Kamahl
Kamahl | |
|---|---|
 Kamahl in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kandiah Kamalesvaran |
| Born | 13 November 1934 Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States |
| Origin | Australia |
| Genres | Adult contemporary |
| Occupation | singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | |
Kandiah Kamalesvaran AM (Tamil: கந்தையா கமலேஸ்வரன்; born 13 November 1934), better known by his stage name Kamahl, is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. He has been in the Australian music industry over for 70 years and has made some memorable TV and film appearances, as well as concerts.
He has sold over 20 million records and recorded more than 30 album.[1] His highest-charting Australian single, "Sounds of Goodbye" (1969), reached the top 20 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. Another single, "The Elephant Song" (1975), peaked at number one in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
Early life
[edit]Kamahl was born on 13 November 1934 in the Brickfields district of Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States to Ceylonese Tamil and Malaysian Indian Hindu parents, the second eldest of six children.[2][3][4] His father was head of the local Tamil music school.[4] Kamahl studied at the Victoria Institution.[5] He suffered sexual abuse in his childhood by three different adults.[1] He lived through the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War II.[4][2]
He arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, in April 1953,[6] and finished high school at King's College.[2] He then enrolled at the University of Adelaide, studying architecture to please his parents.[7]
Music career
[edit]Kamahl developed an interest in singing at university. He went on the television talent program Australia's Amateur Hour and won the state final which led to further television and club engagements.[4] He dropped out of his architecture course and became a full-time entertainer. He also studied at the Elder Conservatorium of Music for a year.[7][2]
At his early public performances, from 1958, he shortened his name to Kamal. Successive masters of ceremonies announced him as "camel", so he changed its spelling to Kamahl.[4] Rupert Murdoch was an early important sponsor, and tipped Kamahl £10 at a party in December 1958 and encouraged him to move to Sydney.[2][4] Without asking, Murdoch arranged for Kamahl to perform a six-week season at the Australia Hotel in Sydney.[8] After that season, he boarded with the Murdochs for two years.[4]
In 1966, Kamahl was a finalist in the Sydney Eisteddfod Sun Aria, singing Verdi's "Ella giammai m'amò" and Mussorgsky's "Farewell and Death of Boris". He co-wrote and sang the theme song for the 1967 feature film, Journey Out of Darkness, which he also acted in.
He was one of the first people to appear in concert at the Sydney Opera House. He has performed at the London Palladium[9] and Carnegie Hall[10] as well as pubs and clubs throughout Australia.
His first album, A Voice to Remember, was released in Australia in October 1967. He released singles and albums in the United States, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, South America, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Germany (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",[11] composed and produced by Hans van Hemert, reached number one on the Dutch Top 40, the Nationale Hitparade, currently Single Top 100,[12] and the Belgian BRT Top 30.[citation needed] This song was part of the soundtrack of a World Wildlife Fund TV documentary. In 1978, Billboard reported "The Elephant Song" was the biggest selling single ever in Sweden.[13]
In 2004, he appeared at the Big Day Out rock festival. 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.
Kamahl has released albums through ABC Music, a compilation Christmas album entitled Peace On Earth (2012),[14] and a three-CD collection of favourites entitled Heart and Soul: For Lovers Of Life (2015).[15]
Acting and media appearances
[edit]Kamahl appeared in the Adelaide Festival of Arts plays Moon on a Rainbow Shawl in 1961 and Volpone in 1963. He also played John the Baptist in a production of Salome and appeared in Othello.[7] In the 1967 film Journey Out of Darkness, Kamahl played an Aboriginal Australian.[16]
Kamahl was a popular guest on the variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday. In 2009, he criticised the show for its treatment of him during his appearances. His feelings were revealed to the Australian public shortly after Harry Connick Jr. complained of a "black faces" skit for the show's "Red Faces" segment.[17] In April 2021, the former compere Daryl Somers wrote a lengthy apology to Kamahl and to those who found the show's content offensive.[18]
In 2003, he had cameos in the Australian films Harvie Krumpet and Fat Pizza. In 2005, he made appearances as a judge on The X-Factor. In September 2007, he appeared on The Chaser's War on Everything on ABC TV where he sang for a "newly-wed couple" who turned up uninvited at his door.
Kamahl appeared in an episode of the Australian TV quiz show Spicks and Specks, first broadcast in September 2010.[19] In 2011, Kamahl made a cameo appearance on Swift and Shift Couriers as a phone store employee.[20] In 2012, Kamahl made appearances in Prime's show The Unbelievable Truth.[21] In May 2013, the Australian drama, Offspring, broadcast an episode which had Kamahl in a minor role as a medical specialist.[22]
Other work
[edit]In 1988, Kamahl appeared in a television commercial for Dilmah tea.[23] In 2005, he had a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola.[citation needed] In 2007, he made commercials for the Australian cable channel Fox8, advertising its WWE programming.[24]
His biography, Kamahl: The Triumph of Hope, written by Keith Cameron is scheduled to be released on 15 November 2024.[1]
Personal life
[edit]In 1967, Kamahl married an Indo-Fijian woman, Sahodra, of whom his family did not approve. "There was no way my parents would've given their blessing."[4] They have two children, Rajan, born in 1969, and Rani, born in 1971.[25] Rani had a brief singing career which reached its peak in the late 1990s.
In November 2021, Kamahl revealed that he and Sahodra had separated after 55 years of marriage.[26] He cited social media addiction as the cause of their separation, telling A Current Affair: "I'm Twittering day and night, and now, I'm paying a terrible price for it."[27] He remained an avid Twitter user in the aftermath of his divorce, with the vast majority of his tweets being criticism of Donald Trump, but has since deleted his account.
In 2023, Kamahl first came out against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament and then changed his position to support it, leading Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to coin the phrase "Kamahl-mentum" referring to a person who "came out and said No and went away, spoke to people, read what it was about, read the question and decided that he would come out and declare his support for Yes." However, in September 2023 Kamahl changed his position once again and ultimately did not support the Voice.[28]
Intimidation charge
[edit]In May 2024, Kamahl was charged with "stalking and intimidation" concerning text messages allegedly sent to an unnamed 38-year-old woman, with NSW Police seeking an apprehended violence order against him as a result. He told Nine News that he had agreed to lend her $2,000 for a business after they had met for dinner and that she agreed to pay him back in $5 instalments. Screenshots of the exchange shared by Nine show the transaction description for the first $5 reading "to the molestor [sic]", and the message "I just wanted you to know that your behaviour is unacceptable and you're lucky I haven't gone to the authorities", to which Kamahl replied "You are a liar, and a failure, and most of all, an ungrateful bitch. The best is yet to come." Kamahl told Nine that he was "responding to a situation without all of (his) faculties."[29] While stating that the "molestor" remark had inflamed the conflict, Nine, the ABC and The Guardian also explicitly stated that Kamahl was not being charged with molestation and all emphasised they were not suggesting he was guilty of any such offence.[30]
The matter was heard before the Sutherland Local Court in June 2024, where Kamahl's lawyer Bobby Hill made a section 14 application under the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020[31] which would see the charge dismissed on mental health grounds. Hill told the ABC he wished to have the matter "diverted away from the criminal justice system into the hands of a medical professional... I think (Kamahl) has willingly stated that he was not taking medication at the time. He's an 89-year-old man. I'm sure his mental health and his totality of health is going to be a major feature of these proceedings.".[32] The charge was dismissed in 2024, with a magistrate ruling that the matter should be dealt with on mental health grounds.[33]
Discography
[edit]In 1985, the Chicago Tribune reported Kamahl as having sold "more than 20 million records worldwide" and "76 gold and 14 platinum records".[34] In a 2007 press release, Kamahl's records were said to have achieved gold and platinum status over 80 times.[35] In 2018, Port News reported Kamahl as having recorded more than 30 albums and earned "more than 100 gold and platinum records".[36]
Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
Certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [37] |
NED [38] |
NZ [39] |
SWE [40] | |||
| A Voice to Remember |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Dreams of Love |
|
7 | — | — | — | |
| Sounds of Kamahl |
|
13 | — | — | — | |
| Peace on Earth |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Kamahl |
|
40 | — | 1[A] | — |
|
| Friend |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| I Think of You |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Encore |
|
35 | — | — | — | |
| Let It Be Me |
|
69 | — | — | — | |
| The Elephant Song |
|
— | 1 | — | 3 | |
| If I Give My Heart to You |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Christmas with Kamahl |
|
— | 6 | — | — | |
| Save the Oceans |
|
— | 2 | — | — | |
| Lovin' Kind |
|
61 | — | — | — | |
| Love Is a Beautiful Song |
|
65 | — | — | — | |
| Portrait of My Love |
|
80 | — | — | — | |
| Smile |
|
— | — | 3 | — | |
| She Believes in Me |
|
99 | — | — | — | |
| Treat Her Like a Lady |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Somebody Loves You |
|
— | — | 4 | — | |
| This Love We Share |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Love United |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| You Are Everything |
|
— | — | — | — | |
| Precious Words and Soothing Songs |
|
28 | — | — | — | |
| Anything for Love |
|
30 | — | — | — | |
| How Great Thou Art |
|
— | — | — | — | |
Live albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [37] |
NZ [39] |
SWE [40] | ||
| Kamahl in London |
|
— | — | — |
| Kamahl at the Opera House |
|
16 | — | 38 |
| Live at Carnegie Hall |
|
19 | 16 | — |
| Kamahl on Tour |
|
— | 17 | — |
Charting compilation albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
Certification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [37] |
NED [38] |
NZ [39] | |||
| Chanson D'Amour |
|
— | 9 | — | |
| You Bring Out the Best |
|
79 | — | — |
|
| 20 Greatest Hits |
|
— | — | 17 | |
| Always on My Mind |
|
48 | — | — | |
| This Love We Share |
|
17 | — | — | |
| Miracles and Old Toy Trains |
|
70 | — | — | |
| 25th Anniversary Album |
|
9 | — | — | |
| The Elephant Song – Zijn 18 mooiste songs |
|
— | 45 | — | |
| The Ultimate Collection |
|
— | — | 34 | |
Charting singles
[edit]| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [37] |
BEL [43] |
NED [38] |
NZ [39] | ||
| 1969 | "Sounds of Goodbye" | 19 | — | — | — |
| "You've Got to Learn" | 39 | — | — | — | |
| 1970 | "All I Have to Offer You (Is Me)" | 49 | — | — | — |
| 1971 | "100 Children"/"Danny Boy" | 34 | — | — | — |
| 1972 | "Love Is a Mountain" | 86 | — | — | — |
| 1973 | "Shame" | 93 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | "Our Love Song" | 56 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | "The Elephant Song" | 55 | 1 | 1 | 38 |
| "Chanson d'Amour" | — | 26 | 20 | — | |
| "White Christmas" | — | — | 10 | — | |
| 1976 | "Save the Oceans of the World" | — | — | 14 | — |
| 1978 | "What Would I Do Without My Music" | — | — | — | 32 |
| 1980 | "Save the Whale" | — | — | 24 | — |
| 1981 | "Before You There Was Nothing" | 96 | — | — | — |
| "Hey There Lord" | 100 | — | — | — | |
Notes
- ^ Kamahl peaked at number 1 in NZ in 1978
Awards and recognition
[edit]- 1994 – Member of the Order of Australia[44]
- 1998 – Australian Father of the Year award
- 2004 – Australian Centenary Medal
In May 2006, he received another Australian honour when he was included in "Our Entertainers of the 20th Century". The award was organised by the Variety Club of Australia, the top entertainers of the century included Kylie Minogue, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jack Thompson and Graham Kennedy.[45]
Mo Awards
[edit]The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards, commonly known informally as the Mo Awards, were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia, from 1975 to 2016. Kamahl won three awards in that time.[46]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Kamahl | Daily Telegraph Readers Award | Won |
| 1983 | Kamahl | Daily Telegraph Readers Award | Won |
| 1984 | Kamahl | Daily Telegraph Readers Award | Won |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Beaini, Adella (10 November 2024). "Legendary singer Kamahl releases biography with untold stories ahead of his 90th birthday". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Badami, Sunil (10 November 2021). "Singer Kamahl reckons with the racism in his past as he turns 87". The Australian. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ Emmanuel, Tony (24 August 2019). "Kamahl turns 85 with great friends, tunes and tales". Twentytwo13. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Thompson, Peter (15 August 2005). "Kamahl". Talking Heads. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Archived from the original on 22 May 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ Musa, Helen (28 November 2012). "The 'Camel' flowers into prince of music". Canberra CityNews. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ "Item details for: D596, 1953/5561". National Archive of Australia. 3 July 2018. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- ^ a b c "The Married in Australia". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 11 October 1967. p. 2. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ Shane Maloney; Chris Grosz (November 2010). "Rupert Murdoch & Kamahl". The Monthly. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ "Shirt worn by Kamahl". collection.maas.museum. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Kamahl responds to Daryl Somers's regret over Hey Hey humiliation". www.abc.net.au. 31 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ Lyrics and audio for The Elephant Song Archived 19 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Kamahl – The Elephant Song". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
- ^ "International Talk" (PDF). Cashbox: 46. 26 August 1978. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Kamahl – Peace On Earth". ABC Music. 12 November 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ "Kamahl – Heart and Soul". ABC Shop. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ Kornits, Dov (24 July 2019). "50 Meat Pie Westerns". FilmInk. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ McCabe, Kathy; Byrnes, Holly (9 October 2009). "Livid Kamahl has had enough of Hey, Hey It's Saturday". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ "Daryl Somers apologises to Kamahl after controversy over racism". The Feed. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ "Spicks and Specks – 8:30pm Wednesday, September 08 2010". ABC Television. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
- ^ Swift & Shift Couriers Season 2 Episode 2
- ^ "The Unbelievable Truth". Yahoo7 Television. Yahoo 7 Australia. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ David Knox (28 May 2013). "Look who's acting in Offspring this week…". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
- ^ "Brand Kamahl sings on". The Australian Financial Review. 4 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ FOX8 – Promo – WWE Vs Kamahl 'Spit' on YouTube
- ^ Schluter, Kevin (16 December 1981). "You Wanted to Know with Kevin Schluter". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 49, no. 28. p. 143. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Bond, Nick (15 November 2021). "Showbiz veteran Kamahl reveals he and wife Sahodra have separated". News.com.au. News Corp. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ Halls, Brady. "Kamahl speaks out about the addiction that caused his marriage bust up". A Current Affair. Channel Nine. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ Sakkal, Paul (24 September 2023). "Kamahl backflips again on Voice and returns to No camp". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Theocharous, Mikala (9 May 2024). "Singer Kamahl facing stalking charges after allegedly threatening 38-year-old woman". Nine News. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ McLeod, Catie (10 May 2024). "Kamahl charged with stalking and intimidating a 38-year-old woman". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 No 12". NSW Legislation. NSW Government. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "TV personality Kamahl to apply to have intimidation charge dismissed on mental health grounds". ABC News. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Singer Kamahl's charge over 'foolish' texts thrown out". Yahoo News. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- ^ "KAMAHL AIMS TO CHARM AUDIENCES". Chicago Tribune. 21 February 1985. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ "Kamahl To Perform Concerts Across NZ". Scoop New Zealand. December 2007. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ "Kamahl performs at Port Macquarie's Glasshouse for one night only". Port News. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 163. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ a b c "Kamahl Dutch Charts". dutchcharts. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Kamahl NZ chart". charts.nz. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Kamahl Swedish chart". swedishcharts. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Billboard. 26 August 1978. p. 46. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021 – via World Radio History.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Kent Music Report No 341 – 5 January 1981 > Platinum and Gold Albums 1980". Kent Music Report. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ "Kamahl at Belgien Charts". Ultratop. 14 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- ^ "Search Australian Honours". It's an Honour. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ "Variety Entertainers of the Century". Geocaching. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
External links
[edit]
- Kamahl's official website
- Some information about Kamahl about when he was young in Malaysia, from the Victoria Institution
- Kamahl performing "My Home" in 2015 at the age of 80 in Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
- 1934 births
- Living people
- Musicians from Adelaide
- Members of the Order of Australia
- Tamil musicians
- Australian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
- Australian Hindus
- Australian pop singers
- Malaysian people of Indian descent
- Malaysian Hindus
- Sri Lankan Tamil musicians
- Sri Lankan Tamil people
- Malaysian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent
- People educated at Pembroke School, Adelaide
- Attic Records (Canada) artists
- Philips Records artists
- Malaysian emigrants to Australia
- Australian baritones
- Musicians from Kuala Lumpur