Elephants Maimed @ Landmines; Killed For Ivory

                     The Elephant Song - Kamahl video: Jesper Linde

This Tragedy Is Not New
Two Songs To Remember
The Elephant Song -  Sung by Kamahl
Baby Elephant Walk - Composed Henry Mancini

David Attenborough, younger brother of actor Richard, is well known for his intimate and vast knowledge of animal and plant life. He has always been in the news and commented recently that elephants face extinction within 10 years if they are not protected from poachers and if the public stopped supporting conservation charities.

                            
Tell me said the elephant
Tell me why this has to be
We have to run from man and hunter
Never safe and never free

                         David Attenborough, Marc Spits, Kamahl

The plight of these giants went as far back as 1975 when a former Malaysian singer Kamahl popularised, The Elephant Song (World Wildlife Fund anthem). Then recently in 2011 when Singapore was part of the international Elephant Parade, huge painted elephant sculptures were displayed and auctioned with proceeds going to the foundation. 

This event was created by Marc Spits and son Mike in 2006, after they witnessed an Asian baby elephant *Mosha fitted with a new prosthetic limb in Thailand. The calf lost its leg in a landmine accident.  The Elephant Parade highlighted the problem internationally.

For two days my grandson and I were chasing coloured elephants on parade all over Singapore, from the Botanic Gardens to Wheelock Place (above). It was meaningful fun.  Since smaller elephant replicas were sold at Orchard we bought the orange one (below) for less than S$50. 

So, David Attenborough is the overall caregiver, Marc Spits and his son made us aware of maimed elephants in Thailand and singer Kamahl highlighted the elephant problem with a song. As citizens of this world we try to do our part too, by buying an inexpensive replica, or if you can afford, a higher priced one.

Why am I writing this post with all seriousness? 

The Straits Times' article, Vanishing Giants (3 Sept. 2016 Pg A37), and other news media all over the world highlighted how **ivory poachers in Africa had international criminal gangs greased the trade with corruption and made law enforcement difficult.

Selling by the kilo, for more than the annual income of an African worker, the ivory is used in unproven medical treatments.  There are now about 350,000 elephants left in Africa, a population decline of at least 30 percent. 

400 tonnes of ivory was trafficked in 2013, representing the tusks of 50,000 elephants. The price of ivory in China, the largest market, has peaked from $6 a kilo in 1976 to $3,000 a kilo today. 

In fact there is a website by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with a logo called: I Worry (sounding like ivory) that explains the elephant situation today. Researchers maintain that elephants cannot survive without stronger protection effort.  

                  Elephant killed, with tusk sawed off. Piles of ivory $$$.

From the 1st of September to the 10th, 2016, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) congress will showcase Planet at the Crossroads @ Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, and discuss a range of international environmental issues that includes climate, oceans and wildlife trafficking. Funding for rangers and closing down ivory markets would be one of the issues.

Happy was the elephant
Happy was his jungle life
And then they came, the cruel hunters
With their rifle and their knives...

Please help the elephants and other wildlife.

An original article with information from Websites

Baby Elephant Walk by Henry Mancini. Video Ja Rnd.

*Mosha reminds me of Baby Elephant Walk (1961) by Henry Mancini, which won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the movie, Hatari.

                                Mosha with prosthetic leg.  Poachers stealing tusks.

Images: Personal Collection and Google.

                             You Tube Videos: Jesper Linde and Ja Rnd.

Kamahl - Silent Night 1975 from: negramDKbent

An article on Kamahl is in the next posting below:

Kamahl: From Bricksfield, Kuala Lumpur To Sydney Opera House, London Palladium And Carnegie Hall

From Kuala Lumpur:

I thought I had lost the album (image) but after a thorough search last night I found the LP between Bing Crosby and David Seville's Chipmunks. So here he is, the man who was a regular face on Singapore television in the 70s. 

I remember him well but didn't realise he was a Malaysian from Bricksfield, Kuala Lumpur until I read about him some years ago in the newspapers. Last year, in my usual search for vinyls, I came across his Christmas album at a record dealer. So, for those who's never heard of Kamahl, a posting as a present, the second one this season after Turn, Turn, Turn.

To Sydney:

Kandiah Kamalesvaran of Sri Lankan heritage, was born in Malaysia in 1934 and studied at Victoria School. When Rupert Murdoch heard him sing, the tycoon spurred him to move to Sydney where he became a successful artiste. After his first public coencert in 1958 he was encouraged to sing in pubs and clubs all over Australia.

To Carnegie Hall:

His magic moment came when he became one of the first few artistes to appear at the Sydney Opera House. Since then he had sung at a Royal Command Performance in Brisbane, at Carnegie Hall and at the London Palladium. His singles and albums sold in the US, Commonwealth countries and Europe, having cut records under the Philips, Mercury, EMI and other labels.

To Albums:

Kamahl had his first album in 1967 with A Voice To Remember. The title was prophetic because fans love and remember his deep, operatic voice, booming out pop songs that others could only croon. There was Dreams Of Love (1969), a gold hit and recognizably, End Of A Rainbow (1974). The World Wildlife Fund documentary had a song on its soundtrack by Kamahl which became a hit in 1975. An Australian citizen now, he had pressed more than a dozen albums.

For Peace and Happiness:

He had a message for his listeners on his Christmas album, "The Summer of '75 has been the summer of my life - thanks to the Elephant Song. May I wish you peace and happiness. Kamahl."

Christmas Album:

(Philips 6357 035. Christmas With Kamahl. Side One: Silent Night, Both Sides Now, Mary's Boy Child, Through The Eyes Of A Child, All I Have To Offer You (Is Me), I've Gotta Be Me. Side Two: White Christmas, I Could Try, How Small We Are, How Little We Know, Vincent, Sunrise Sunset, The Holy City.) 

Why Are People So Unkind?

During a stage introduction, an Australian MC carelessly called him, camel, so he changed his name from Kamal to Kamahl. He had always been teased about his name and skin colour but he always had the same question for them, "Why are people so unkind?" Yes, why?

Wake Up S. E. Asian Composers:

It's a great pity that local musicians are not composing new songs so older generation singers like Kamahl and others can record them. No market I suppose? It's so sad since the cultural scene in South East Asia and the region is so varied and colourful. 

Only the Indian continent and its Bollywood enterprise are able to challenge the Western music scene. Bhangra especially, with its dizzy, upbeat rhythm has been able to attract the youths in Los Angeles and the U.S. Why not Singapore's?

             Meeting President Obama and PM Julia Gillard (PRWeb).
                            November 16, 2011.

Updated posting: 15th December, 2015. (images and comments only).

Image/Original Article: Andy Lim.

Information: Wikipedia and Websites on Kamahl.