Rudi Wairata

Rudi Wairata
Birth name Diederich Gijsbrecht Christo Wairata
Also known as Rudy Wairata, Sam Letto, Roy Moana
Born Circa 1930
Ternate, Indonesia
Died 1981
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Genres Hawaiian music
Occupation(s) Music
Instruments Steel guitar
Associated acts The Amboina Serenaders, , Joyce Aubrey, Bill Kilima & His Cowboys, George de Fretes, Ke Aloha Hawaiian Strings, The Kilima Hawaiians, Ming Luhulima, The Mena Moeria Minstrels , Das Moana Quartett, The New Polynesians, Rudi Wairata & The Hawaiian Boys, Rudi Wairata & The Hawaiian Minstrels, Rudi Wairata & The Serenaders, Suara Nusantara (aka The Nusantara Serenaders), The Waikiki Islanders, Ron Wattimena
Notable instruments
Steel guitar

Rudi Wairata aka Rudy Wairata[1] was an influential Indonesian musician who had fronted the Mena Moeria Minstrels and the Amboina Serenaders.[2] Wairata's style of playing was influenced by Sol Hoʻopiʻi and Andy Iona.[3] Along with George de Fretes he was a prominent musician in the genre of Hawaiian steel guitar music.[4] His song "Rock'n Roll Breezes" may be the first Indo-rock song.

Background

He was born Diederich Gijsbrecht Christo Wairata on Halmahera Island in Ternate, Indonesia on the 25th of December 1930 or 1932. There seem to be conflicting dates.[5] He learnt to play steel guitar by listening to Sol Ho'opi'i and Andy Iona records. His family moved to Java when he was 11 years of age. There he worked to improve his steel guitar skills while studying. In 1949, his vocal group, a quartet called the Raindrops along with the Jos Cleber Orchestra were broadcast on Radio Jakarta. In 1950, he won a music scholarship and went to Europe.[6]

In 1950, Wairata founded the group the Mena Moeria Minstrels.[7] This group the Mena Muria Minstrels, featured Joyce Aubrey the ex wife of George De Fretes and Ming Luhulima.[8] Having been successful with the Mena Moeria Minstrels he started the Amboina Serenaders. This group had the same line up of members as his previous group with the exception of an extra member who was a vibraphone-player.[9] In 1957, RCA released "Rock and Roll and Breezes" backed with "Mahalani Papado". This was credited to Rudi Wairata & His Hawaiian Minstrels.[10][11] In 1958 Wairata joined the Kilima Hawaiians group. They recorded "Whistling Guitar" which featured Wairata making bird sound effects with his steel guitar.[12] Wairata's Ambonese background was an influence on the sound of the band.[13] While the Kilima Hawaiians were on tour, doing the rounds of the American service bases etc, Wairata decided to remain in Germany after tour.[14] He was replaced by Coy Pereira.[15]

Having left the Kilima Hawaiians and worked in Germany for about 13 to 14 years. During that time he was working as a solo artist and sometimes as a double act with his wife.[16] From 1961 to 1963, he recorded with Das Moana Quartett, a group that featured Ron Wattimena aka Ronnie Watti who in the seventies would later record under the name of Peter Waaldrecht. The group had a single and three EPs released in 1961 mostly for the Ariola label. Their last single was "Kaiwahu-Marsch" bw "On the beach of Waikiki" in 1963.[17] During his time in Germany he recorded about three albums.

He returned to the Netherlands in 1974. That year he formed a recording group called The New Polynesians. Their debut album was issued on the Delta Records label. A second album by the New Polynesians was due for release in 1975.[18]

In 1976 his album The Suara Nusantara was released on the EMI-Bovema label.[19]

Death

Rudi Wairata passed away in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 1981.[20]

Rudi Wairata discography

Singles
Albums

Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels

Rudi Wairata & the Amboina Serenaders

Singles
Extended play
Albums

Rudi Wairata and his Hawaiian Minstrels

Singles

Rudi Wairata & his Serenaders

Ke Aloha Hawaiian Strings

Singles

Das Moana Quartett

Singles
Extended play

Rudy Wairata & his Hawaiian Boys

Singles

Rudy Wairata and his Kilima Hawaiians

Albums

Rudi Wairata Und Sein Hula Girls

Rudy Wairata and the Oriental Four

References

  1. ↑ The Komedie Stamboel: Popular Theater in Colonial Indonesia, 1891-1903 Matthew Isaac Cohen Page 442
  2. ↑ Billboard August 1, 1981 Page 66 General News, Deaths
  3. ↑ The Hawaiian Steel Guitar and Its Great Hawaiian Musicians by Lorene Ruymar Cultural Influences Page 76
  4. ↑ Continuum encyclopedia of popular music of the world John Shepherd Page 263
  5. ↑ Waikiki Islanders Website Rudi Wairata
  6. ↑ The Hawaiian Music Foundation Vol 1. No. 6 June 1975 ARTIST IN PROFILE, Rudi Wairata Page 3
  7. ↑ Dutch Exotica Artists 15. The Mena Moeria Minstrels – South Sea Breeze
  8. ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  9. ↑ Dutch Exotica Artists, 11. Amboina Serenaders – Bali Bali Boogie
  10. ↑ Rate Your Music Rock and Roll and Breezes / Mahalani Papado
  11. ↑ University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Library Performer > Rudi Wairata and his Hawaiian Minstrels
  12. ↑ Dutch Exotica Artists, 12. Rudi Wairata & The Kilima Hawaiians - Whistling Guitar
  13. ↑ Concertzender Friday 6 November 2015 HAWAIIAN MUSIC (Part 14) 2 5 Y e a r s T H E K I L I M A H A W A I I A N S with RUDI WAIRATA
  14. ↑ The Waikiki Islanders Rudi Wairata Page 2
  15. ↑ The Hawaiian Music Foundation VOL. I NO. 8 August 1975 The Kilima Hawaiians page 2
  16. ↑ The Waikiki Islanders Rudi Wairata Page 2
  17. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Das Moana Quartett
  18. ↑ The Waikiki Islanders Rudi Wairata Page 2
  19. ↑ Discogs Rudi Wairata – The Suara Nusantara
  20. ↑ Lass dich überraschen : niederländische Unterhaltungskünstler in Deutschland nach 1945 Ingo Schiweck Page 55
  21. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Rudi Wairata
  22. ↑ Rate Your Music Good Old Hawai, Arttist Roy Moana
  23. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Rudi Wairata
  24. ↑ Discogs Rudi Wairata Discography, Albums
  25. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Rudi Wairata
  26. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Rudi Wairata
  27. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Ke Aloha Hawaiian Strings
  28. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Das Moana Quartett
  29. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Rudi Wairata
  30. ↑ Discogs Rudi Wairata Discography, Albums
  31. ↑ Discogs Rudi Wairata Und Sein Hula Girls* – Hula Lu
  32. ↑ NLDiscografie.nl Rudi Wairata
  33. ↑ Discogs Rudi Wairata Discography, Albums

External links

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