
Excellent writing.
ReplyDeleteFully 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.
ReplyDeleteUniversity of Singapore...
ReplyDeleteHe 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.
Thanks Oliver
ReplyDeleteSilva was never one to brag about himself and was always concerned about the welfare of others.
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
ReplyDeleteThanks 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.
[In reply to COLIN's comment]:
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
The vinyl record used to cost $2 for a single, $5 for an EP. Now it's like $50 a piece.
ReplyDeleteAndy Young
Thanks DICK and AMBROSE for the visit. Mighty nice for busy guys like you to check the blog...
Colin Colin
ReplyDeleteAndy Young expected it.
Cuz no longer in print.
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.
ReplyDeleteFor those who missed the song
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1fzjII4MsM&ab_channel=FamousorForgottenMusic
Hi there Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteNice 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.
ReplyDeleteAndy 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.
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteHello 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...
Fred Ching
ReplyDeleteBrother 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
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteFred 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.
Hiroshi Deguchi
ReplyDeleteI 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.
Andy Young
ReplyDeleteHiroshi 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.
Yip Dick
ReplyDeleteI 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'.
ReplyDeleteThanks to
kdsks2000
for the connection to Siva's top hit.
THANKS TO THE ABOVE READERS n FRIENDS WHO LIKE AND LOVE THIS POSTING.
ReplyDeleteFred 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
ReplyDeleteMichael 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.
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