Kamahl
Encyclopedia
Kamahl is the stage name of Kandiah Kamalesvaran , an Australia
n singer and recording artist, perhaps best known for "The Elephant Song", and his repertoire of popular music.
Hindu
parents, he is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage. He grew up in Brickfields
, Kuala Lumpur
and studied at the Victoria Institution
.
He arrived in Adelaide
, South Australia
in 1953 to receive a higher education at King's College (now Pembroke School
), however, his arrival was not without prejudice on the part of an Australia still influenced by the White Australia Policy
. This experience gave bite to his well-known quote: "Why are people so unkind?"
announced him as "Camel
". After that he changed the spelling to Kamahl.
As he made his way into the Australian music industry, Rupert Murdoch
was an early important mentor. Murdoch tipped Kamahl £
10 at a concert in December 1958 and encouraged him to move to Sydney
. Without asking, Murdoch arranged for Kamahl to perform a six-week season at the Hotel Australia in Sydney. After that season, he boarded with the Murdochs for two years.
Kamahl has performed at the London Palladium
and Carnegie Hall
, as well as pubs and club
s throughout Australia. In 1982 Queen Elizabeth II
asked him to give a Royal Command performance in Brisbane
for the Commonwealth Games
there. In 1984, he sang with Cathy Lee Johnson at the L.A. Variety Telethon.
His first album was A Voice to Remember, which was released in Australia in October 1967. He has released singles and albums in the United States
, Canada
, Britain
, New Zealand
, South America
, India
, Singapore
, Malaysia and Germany
(the last in German
, as well as in the Netherlands
, Belgium
, and Scandinavia
. From 1967 onwards in Australia his records, tapes and CDs were primarily on the Philips
label, but he also recorded on EMI, Mercury, Festival, Dino and Reader's Digest.
In 1975, his single,"The Elephant Song" (composed and produced by Hans van Hemert
) hit the number one spot on the Dutch Top 40
, the Nationale Hitparade (currently Single Top 100
) and the Belgian BRT Top 30
. This song was part of the soundtrack of a World Wildlife Fund TV documentary.
He has been in the Australian music industry for fifty years, and throughout that time has made some memorable TV and film appearances, as well as concerts. He was one of the first people to appear in concert at the Sydney Opera House
. He was a particularly popular guest on the variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday
. In 2004 he appeared at the Big Day Out
rock festival, and the year before he had cameos
in the Australian films Harvie Krumpet
and Fat Pizza. He collaborated with the Wiggles for some of their performances, showing his inter-generational appeal.
His latest album is Imagine the World in Unison as of 2005. He is also making appearances as a judge on The X-Factor
and has a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola
. On 19 September 2007 he featured on The Chaser's War on Everything
on ABC TV
where he sang for a 'newly-wed couple' who turned up uninvited on his door.
He recently made commercials for Australian Cable Channel Fox8
, advertising their WWE programming.
In early 2008, Kamahl reunited with his old school, Pembroke (then Kings College), and went on tour in the United States with the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010, Kamahl made a cameo appearance on Yes We Canberra! as well had a small role in one sketch which was unused but later an extra on the DVD release.
Kamahl appeared an episode of Australian TV quiz show Spicks and Specks which first went to air on 8 September 2010.
He received another Australian honour when he was included in 'Our Entertainers of the 20th Century' in May 2006. Organised by the Variety Club of Australia, the top entertainers of the century included Kylie Minogue
, Dame Joan Sutherland
, Rolf Harris
, Jack Thompson
and Graham Kennedy
.
In 2009, he accused Australian TV show Hey Hey It's Saturday
of having treated him in a way that smacked of racism, during his past guest appearances. His feelings were revealed to the Australian public shortly after Harry Connick Jr. complained of a "black faces" skit for the show's iconic "Red Faces" segment.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer and recording artist, perhaps best known for "The Elephant Song", and his repertoire of popular music.
Early life
Born in Malaysia to TamilTamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
parents, he is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage. He grew up in Brickfields
Brickfields
Brickfields is a small to medium-sized town and residential neighbourhood located just outside central Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is known as Kuala Lumpur's Little India due to the high percentage of Indian residents and businesses.- History :In 1881, a flood swept through Kuala Lumpur following...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and studied at the Victoria Institution
Victoria Institution
Victoria Institution is a premier secondary school for boys and one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is widely known as V.I. and a student of Victoria Institution bears the name Victorian....
.
He arrived in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1953 to receive a higher education at King's College (now Pembroke School
Pembroke School, Adelaide
Pembroke School is an independent, co-educational, non-denominational, day and boarding school, located at Kensington Park, a suburb 6 kilometres east of the CBD of Adelaide, South Australia....
), however, his arrival was not without prejudice on the part of an Australia still influenced by the White Australia Policy
White Australia policy
The White Australia policy comprises various historical policies that intentionally restricted "non-white" immigration to Australia. From origins at Federation in 1901, the polices were progressively dismantled between 1949-1973....
. This experience gave bite to his well-known quote: "Why are people so unkind?"
Music career
At his first public performance in 1958 he shortened his name to Kamal, but the Master of CeremoniesMaster of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
announced him as "Camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
". After that he changed the spelling to Kamahl.
As he made his way into the Australian music industry, Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
was an early important mentor. Murdoch tipped Kamahl £
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
10 at a concert in December 1958 and encouraged him to move to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Without asking, Murdoch arranged for Kamahl to perform a six-week season at the Hotel Australia in Sydney. After that season, he boarded with the Murdochs for two years.
Kamahl has performed at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
and Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, as well as pubs and club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s throughout Australia. In 1982 Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
asked him to give a Royal Command performance in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
for the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
there. In 1984, he sang with Cathy Lee Johnson at the L.A. Variety Telethon.
His first album was A Voice to Remember, which was released in Australia in October 1967. He has released singles and albums in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(the last in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, as well as in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. From 1967 onwards in Australia his records, tapes and CDs were primarily on the Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
label, but he also recorded on EMI, Mercury, Festival, Dino and Reader's Digest.
In 1975, his single,"The Elephant Song" (composed and produced by Hans van Hemert
Hans van Hemert
Hans van Hemert is a Dutch ASCAP award winning record producer and songwriter. Mouth & MacNeal and Luv' are among the pop acts he produced...
) hit the number one spot on the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
, the Nationale Hitparade (currently Single Top 100
Mega Single Top 100
The Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales and legal downloads and composed by MegaCharts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutch Top 40 and the Mega Top 50. The difference is that these charts also include airplay data.The list is...
) and the Belgian BRT Top 30
VRT Top 30
The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992....
. This song was part of the soundtrack of a World Wildlife Fund TV documentary.
He has been in the Australian music industry for fifty years, and throughout that time has made some memorable TV and film appearances, as well as concerts. He was one of the first people to appear in concert at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. He was a particularly popular guest on the variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
. In 2004 he appeared at the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
rock festival, and the year before he had cameos
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the Australian films Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet
Harvie Krumpet is an Australian clay animation made in Melbourne written, directed and animated by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. This short film won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 2003, in addition to numerous festival awards and the 2004 Australian Film Institute Best...
and Fat Pizza. He collaborated with the Wiggles for some of their performances, showing his inter-generational appeal.
His latest album is Imagine the World in Unison as of 2005. He is also making appearances as a judge on The X-Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
and has a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
. On 19 September 2007 he featured on The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything
The Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
on ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
where he sang for a 'newly-wed couple' who turned up uninvited on his door.
He recently made commercials for Australian Cable Channel Fox8
FOX8
Fox8 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms...
, advertising their WWE programming.
In early 2008, Kamahl reunited with his old school, Pembroke (then Kings College), and went on tour in the United States with the Pembroke Symphony Orchestra.
In 2010, Kamahl made a cameo appearance on Yes We Canberra! as well had a small role in one sketch which was unused but later an extra on the DVD release.
Kamahl appeared an episode of Australian TV quiz show Spicks and Specks which first went to air on 8 September 2010.
Awards and recognition
- 1994 - Member of the Order of AustraliaOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
- 1998 - Australian Father Of The Year awardAustralian Father Of The Year awardThe Australian Father Of The Year award is an Australian award to honor and showcase a fine example of Australian fatherhood. Spanning over fifty years, the ‘Australian Father of the Year’ has been awarded to high-profile, famous fathers, from prime ministers & politicians to sportsmen and business...
- 2004 - Australian Centenary Medal by Queen Elizabeth II
He received another Australian honour when he was included in 'Our Entertainers of the 20th Century' in May 2006. Organised by the Variety Club of Australia, the top entertainers of the century included Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Dame Joan Sutherland
Joan Sutherland
Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
, Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
, Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (actor)
Jack Thompson, AM is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society...
and Graham Kennedy
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
.
In 2009, he accused Australian TV show Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
of having treated him in a way that smacked of racism, during his past guest appearances. His feelings were revealed to the Australian public shortly after Harry Connick Jr. complained of a "black faces" skit for the show's iconic "Red Faces" segment.