Page 14 - Melbourne Observer - Wednesday, July 3, 2013
■ It is hard to believe that Kamahl has been singing in Australia since 1958 and is still performing. I have always admired his rich baritone voice and the way he presents himself. Kandiah Kamalesvaran was born in Malaysia in 1934 and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. Kandiah was the second eldest in a family of six children. He came to Australia when he was 19 to study at Kings College in Adelaide. When he began his singing career he adopted the stage name of Kamahl. Kamahl started out singing the songs of Nat King Cole. He actually met his idol and performed one of Nat's hit songs Nature Boy for him. Kamahl was regular singer on the television show In Adelaide Tonight and this led to appearances on national television shows. He married his wife Sahodra in 1966 and they are very proud of the family they have raised during their marriage. By 1967 Kamahl was performing at a major Sydney hotel and signed to a recording contract with Phonogram Records. It has been an amazing recording career - his first album A Voice to Remember in 1967 was successful and over the years Kamahl has released more than 80 albums in Australia alone. His albums have sold in many countries across the world. I am not sure if Australians are aware how
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Whatever Happened To ... Kamahl By Kevin Trask of 3AW and 96.5 Inner FM popular Kamahl has been internationally. His singles and albums have sold 10 million copies throughout the world in the US, Canada, Britain, South America, Germany, Malaysia and many other countries. Kamahl had a hit with the song The Sounds Of Goodbye in 1969 but his biggest selling single was The Elephant Song which went to the top of the hit parade in Holland in 1975. Kamahl has sung at Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium and has also performed in Royal Command Performances. I have interviewed Kamahl for radio on several occasions. In 1992 we recorded an interview backstage at the Melbourne Town Hall and as we finished up Kamahl asked my producer
● Kamahl with Kevin Trask Jackie Maud-Cameron and I if we could help with his bags as he had a bad back. Kamahl walked in front carrying nothing as Jackie and I struggled out into Swanston St where he hailed a taxi and we shoved his bags into the taxi boot.
Jackie and I still laugh about the time we carried Kamahl's luggage. In 2011 Kamahl met US President Barack Obama at a State Dinner in Canberra and was so moved that he said "When I shook hands with President Obama, I told him, with all due humility, that 'I have been a staunch supporter of yours since you first came to political office, and your words have always left me spellbound … and sometimes tear-bound' Kamahl recorded a beautiful spoken reading of The Gettysburg Address in the President's honour and it can be purchased from Kamahl's official website at www.kamahl.com Kamahl was a regular on television shows such as Hey Hey It's Saturday. He has also acted in films such as Ned Kelly, Harvie Krumpet, and Fat Pizza and played a character in the television series Offspring. Over the years Kamahl has received many awards and rightly so. He has been a survivor in Australian showbusiness and is not afraid to try anything. Next year Kamahl will celebrate his 80th birthday. - Kevin Trask The Time Tunnel - with Bruce & PhilSundays at 8.20pm on 3AW That's Entertainment - 96.5FM Sundays at 12 Noon 96.5FM is streaming on the internet. To listen, go to www.innerfm.org.au and follow the prompts.
FIRED SIX ROUNDS INTO HOON CARS ■ It doesn't matter where I am in Australia, I always notice evidence of hoon driving - winding and wriggly tyre tracks all over the road. I often hear such idiots. My primary emotion is anger - I fantasise leaping out of bed, reaching for an imaginary 12 gauge, rushing out and blasting away at them. And that's exactly what happened last week in Darwin. After continually experiencing hooning and burn-outs past his house in the rural area, one gentleman had had enough, so out he went at about 11pm one night recently, and fired six shots into two of the offending cars. The police were obviously summoned, and he was arrested, whilst the offenders proudly displayed their exploits on the net, vowing to continue their activities. I'm with the 12-gauge man.
■ Once in my life, decades ago, I was a drink driver. Since then, I have fastidiously avoided this behaviour. I carry a breathalyser to make sure I'm always OK - if I'm not, it's a cab or a sleep. Knowing the proclivity some Territorians have for the demon drink, I can imagine that magistrates would be privy to some interesting tales of inebriated drivers taking the wheel. Magistrate Greg Borchers is one such - he must have seen countless cases of such stupidity in his career. Last week he claimed that the worst, most dangerous case he had ever witnessed was appearing before him. One Francis Warren, from Titchikala, a community out of Alice, was pulled over for a RBT one evening in Todd St. He was charged with unlicensed driving, and driving an unregistered and unroadworthy vehicle. And on a rainy night with highly slippery roads. Police also noticed a 10-month-old baby girl unrestrained in the lap of a passenger in the back seat. His reading? 0.315 ■ When I was digging for black opals, my mining partner, "Big Jim" Glass, was driving our old International tipper up to Lightning Ridge on one occasion. During the 750 miles, there are always many creatures encountered - kangaroos, emus, foxes, feral cats, and countless mobs of birds. He drove through a flock of galahs, which scattered upon his approach.
been a gemstone devotee. However, that passion has restricted itself to one species - opals. I know next to nothing about other sparklers. However, just out of Alice Springs in the Harts Range there is a gem field called Gemtree, which I have visited a few times. I first went up with a mate of mine from Coober Pedy, American George, who spent six months of the year digging for opals, and the rest back in the US. He loved all gemstones, so talked me into a night in my swag to scratch around for zircons and garnets, both of which occur in this area. I hired a sieve and shovelled dirt up from the appropriate area, all the while finding tiny gemstones, not of any value but nevertheless interesting. Then we moved on to another spot to dig up some garnets, also lots of little pieces. Occasionally larger rocks are diswith Nick Le Souef covered, and as a result tourists, especially rockhounds, visit from all over Lightning Ridge Opals Australia. 175 Flinders Lane, A couple of Victorians, Sue and Melbourne Graeme MacDonald, struck it rich Phone 9654 4444 the other day when they unearthed a 15 www.opals.net.au carat zircon lurking in the dust. It's apparently worth about $25,000, A few were a little slow in getting but they're having it cut and polished out of the way, and nudged the truck, on the spot, to eventually dangle round but Jim thought no more about them. Sue's neck. When he reached the Ridge many hours later, he detected a noise coming ■ My mate Ted Egan, in a past life from under the bonnet - a screech ac- before he became a star of stage and tually, and located one of the hapless screen, then Administrator (Goverbirds which had managed to entrap it- nor) of the NT, was in charge of the self in the grille. community of Yuendumu, a couple of It was most indignant about its hundred kilometres north west of Alice plight, but otherwise intact. Jim man- Springs aged to safely pry it out, and off it flew On my first trip to Alice about 30 to its new home. years ago I was looking for a hill full of A similar situation arose just last opal. week out of Darwin. Bernard Price A friend of mine in the US had "seen" was driving 500 kms home from a footy it in repeated dreams ("visions" she match with the Maningrida All claimed, but that's another story!) Stars, and came to the Liverpool Then I briefly visited the community. River Crossing. It is out in the beautiful and harsh typiUpon emerging from the water, he cal Outback country, interspersed by noticed that a metre-long Barra had hazy blue Namatjira-type distant hills. trapped itself in the bull bar. It's recently been in the national news Whilst this creature didn't squawk, for all the wrong reasons - because a it was quickly removed from its "trap", famous footballer, Liam Jarrah, is and welcomed into Bernard's arms. connected to family out there, and the Fed him and a few of his mates that spotlight has fallen on him. night. I don't follow football, so don't have any interest in him per se, but I do fol■ Since I dug my first hole at low Aboriginal affairs, so it's been so Andamooka about 50 years ago, I've sad for me to see the disintegration of
The Outback Legend
● Ted Egan, former NT Administrator this community, with a virtual civil war August. Teams from communities all over raging for a few years. Now, however, it appears that there the Centre will come together as they is light at the end of the tunnel, and it's play basketball and softball, and, of course, footy. thanks to footy. So hopefully many positive goals, There have been serious peace negotiations between the warring camps, both real and metaphorical, will be and the annual sports weekend, which scored. - Nick Le Souef was cancelled last year because of the ‘The Outback Legend’ violence, has been rescheduled for this
Churchill Fellowships announced ■ A total of 23 men and women from Victoria are preparing to undertake a diverse range of research projects around the world after being awarded 2013 Churchill Fellowships. The successful projects from Victoria include: Lucinda Adams, Melbourne, to address the negative impact of laws regulating public space on people experiencing homelessness - USA, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, UK. Duncan Ashby, Geelong. To determine how Australian farm succession and productivity can be enhanced through improved leasing practices UK, USA, Canada. Narelle Beer, Oakleigh. To undertake specialised training in the development and execution of integrity testing in policing USA, UK. Timothy Bignell, Brown Hill. To obtain advanced skills and knowledge in traditional blacksmithing practices through international exposure - Italy, France, UK, Ireland. Dr Soren Blau, Camberwell. The Sir William Kilpatrick Churchill Fellowship to study technical aspects of analysis and interpretation of skeletal trauma in medico-legal investigations - Peru, USA. Dr Megan Cardamone, Blackwood. To undertake a study tour of Indigenous (Native) digital museum and heritage projects – USA. Lauren Caulfield, Coburg. To research community-based safety projects and strategies to combat gender violence - USA. Dane Cody, Brunswick East. To study the latest technology and techniques in location sound recording - USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand. Mark Collins, Macleod. To improve motorcycle rider safety by updating training methods and curricula in Australia Japan, UK, Netherlands, Austria, USA. Luke Cornish, Richmond. To establish an international recognition of Australian stencil art through networking and collaborating with highly successful artists - UK, France, USA. Other winners are: Ian de Cruz, Carlton; Dr Marilyn Di Stefano, Northcote; Linda Gyorki, North Melbourne; Michelle Harvey, Grovedale; Christopher Mercer, Glenrowan; Matthew Pfahlert, Becchworth; Gary Ryan, Werribee; Russell Shields, Yarraville; Dr Nataliya Shkuratova , North Caulfield; Fiona Smith, Fitzroy North; Efterpi Soropos, Clifton Hill; Julie Whitfield, Kangaroo Flat; and Dr Erica Wood, East Melbourne.