80s Stellar TV Show With Much Cash Give-Away

Jennifer Yen from Malaysia: 'Younger' 

YouTube Video by: smnsimon00

         


Janet Basco: Carnegie Hall, New York City.

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Whenever the opportunity arises and if it's worthwhile news I would include local pop music items from the 80s and feature television shows that were well received. One possibly successful series that attracted Singapore sitting room audiences had cash vouchers given away to lucky winners which included a top prize of $150,000.  That was a lot of money, and still is today! In one year alone the production gave away about $1.8 million.  This newspiece was reported in a local magazine in 1981. 

Yeah, the 1970s ABBA song, Money, Money, Money on TV Show.

Both Local and International Artistes:

The shows were telecast 'live' and included an array of stars that were household names those years. They included Singapore's Kartina Dahari, Ali Ahmad, Paul Cheong, Tony Castillo, Jacintha and The SBC Dancers. There were guest artistes from overseas and it included Jennifer Yen from Malaysia, Janet Basco and the WEA Dancers from the Philippines, Linda Lou Allen from London and The Wright Brothers from the US.

Jennifer Yen RTM Talentime Winner 80s.

Yes, and these stars were at the peak of their career during the 70s and 80s. The host for this particular show was, Mr Versatile himself, Tan Swee Leong who has been featured on this blog a couple of times. (Check Labels below).

Paul Cheong: when he was at his best. With SBC Dancers.

Tan Swee Leong Show Compere

Carnegie Hall, Malaysian Talentime:

Janet Basco is a Filipino singer. She is known for her hits, You Made Me Live Again, Minsan Pa, and My Girl, My Woman, My Friend  where she sang with heartthrob and countryman Jose Marie Chan, two of the few Filipino entertainers to have ever performed in Carnegie Hall in New York.

She represented Philippines in the 10th Tokyo Music Festival in 1980 and in the Asean Song Festival in Indonesia. She has appeared in numerous concert halls internationally. (Listen to her on Right Bar of this blog).

Jennifer Yen, who was known as Malaysia's singing sweetheart and a winner of the RTM or Radio Talivishen Malaysia Talentime Competition sang selected songs from her two English albums. She was poised and captivating with a pleasantly charming voice that is still recognised today.


Kartina Dahari was honoured in a show @ Esplanade in 2013.

They had been together for many years and appeared on Filipino television regularly in the 80s, sometimes accompanying singers as background dancers but usually highlighted as group performers on stage.  Like Singapore's Sunny Low Dancers during the 60s, The WEA Dancers were just as well-known in the 80s. They proved their talent when they appeared on this show with the SBC Dancers.

Tony Castillo helped to build the music scene in Singapore.

Honoured By Esplanade, Boy Wonder, London, Broadway Jazz

Our own recording artistes Tina Dahari and Ali Ahmad need no introduction since both were regulars on the small screen (19 inches only remember?) over both the English and Malay radio stations. Kartina was featured recently at the Esplanade in 2013 where artistes of yore sang her hits from the 70s.

Broadway Hits from Linda Lou Allen

Tony Castillo was of course the jazz musician and singer whom Louis Armstrong called Boy Satchmo and arranged to have him perform at the Ed Sullivan in the US.  He had a big-band group, The Castillians that played in Europe and the United States.  Boy Wonder Castillo died at 64 in 2010. 

Paul Cheong was a home-grown talent and according to the magazine, "proves that he is capable of much more than cutting albums and spinning discs."  Another artiste in the series, Jacintha is a Singaporean singer and actress, well-known in parts of Asia-Pacific since the '80s.

Linda Lou Allen, based in London in the 80s, sang romantic ballads and Broadway jazz hits during the show. She was known for her versatility, energy and hot numbers.


80s WEA Dancers. They are on You Tube.

So what's the name of this show? Anybody still remember? Let me know. No prizes for the correct answer but it's so easy with clues everywhere. Which show can ever give away so much money?

Information and Images: Radio and TV Times 1981 and Google.
Thanks to Mun Chor Seng.

Tribute To Tina: Singing Her 60s Songs

Although the lady herself did not appear on stage till the end of the performance, the tribute concert on a warm August night had stalwarts on the Esplanade Concert Hall sing the songs made famous by Singapore 60s keroncong diva.


Esplanade Concert Hall with Video Interplay

Organised by the Esplanade and Associate Producer Norhayati Yusoff, in conjunction with this year's Pesta Raya - the Malay Festival of Arts, Sayang di Sayang proved to be one of the most enjoyable musical evenings I have experienced with a programme well detailed and a concert sensitively organised for singing sensation Kartina Dahari.


Orkestra Melayu Singapura with Amri Amin conducting.

I took the opportunity of taking my 7 year old piano-student grandson because I thought it best if I exposed him, while still at his age, to the rich multi-cultural heritage that we have in Singapore.  He was fascinated by the Wayang Kulit and other shows at the Esplanade's periphery but more so by the Singapore Malay Orchestra at the concert. 

It was a little dark from the circle seats but little Joshie, my little GS, managed to count the number of musicians with their instruments in the various sections of the 42-strong group.  The orchestra was lead by Amri Amin, music director since 2009.  His flair in music arrangement, together with the experienced singers on board, helped retain the original flavour of most of Kartina's songs.

TV 60s personality - Mr M. Ismail - remember him?

For me it was like watching a 60s Pesta Ria TV show all over again, with veterans Julie Sudiro, M. Ismail and composer  Kassim Masdor at the piano. (With his dark felt hat and sunglasses he resembled John Lee Hooker without a guitar.) English pop hits punctuated the concert of mostly Malay tunes once sung by Kartina.  With the other *younger and talented singers they provided an unforgettable evening of love and entertainment. 

The stars of the show with Kartina Dahari third from left.

It was interesting to see good friend #Yusnor Ef and DJ Brian Richmond discussing Kartina on the back-drop video screen in between songs but the grand finale was the best (image) when the theme song, Sayang di-Sayang played to an appreciative and hand-clapping audience where Kartina tearfully thanked musicians, singers and audience for their support in making the tribute show a success.

It was a fascinating music and cultural experience which took me back to Kampong Wak Tanjong and Kampong Melaka days in the 1960s.  Thank you Esplanade.

*The Late Kartina Dahari 

[12 November 1941 – 30 April 2014].

# The Late Yusnor Ef.

The above posting is a personal one.

*I am not familiar with the younger singers. Do excuse me.

Photos: Courtesy of The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Kartina Dahari: Mellifluous, Lyrical, Magical...

(1) A name that many 60s music followers still remember is Kartina Dahari. One such follower of this Malay artiste is Roem Ahmad who is a known blogger calling himself 'aermataemas' (golden teardrops).

Roem explains that his love for kroncong music developed when he grew up in Johore Bahru, Malaysia, in the 60s and early 70s. He was listening to music and watching musicals on Radio And TV Singapore where he appreciated the great singers in that era like Kartina Dahari, Ismail Haron, Ahmad Jais and other well-known ones.

Because of his love for Dahari's songs there are several YouTube videos on the 'lukisanperasaan' channel where enthusiasts will find uploaded kroncongs of Dahari. Roem does it as a hobby and finds it a pleasant occupation during his long winter nights while he was living in Switzerland.

He feels he needs to keep alive the great artistry of Kartina Dahari. Another video outlet is 'miocanzoni' where there are some other interesting music and songs including a few asli ones. (Comment from this blog: October 17, 2009 2:49 PM).

According to Roem Ahmad, Kartina Dahari is "a singer of the highest calibre" but her recording career was rather short-lived. Under the shortened name TINA she recorded songs from 1966 to 1976, among them 4 EPs, 2 LPs in English and 3 LPs in Malay of mostly kroncong songs.

The songs featured on Roem's You Tube videos are between 35 to 40 years old as they were recorded between 1968 to 1976 but, according to him they are still fresh and contemporary. Musical arrangements for these vinyls are by Ahmad Wan Yet, Kassim Masdor, Ahmad Jaafar, S. Atan and Reggie Verghese. Sound quality is excellent.

Kartina Dahari's mellifluous voice and superb vocal delivery is second to none. Young singers today can learn from the way she delivers her carefully selected songs and her wonderful crystal clear phrasing that has the right emotion for each song.

(2) Another enthusiast who calls himself 'Salvatore Dali' finds that Kartina Dahari's rendition of Sayang di Sayang is his favourite. Although P. Ramlee's Bunga Melor has been covered by many artistes, he knows of no better version than the one by Dahari which is effortless, restrained and lyrical.

The highly popular and now traditional Di Tanjong Katong (about this island's famous beach) loved by both young and old is also sung by Ms Dahari. Followers do not know the singer although they know the song that is emblematic of Singapore.

Well, all of Tina's friends and fans out there. Still remember her? What about her English songs? Doesn't she still capture your heart with her beauty and voice? Tell us.

Image: Roem Ahmad's blog.

Blog 1: http://lacrimadoro-airmataemas.blogspot.com/

Blog 2: http://malaysiafinance.blogspot.com/ 

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Kartina Dahari passed away on 30th April, 2014.  The concert at the Esplanade in August, 2013 was her last stage appearance.  Condolence to the family and may she rest in peace.