Kamahl

Kamahl
Kamahl in 2011
Kamahl in 2011
Background information
Birth nameKandiah Kamalesvaran
Born (1934-11-13) 13 November 1934 (age 89)
Kuala Lumpur, (then in Selangor), Federated Malay States
OriginAustralia
Genresadult contemporary
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1958–present
Labels

Kandiah Kamalesvaran AM (Tamil: கந்தையா கமலேஸ்வரன்; born 13 November 1934), better known by his stage name Kamahl, is a Malaysian-born Australian singer and recording artist. 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. Generally, his repertoire comprises adult contemporary music.[citation needed]

Early life

Kamahl was born in Selangor (now known as Kuala Lumpur), Federated Malay States to Ceylonese Tamil and Malaysian Indian Hindu parents, the second eldest of six children, in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. His father was head of the local Tamil music school. Kamahl studied at the Victoria Institution. He arrived in Adelaide, South Australia, in April 1953, to receive a higher education at King's College (later renamed Pembroke School).

Music career

At his early public performances, from 1958, he shortened his name to Kamal, but successive masters of ceremonies announced him as "camel"; so he changed its spelling to Kamahl. Rupert Murdoch was an early important sponsor and tipped Kamahl £10 at an Adelaide 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 Australia Hotel in Sydney. After that season, he boarded with the Murdochs for two years. Kamahl was a finalist in the Sydney Eisteddfod Sun Aria in 1966 singing Verdi's "Ella giammai m'amò" and Mussorgsky's "Farewell and Death of Boris".

Kamahl co-wrote and sang the theme song for a feature film, Journey Out of Darkness, made through the services of Supreme Sound Studios in Paddington, Sydney, and filmed in Orange, New South Wales. He also appeared in the film, acting as an Aboriginal Australian.

He has performed at the London Palladium and Carnegie Hall 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.

Kamahl presents a cheque for the World Wildlife Fund to Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, 1975

In 1975, his single, "The Elephant Song", (composed and produced by Hans van Hemert) reached number one on the Dutch Top 40, the Nationale Hitparade (currently Single Top 100) 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.

He has been in the Australian music industry over for fifty years and during 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.

In 2005, he has made appearances as a judge on The X-Factor and has a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola. On 19 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.

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 recent[when?] years, Kamahl has released albums through ABC Music. A compilation Christmas album entitled Peace On Earth, and a three-CD collection of favourites entitled Heart and Soul: For Lovers Of Life.

Television appearances

Kamahl on Dutch television, 1977

In 1988, Kamahl appeared in a television commercial for Dilmah tea. In 2007, he made commercials for the Australian cable channel Fox8, advertising its WWE programming.

In 2009, he criticised the Australian TV show Hey Hey It's Saturday 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. In April 2021, the former compere Daryl Somers wrote a lengthy apology to Kamahl and to those who found the show's content offensive.

Kamahl appeared in an episode of the Australian TV quiz show Spicks and Specks, first broadcast on 8 September 2010.

In 2012, Kamahl made appearances in Prime's show The Unbelievable Truth. In May 2013, an Australian drama, Offspring, broadcast an episode which had Kamahl in a minor role as a medical specialist.

Personal life

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." They have two children, Rajan (born c. 1969) and Rani (born c. 1971). 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.

Discography

In 1985, the Chicago Tribune reported Kamahl as having sold "more than 20 million records worldwide" and "76 gold and 14 platinum records". In a 2007 press release, Kamahl's records were said to have achieved gold and platinum status over 80 times. In 2018, Port News reported Kamahl as having recorded more than 30 albums and earned "more than 100 gold and platinum records".

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
Certification
AUS
NED
NZ
SWE
A Voice to Remember
  • Released: 1967
  • Label: Philips (PDS 285)
Dreams of Love
  • Released: 1969
  • Label: Philips (PDS 308)
7
Sounds of Kamahl
  • Released: September 1970
  • Label: Philips (PDS 345)
13
Peace on Earth
  • Released: 1970
  • Label: Philips (6830 045)
  • Note: Christmas album
Kamahl
  • Released: October 1971
  • Label: Philips (6830 077)
40 1
  • NZ: 3× Platinum
Friend
  • Released: 1973
  • Label: Philips (6357 013)
I Think of You
  • Released: 1973
  • Label: Philips (6357 014)
Encore
  • Released: May 1975
  • Label: Philips (6357 022)
35
Let It Be Me
  • Released: June 1975
  • Label: Philips (6357 024)
69
The Elephant Song
  • Released: July 1975
  • Label: Philips (6357 029)
1 3
If I Give My Heart to You
  • Released: 1975
  • Label: Philips (6357 030)
Christmas with Kamahl
  • Released: December 1975
  • Label: Philips (6357 035)
  • Note: Christmas album
6
Save the Oceans
  • Released: May 1976
  • Label: Philips (6357 040)
2
Lovin' Kind
  • Released: May 1977
  • Label: Philips (6357 046)
61
Love Is a Beautiful Song
  • Released: December 1977
  • Label: Philips (6357 051)
65
Portrait of My Love
  • Released: May 1978
  • Label: Philips (6357 053)
80
Smile
  • Released: March 1979
  • Label: Philips (6357 060)
3
She Believes in Me
  • Released: December 1979
  • Label: Philips (6357 066)
99
Treat Her Like a Lady
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Philips (6437 125)
Somebody Loves You
  • Released: April 1982
  • Label: Philips / Mercury (6437 145)
4
This Love We Share
  • Released: 1983
  • Label: Attic (LAT 1180)
Love United
  • Released: 1984
  • Label: Attic (LAT 1203)
You Are Everything
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Festival (L-38478)
Precious Words and Soothing Songs
  • Released: May 1990
  • Label: Dino Music (DIN133)
28
Anything for Love
  • Released: May 1993
  • Label: Dino Music (DIN249D)
30
How Great Thou Art
  • Released: 2013
  • Label: Southern Cross Music (SCMO7)

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS
NZ
SWE
Kamahl in London
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Philips (6357 006)
Kamahl at the Opera House
  • Released: May 1974
  • Label: Philips (6499 983)
16 38
Live at Carnegie Hall
  • Released: November 1976
  • Label: Philips (9286 493)
19 16
Kamahl on Tour
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Philips
17

Charting compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
Certification
AUS
NED
NZ
Chanson D'Amour
  • Released: November 1975 {The Netherlands}
  • Label: Philips (6357 036)
9
You Bring Out the Best
  • Released: 1980
  • Label: Philips (6603 001)
79
  • AUS: Platinum
20 Greatest Hits
  • Released: April 1982 {New Zealand}
  • Label:
17
Always on My Mind
  • Released: November 1982
  • Label: J & B Records (JB-120)
48
This Love We Share
  • Released: May 1984
  • Label: Festival RML (52045)
17
Miracles and Old Toy Trains
  • Released: November 1984
  • Label: Festival RML (51002)
70
25th Anniversary Album
  • Released: May 1992
  • Label: Dino Music (DIN203)
9
The Elephant Song – Zijn 18 mooiste songs
  • Released: October 1992
  • Label: Quality Entertainment (QCD 92027)
45
The Ultimate Collection
  • Released: November 1996
  • Label: Dino Music (DIN203)
34

Charting singles

Year Single Peak chart
positions
AUS
BEL
NED
NZ
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" data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — 26 20
"White Christmas" data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — 10
1976 "Save the Oceans of the World" data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — 14
1978 "What Would I Do Without My Music" data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — 32
1980 "Save the Whale" data-sort-value="" style="background: #ececec; color: #2C2C2C; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-na" | — 24
1981 "Before You There Was Nothing" 96
"Hey There Lord" 100

Notes

  1. ^ Kamahl peaked at number 1 in NZ in 1978

Awards and recognition

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.

Mo Awards

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.

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

This page was last updated at 2023-11-30 13:38 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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