George de Fretes

George de Fretes
Born December 23rd 1921
Ternate, Indonesia
Died 19th November 1981
Los Angeles County, California
Genres Hawaiian music
Occupation(s) Music
Instruments Steel guitar
Associated acts The Amboina Serenaders, Joyce Aubrey, Wanda de Fretes, Ming Luhulima, The Mena Moeria Minstrels , The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels, The Samoa Voices, The Tielman Brothers Rudi Wairata
Notable instruments
Steel guitar

George de Fretes was a musician from Indonesia who found fame in the Netherlands. Like his fellow countrymen Ming Luhulima and Rudi Wairata, he found sizable popularity in the Netherlands and Europe playing Hawaiian music.

Background

He came from Maluku Islands, Indonesia and was born 23 December 1921.[1] He was married to Joyce Aubrey and together they had a daughter Wanda who was born in Bandung, Indonesia in 1946. She like her musical parents also would become a recording artist.[2][3] By 1952, de Fretes and Aubrey had divorced and she had moved to the Netherlands taking their daughter Wanda with her.[4] Aubrey joined the The Mena Moeria Minstrels as their singer. The group was headed by Ming Luhulima.[5] It is believed that George de Fretes stowed away on a ship called the Johan Barneveldt and arrived in the Netherlands around 1958.[6][7][8]

Death

He died on 19 November 1981.[9] He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery, Los Angeles County, California.[10] He is buried next to his idol Sol Hoʻopiʻi.[11]

Career

George de Fretes was a multi instrumentalist. In addition to the stell guitar, he also played guitar, violin, trumpet and saxophone.[12] He became a popular artist in the Netherlands, and like Luhulima had gained his fame there.[13][14] Along with Luhulima he was responsible for the Portuguese style or genre of music in the Netherlands called Kroncong becoming well known.[15] He is also credited with teaching Rudi Wairata techniques on the steel guitar.[16]

In 1960, he released an EP record on the Fontana label that featured the song "Ou' OelateZ". Besides himself, the record featured Joyce Aubrey and Bill Toma on vocals.[17] In 1966, he joined the Tielman Brothers for period of time and went on tour with them. Also in 1966, he recorded an album with Frank Valdor. Later he left to settle in the United States permanently.[18][19] Around 1970, 1971, Hula Girl was released on the Eclipse label. This was actually a re-release of an earlier album, Aloha Keakua that was released on the Omega label.[20]

In September 2010, his daughter Wanda took a trip from California to the third Chanos International Steel Guitar Festival aka CISGF which was held in Chanos-Curson, France. She was there to receive a posthumous European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame award for her father.[21]

LP Discography

George de Fretes
The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels
George de Fretes En Zijn Suara Istana

Compact disc discography

George de Fretes
The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels

References

  1. ↑ Berita Satu 28 Agustus 2014 RRI Ambon Abadikan Musisi George de Fretes Sebagai Nama Auditorium
  2. ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  3. ↑ Indo-Rock-Gallery Wanda & Joyce
  4. ↑ Eastindonesia.com Wanda & Joyce
  5. ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  6. ↑ The Waikiki Islanders website Rudi Wairata, *1958* *1958*
  7. ↑ The Fanzine 17.11.15 Turn Down for Everything: An Annotated Playlist - Molly Brodak
  8. ↑ Bluesharmonica.nl Hawaiian muziek met o.a de Kilima Hawaiians en George de Fretes. In later years, de Fretes moved to the United States where he resided in California, DEEL 2:
  9. ↑ BBC Music, George de Fretes
  10. ↑ Find A Grave Frits George De Fretes
  11. ↑ Concertzender.nl Saturday 15 March 2014 23:00 - 00:00 Exitos Musicales, Surata Istana of Krontjong Minstrels led by George De Fretes (repeat).
  12. ↑ Sam Sam Music George de Fretes and his Royal Hawaiian Minstrels - The Home Recordings Vol.5
  13. ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  14. ↑ Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance: An Active Approach Page 295
  15. ↑ Concealment, Maintenance and Renaissance: language and ethnicity in the Moluccan community in The Netherlands Page 24
  16. ↑ The Waikiki Islanders Rudi Wairata *1950* *1950*
  17. ↑ University of Hawaii Hawaiian Music Collection, Song Title: Ou' Oelate
  18. ↑ Bluesharmonica.nl Hawaiian muziek met o.a de Kilima Hawaiians en George de Fretes, DEEL 2:
  19. ↑ The Power Of Indonesia The Tielman Brothers, The greatest Indorock legend
  20. ↑ BMG; Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar Page 294
  21. ↑ Pedalpro.co.uk Jan Visser awarded at the CISGF 2010 by Jan Visser and Digby Hardy
  22. ↑ Discogs George de Fretes Discography, Albums
  23. ↑ Discogs George de Fretes Discography, Albums

External links

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