George de Fretes | |
---|---|
Born | 23 December 1921 Bandung, Dutch East Indies |
Died | 19 November 1981 59) Los Angeles County, California | (aged
Genres | Hawaiian music |
Occupation(s) | Music |
Instrument(s) | Steel guitar |
George de Fretes (1921-1981) 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
De Fretes came from the Maluku Islands, Indonesia and was born 23 December 1921 in Bandung.[1] He was married to Joyce Aubrey and together they had a daughter Wanda, who was born in Bandung, Indonesia in 1946 and became a recording artist, like her musical parents.[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 Mena Moeria Minstrels as their singer. The group was headed by Ming Luhulima.[5] It is believed that de Fretes stowed away on a ship called the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and arrived in the Netherlands around 1958.[6][7][8]
Death
De Fretes 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
De Fretes was a multi instrumentalist. In addition to the steel guitar, he also played guitar, violin, trumpet and saxophone.[12] He became a popular artist in the Netherlands, and like Luhulima, 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". The record also featured Joyce Aubrey and Bill Toma on vocals.[17] In 1966, he joined the Tielman Brothers and went on tour with them. He also recorded an album with Frank Valdor in 1966. Later he left to settle in the United States permanently.[18][19] Around 1970 or 1971, Hula Girl was released on the Eclipse label. This was 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, to receive a posthumous European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame award for her father.[21]
LP Discography
Act | Title | Release info | Year | F | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
George de Fretes | George De Fretes | Decca SLQ 25000 | 10" LP | ||
George de Fretes En Zijn Krontjong-orkest | Indonesian Folklore | Decca XBY 846 519 | LP | ||
George de Fretes | Heimwee Naar Insulinde | Decca | 1988 | CD | German release |
Act | Title | Release info | Year | F | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
George de Fretes & His Royal Hawaiian Minstrels | Hawaiian Paradise | Decca – NP 356 001 | LP | ||
George de Fretes and his Royal Hawaiian Minstrels | Aloha Keakoa | Omega 333 075 | LP | ||
Royal Hawaiian Minstrels O.l.v. George de Fretes met zang van: Wanda, Sita en de Samoa Voices |
Royal Hawaiian Minstrels O.l.v. George de Fretes met zang van: Wanda, Sita en de Samoa Voices |
Iris Records 15042 | LP | ||
George de Fretes And The South-Sea-Melodians | Island In The Sun Hawaiian-Klänge Mit George De Fretes And The South-Sea-Melodians |
Tip 633 147 | LP | Royal Hawaiian Minstrels aka South Sea Melodians | |
The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels Conducted by George de Fretes With The Samoa Voices | Beautiful Hawaii: The Most Beautiful Hawaiian Songs | PMF Records 90 533-2 | 1991 | CD | [22] |
Act | Title | Release info | Year | F | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
George de Fretes En Zijn Suara Istana | Heimwee Naar Insulinde | Decca 625 372 QL | 1976 | LP | [23] |
References
- ↑ Berita Satu 28 August 2014 RRI Ambon Abadikan Musisi George de Fretes Sebagai Nama Auditorium
- ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
- ↑ Indo-Rock-Gallery Wanda & Joyce
- ↑ Eastindonesia.com Wanda & Joyce
- ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
- ↑ The Waikiki Islanders website Rudi Wairata, *1958* *1958*
- ↑ The Fanzine 17.11.15 Turn Down for Everything: An Annotated Playlist - Molly Brodak
- ↑ 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: Archived 12 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ BBC Music, George de Fretes
- ↑ Find A Grave Frits George De Fretes
- ↑ Concertzender.nl Saturday 15 March 2014 23:00 - 00:00 Exitos Musicales, Surata Istana of Krontjong Minstrels led by George De Fretes (repeat).
- ↑ Sam Sam Music George de Fretes and his Royal Hawaiian Minstrels - The Home Recordings Vol.5
- ↑ Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
- ↑ Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance: An Active Approach Page 295
- ↑ Concealment, Maintenance and Renaissance: language and ethnicity in the Moluccan community in The Netherlands Page 24
- ↑ The Waikiki Islanders Rudi Wairata *1950* *1950*
- ↑ University of Hawaii Hawaiian Music Collection, Song Title: Ou' Oelate
- ↑ Bluesharmonica.nl Hawaiian muziek met o.a de Kilima Hawaiians en George de Fretes, DEEL 2: Archived 12 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ The Power Of Indonesia The Tielman Brothers, The greatest Indorock legend
- ↑ BMG; Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar Page 294
- ↑ Pedalpro.co.uk Jan Visser awarded at the CISGF 2010 by Jan Visser and Digby Hardy Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Discogs George de Fretes Discography, Albums
- ↑ Discogs George de Fretes Discography, Albums