Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Sound of Music 仙樂飄飄處處聞

The Sound of Music 仙樂飄飄處處聞










Do-Re-Mi (Maria And The Children) Lyrics

Do-Re-Mi

Let's start at the very beginning
A very good place to start
When you read you begin with A B C
When you sing you begin with Do Re Mi
Do Re Mi, Do Re Mi
The first three notes just happen to be
Do Re Mi, Do Re Mi
Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti
Let's see if I can make it easier

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a longer way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow So
Tea, I drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do,Do Do Do

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a longer way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow so
Tea, I drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a longer way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow so
Tea, I drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do, So Do

Now children, Do Re Mi Fa So and so on
Are only the tools we use to build a song
Once you have these notes in your heads
You can sing a million different tunes by mixing them up
Like this

So Do La Fa Mi Do Re
Can you do that?
So Do La Fa Mi Do Re
So Do La Ti Do Re Do
So Do La Ti Do Re Do
Now, put it all together

So Do La Fa Mi Do Re
So Do La Ti Do Re Do
Good
But it doesn't mean anything
So we put in words
One word for every note, like this

When you know the notes to sing
You can sing most anything
Together
When you know the notes to sing
You can sing most anything

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a longer way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow So
Tea, I drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do
Do Ti La So Fa Mi Re
Do Mi Mi
Mi So So
Re Fa Fa
La Ti Ti
Do Mi Mi
Mi So So
Re Fa Fa
La Ti Ti

When you know the notes to sing
You can sing most anything

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a longer way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow So
Tea, I drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to

So Do La Fa Mi Do Re
So Do La Fa
La So Fa Mi Re
Ti Do
So Do

Songwriters
Oscar Hammerstein Ii;Richard Rodgers

Do-Re-Mi


Do-Re-Mi
Maria And The Children
in the file The Sound of Music 



















The Lonely Goatherd - The Sound Of Music, Sung by Julie Andrews as Wonderful Original Maria









The Lonely Goatherd 
Maria and The Children in The Sound Of Music

Maria:
High on a hill was a lonely goatherd  Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Folks in a town that was quite remote heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Lusty and clear from the goatherd's throat heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

the Children:
O ho lay dee odl lee o, o ho lay dee odl ay
O ho lay dee odl lee o, lay dee odl lee o lay

Maria:
A prince on the bridge of a castle moat heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
Kurt:
Men on a road with a load to tote heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

the Children:
Men in the midst of a table d'hote heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo

Maria:
Men drinking beer with the foam afloat heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

One little girl in a pale pink coat heard Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo

Brigitta:
She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Maria:
Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard   Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo
What a duet for a girl and goatherd

Maria and the Children:
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Maria and the Children:
Ummm (ummm) . . .
Odl lay ee (odl lay ee)
Odl lay hee hee (odl lay hee hee)
Odl lay ee . . .
. . . yodeling . . .

Child:
One little girl in a pale pink coat heard

Maria:
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hoo hoo
Child:
She yodeled back to the lonely goatherd
Maria:
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Maria:
Soon her Mama with a gleaming gloat heard
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hmm hmm
What a duet for a girl and goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Maria and the Children:
Happy are they lay dee olay dee lee o . . .
. . . yodeling . . .
Soon the duet will become a trio
Maria:
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo

Maria and the Children:
Odl lay ee, old lay ee
Odl lay hee hee, odl lay ee
Odl lay odl lay, odl lay odl lee, odl lay odl lee
Odl lay odl lay odl lay

the Children:
HOO!




The Lonely Goatherd 

The Lonely Goatherd 
Maria and The Children in The Sound Of Music






ttttt

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Sing Sing SO

Sing Sing SO


"A Sing Sing So " is an Indonesian folk song that for decades echoed among songs of Batak people, from classic to pop and now the melody echoed in many Chinese songs and music.
What magic "A Sing Sing So" has in capturing the hearts of the Batak peoples and the Chinese people?  Its a song with a melody  from the dept of one heart  to dept of another hearts.




Gordon Tobing
(1925-1993) is an legendary musician and singer of Indonesian. He popularized the song "Sing Sing So" and many other Batak folk song in Indonesia and overseas.





















1970s Gordon sang in the 70s the melancholic song : Sing-Sing So - by Gordon Tobing                                                                                       
2010 Indobesian day group sing it  from  hearts :  Asing Sing So -  by Trio Ambisi
Asing Sing So
Trio Ambisi
2010 Indobesian day group sing it  from  hearts :  Asing Sing So -  by Trio Ambisi
1982 This is Chinese's favorite "Asing Sing So "  :  船歌 星星索 (Live) 鄧麗君
星星索 鄧麗君 
1982 This is Chinese's favorite "Asing Sing So "  :  船歌 星星索 (Live) 鄧麗君 
2010s Melody from the Chinese instrument : 星星索 Sing Sing So 葫蘆絲 山寨情歌
星星索
葫蘆絲
2010s Melody from the Chinese instrument : 星星索 Sing Sing So 葫蘆絲 山寨情歌
































Sing Sing So and BUTET

Gordon populated these Batak song  in his home land Indonesia and to the overseas and with his golden voice in the 1950s, 60s. http://archive.org/details/gordon_103

Gordon Tobing once said: "I can sing many folk songs from many countries, only Arabic song from Nigeria that I can not sing".  

Wednesday 13th of 1993 this great musician and singer RIP went RIP dramatically without leaving any message. The night before, Tuesday, he was still watching his favorite show from the TV . Suddenly he complained to his wife of chest pain. With that, Gordon breathed his last breath in the arms of his beloved wife Theresia Hutabarat.

Gordon Tobing during his life time servicing as an people-ambassador introducing Indonesian folk songs to the rest of the world. He established a close tie with the local Indonesian Chinese folk songs lovers. They sing together. They sang "Sing Sing So" and "BUTET" and several others. 

In 1953 and 1953 Gordon Tobing together with local Indonesian Chinese Zhou Caiying 周彩英 presented "BUTET" in the World Youth Festival and received great applaud from youth around the world. 
In 1959 and 1960 Indonesia-China friendship cultural delegation visit to China, Zhou Caiying 周彩英 also solo of this "BUTET" folk.

Era has changed, but the  few Batak songs populated by Gordon to the Chinese are never forgotten.
In 2010, thousand of Asian athletics gathered in China for the 16th Asian Games. After the week long of competition, all gathered for the last time in closing ceremony. And in the mood of farewell, is the echo from stage performers the lyrics, melody and rhythm of this melancholic song "Sing Sing So". (see video above)





Sunday, September 22, 2013

Pulau Bali《巴厘島》

That night a queen sang for me. 

It was in 2009 at the Multi purposes Hall Calvary Church of Tawau Town in Malaysia. She said to all the audiences "I sing for all of you". She went on to sing several Mandarin oldies of the 1950 and 1960 including Bengawan Solo and Bali Island. She is non other then the 低音歌后潘秀瓊 the queen of bass singers.


Pan Xiuqiong has outstanding bass voice (low voice). She became popular in among the Oversea Chinese at the age of 18 in the 1950s with her hit 《情人的眼泪》"lover's tears"At a young age she sign contact with EMI company of Hong Kong to produce two records per year. That was 50 years ago. Today she is still singing. She sang behind movie films a few times. In the 1950-1960 She was one the 5 Singing Queens of the Chinese. (Other 4: 顧媚Gu Mei, 崔萍CUI Ping, 靜婷Jing Ting, 潘迪華Rebecca Pan)

Pan XiuQiong潘秀瓊 Poon Sow Keng
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/


Her classic includes "Green Island Serenade绿岛小夜曲", "Bengawan Solo梭罗河之恋," "I Hate You小亲亲", "Don't need a match maker何必旁人来说媒" and "Back Home回娘家" .

Being spending her childhood in Malaysia and Singapore, Pan XiuQiong grew up closely with the musical influence of  Indonesia. And when she went on stage to charm her audiences with her magnetic low tone, she introduced the Kronchong  music to her song lovers.  She was the first Chinese to popularized two Indonesian songs as early as in the 1950. After her,  several well know  singers contributed there version and singing style of the two well know Indonesian songs. The Kronchong songs are Pulau Bali and Bengawan Solo.


《巴厘島》Pulau Bali (Bali Island) was a household favorite in Chinese society. Since Pan Xiuqiong first recorded the song in 1957 in Hong Kong, many singers in Hong Kong and Taiwan follow to contributed their own versions of the song.
  


《巴厘島》Pulau Bali


歌曲:巴厘島
所屬專輯:經典金曲 第一輯
演唱者: 潘秀瓊

http://www.xiami.com/song











潘秀瓊 - 巴厘島
﹝印尼民謠﹞作詞:方忭
中文原唱者為潘秀瓊

你可曾聽說有個巴厘島,就在那印度尼西亞,
那島上風景美麗如圖畫,誰都會深深愛上它。

只要你一朝來到巴厘島,走向那山隈又水涯,
就彷彿世外桃源安樂鄉,誰不會輕易離開它。

島上的女兒家,個個是秀麗艷如花,
她舞蹈又歌唱,那歌聲美妙舞態多風雅。

你可曾聽說有個巴厘島,就在那印度尼西亞,
那島上風景美麗如圖畫,誰都會深深愛上它。








Pulau Bali  sung by : Waljinah
Pulau Bali  sung by : Waljinah
Let us sing-alone with Waljinah

Waljinah is a  famous singer of traditional Javanese songs.
PULAU BALI by WAJINAH - LANGGAM JAWA
Waljinah is a  famous singer of traditional Javanese songs. Her “Walang Kekek” made her well known among the Javanese.
She also co-singing with  top Indonesian artists including Didi Kempot, Gesang, Puspa.
Her voice is heard on the radio every day and appear on television.
Her recorded 1500 over songs ranging from traditional singing to popular songs and  kroncong music.


Pulau Bali sung by : Waljinah

Pulau Bali pulau kesenian
Tempat penghiburan hati
Disana banyak kebudayaan Indonesia yang asli

Pulau Bali dengan dariannya
Yang disertai nyanyian sudah termashyur

Di seluruh dunia pun sangatiah digemarkang
Banyak kaum pelancong yang datang
Mengunjungi pulau Bali

Untuk menyaksikan keindahan
Pemandangan alam murni

Pulau Bali pulau Mahajaya
Kebanggaan Indonesia
Berkat peninggalan purbakala
Termashyur slama lamanya

Pulau Bali pulau Mahajaya
Kebanggaan Indonesia
Berkat peninggalan purbakala
Termashyur slama lamanya


"你可曾聽過有個巴厘島,就在那印度尼西亞。 。 。"
很小的時候就听過這首歌。一直以來對巴厘島的認識都不多。印像中那是一個神秘的國度。有著美麗的沙灘和等待自己男人捕魚回來的女人。
很多朋友都去過了巴厘島。每個人回來之後都會說巴厘島多美、多好玩。就連我爸媽都去過了。趁著亞航機票促銷,我一定也要去啦!
Somewhere In Heaven http://www.pazuzushot.com 




紫薇 Zi Wei
峇厘島 紫薇
峇厘島 紫薇 經典金曲20 第二輯

紫薇 Zi Wei
Country : China
櫻花 Sakura Teng
巴厘島 櫻花
巴厘島 櫻花 經典匯集

 櫻花 Sakura Teng
Country : Singapore
陳盈潔 Chen Yingjie
峇里島 陳盈潔
峇里島 陳盈潔 梅蘭竹菊之梅系列

陳盈潔 Chen Yingjie -
Country : Taiwan, China

峇里島 區瑞強 發燒人聲測試典範2
峇里島 區瑞強
峇里島 區瑞強 發燒人聲測試典範2
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/

區瑞強  Albert Au 1955 -
Country : Hong Kong, China

劉雅麗 Alice Lau
峇里島 劉雅麗
峇里島 劉雅麗 約會2 Cha Cha
http://www.alicelau.com/html/index.html

劉雅麗 Alice Lau  1969 -
Country : Hong Kong





"Forget Me Not"

 This is a 120 page Chinese biography of Pan Xiuqiong "Forget Me Not". In her book about her life are collection of photographs of many singers.  Her biography gave the fans a more comprehensive knowledge of her singer career.


Pan Xiuqiong was born in Macau, moved to Malaysia as a child, later moved to Singapore to record her albums. From Singapore she was head-hunted by EMI Hong Kong to stay in  Hong Kong for 10 years. Back to Singapore she was singing instructor in TV programmes and program of production.


In the book she thanked her mentor Yao Min 姚敏  for encouraging her in musical creation. And mentioned how Yao Li 姚莉 gave her spiritual support after her divorce. And how Yao Li cared by her sick bedside when she was sick. There are several little known stories about her friendship with Teresa Then 鄧麗君. With out this book we would not know more about this Song Queen's 50 years of career in the Chinese musical world.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Bengawan Solo 梭羅河之戀 Solo River

Bengawan Solo
- Solo River of Java

...........While Bengawan Solo flows slowly to the sea, Gesang's melody found it way to our hearts............



"Any one came from Indonesia ?" Pan Xiuqiong, standing on the stage, browsed among the 1000 over Chinese audient and asked.

No Chinese in Tawau Town wants to be known of being migrated from Indonesia, at least not in front the public in an occasion like this.  It was a bitter past in Indonesia that they tried to forget. After a short silent, a church group leader among the audient talked out loud to Pan "Yes, we have many came from Indonesia"

Pan Xiuqiong looked pleased and continued to say:
"Indonesia has a beautiful river, Solo River. Tonight I am going to sing for you 梭羅河之戀 (Romance over the Solo River)".

With her deep and low female voice she sang to us "梭羅河之戀 " The Mandarin Chinese version of "Bengawan Solo".


梭羅河之戀  made her well-known as  a hit in 1960-1970 in Malaysia. I was a student then and Pan was about 10 years my senior. We were of the same age group of the last century. Tonight (2009) she appear personally in front of us on the stage, and recaptures the hearts of many elderly who once grew up under the melody of her song first broadcast over the radios in the 1960s. Today at age of 70 over, her low vocal is as magnetic as in 1960s.  We called her the “Queen of Alto”低音歌后潘秀瓊.


梭羅河之戀
Bengawan Solo

歌曲:梭羅河之戀 Bengawan Solo
所屬專輯:百代千禧世紀精選系列
演唱者: 潘秀瓊 Pan Xiuqiong
http://www.xiami.com/song/1769605408?comefrom=sogou



我愛梭羅河,美麗像畫一樣,
風帆一片片,在水上不斷地來又往。
我愛梭羅河,彷彿是在夢鄉,
椰樹一行行,在風中不停地搖又晃。
一陣陣晚風吹送、吹送,河面上吹起綠潮浪,
一雙雙情侶徘徊、徘徊,徘徊在長堤上.
我愛梭羅河,永遠不改模樣
只有舊情郎,他不再偎依在我身旁。



Pan Xiuqiong 潘秀瓊 Poon Sow Keng 

Pan Xiuqiong was born in Macau and grew up in Malaysia and Singapore. At 8 Year-old she was the second in a children's singing competition. At twelve-year-old she went on stage and at the age of eighteen, she became a singer.

Her peak period was between 1957 to 1967. Her best songs were launched during that period.Pan's voice is low and often give listeners an unexpected turn in the song. This is her most prominent feature. 

At that time in the 1950s and 1960s, EMI has very few South East Asian singer like Pan. Pan's selections on songs with tropical Southeast Asia flavor it is a great wonderful contribution to her song lovers.

Bengawan Solo was one of the favorite tropical Asian team in those decades. Many Malaysian came to know about a beatiful Bali Island through Pan's song 峇厘島 (Bali) .
Pan XiuQiong  is known among Malaysian Chinese as the “Queen of Alto”低音歌后潘秀瓊. She popularized two Indonesian songs :
1) 峇厘島 (Bali)
2) 梭羅河之戀 (Bengawan Solo).


In 2009 she gave a concert in the hall of Calvary Church in Tawau Town. I was among the thousand audian that night.

















Gesang Martohartono
October 1, 1917 - May 20, 2010 
Age 92


Gesang Martohartono was born in Surakarta, Central Java, October 1, 1917 and RIP in the same town May 20, 2010 at the age of 92 years.

Gesang was a Keroncong singer and songwriter from Indonesia. Known as the "Maestro Keroncong Indonesia" (Master of Indonesian Keroncong Music). Self-made musician, yet in the decades following, his "Bengawan Solo" became internationally well-known. However he was less known except among the Indonesian and old generation of Japanese.

Gesang's name as a boy was Sutadi. The young and weak Sutadi was often sick at home while his brother Mas Yaid was fond of outdoor sports like football. After a serious fever that almost took his life, the father, Martodihardjo, decided to replaced his old name Sutadi with a new name Gesang.  In  Java language, "Gesang" mean "Long Life". His father made a right choice of this new appropriate name for him.

Gesang lived a healthy life to the extend that he made his last recording "Bengawan Solo" at the age of 85 in year 2002. Making him one of the oldest recording singers in Asia. Gesang went on to leave for another 8 years to Rest-In-Peace in 2010 at the age of 92.

"Bengawan Solo" was composed in 1940, when he was 23 years old. The then young Gesang often sit beside the bank of the Solo River. Amazed and inspired by the river, 6 months later he completed a lyric with a Keroncong tunes which he himself at that time was not aware that in decades to come this tune would echo the world over with more then 10 languages.

Gesang father's batik fabric factory went bankrupt after Gesang finished elementary school.  In difficulties he grew up and became a lifelong singer of "Kerongcong"  music originating from Portuguese songs.

Could not read and write musical notation, the young man composed "Bengawan Solo" in his mind and play out the melody on a bamboo flute. At first he sang  the song at local wedding parties and social functions. One day a local radio station asked him to broadcast his song, this mark the beginning of "Bengawan Solo" nationwide popularity.


This Indonesian song 'Bengawan Solo' lyric has been translated into more then 10 languages ​​(including English, Chinese, and Japanese).  This is the story the song trying to tell :
"Bengawan Solo, this is a song of your history. People have been fascinated with this great river since ancient times, Around the source of the Solo River, there are a thousand mountains, and the river flows all the way to the sea. There are always many merchants on board ships going up and down the river. These ships also show your history."

While the lyric has been translated from the orignal Indonesian to more than 10 languages, the melody of Bengawan Solo by now has been disfused in hundreds of musical team around the world. 

Indonesian classic kroncong composer Gesang Martohartono lived at Village Road Bedoyo Kemlayan, Serengan, Solo City with nephew and his family, having previously lived in Surakarta in 1984 for 20 years. He has split with his wife in 1962 choosing to live alone. He did not have children.


The Indonesian called him Mbah Gesang (Uncle Gesang)

Some of Mbah Gesang songs:
1) Keroncong Wheel World,
2) Red Bridge,
3) farewell (Indonesian version popularized by Broery Pesulima),
4) Caping Mount,
5) Aja Lamis,
6) Keroncong the orphanage, and
7) Handkerchief











Bengawan Solo
Bengawan Solo
Bengawan Solo
歌手: Gesang / Waldjinah
Gesang - Keroncong Asli
Bengawan Solo.mp3 (7.1MB)




Gesang recorded his voice at age of 85 years in a tape  titled Original Keroncong Gesang produced by PT Gema Nada Pertiwi (GMP) Jakarta, September 2002.
  
Bengawan Solo
Sang by the original composer Gesang Martohartono 

Original wording composed by Gesang Martohartono in 1940:

Bengawan Solo, riwayat mu ini 
Sedari dulu, jadi perhatian insani 
Music kemarau, tak berapa airmu
Di musim hujan air meluap sampai jauh

Chorus:
Mata airmu dari Solo, 
Terkurung gunung seribu
Air mengalir sampai jauh
Akhirnya kelaut

Itu perahu, riwayatnya dulu
Kaum pedagang selalu
Naik itu perahu




Statue of Gesang Martohartono

In the city of Solo, Gesang Martohartono's bronze status looks over the gently flowing Bengawan Solo (Solo River).

This is the statue of the famous Indonesian singer-songwriter Gesang, composed the celebrated Indonesian melody "Bengawan Solo" during World War II -- when the country was under Japanese occupation.



In Tokyo, Nobuo Ikegami, age 90 by now, recalls the tune. "This song always set my mind at ease. I memorized the melody as local residents crooned the tune so often."
Ikegami serves as vice president of the "Japan Gesang Fund Association" which promoted the erection of  a statue for Gesang.

Together with other Japanese veterans the  "Japan Gesang Fund Association" erected Gesang' s statue in October 1991 as a token of their appreciation.


Statue of a local Indonesian singer from former Japanese conquerors........ the story must be more then just a melody from a river.

After that 2009 evening with Pan's Chinese version Bengawan Solo, I began to Google for detail of the source of this melody.

Most Chinese lover of Bengawan Lovers like me  thought the song must be an  old Indonesian Folk song. Result from Google gave to my surprise, the song writer Gesang Martohartomo is very much alive and still singing. A melody that I love so much in the 1970s,  where as only until 2009 (30 years later) that  I learned of it original composer still living and singing  at his home town beside the Solo River yet unknown to the Chinese. The Chinese Bengawan Solo lovers owe much to the credibility of Gesang. (Thanks to Internet and Google)





In 1940 the young, destitute and untrained  singer Geseng  composed this  song on a bamboo flute and began to sing it at local functions and gatherings in his hometown of Surakarta.

In 1942, Japanese troops entered Indonesia,  Bengawan Solo captured their hearts.

In 1945 Second World War ended. The Japanese, who occupied Indonesia during World War II, brought the song with them to Japan after returning from the war. Back in Japan  the lyrics translated to Japanese and gained great popularity after various singers such as Toshi Matsuda released recorded versions of it which became best-sellers. The song has become almost synonymous with the perception of Indonesian music in Japan.
In 1991, a group of appreciative Japanese war veterans of "Japan Gesang Fund Association" arranged for a statue of Martohartono to be erected in a park in Surakarta.


06 ブンガワン・ソロ  美空ひばり  HIBARI SINGS FOLK SONGS AROUND THE WORLD
06 ブンガワン・ソロ
美空ひばり
HIBARI SINGS 
歌曲来源: http://pan.baidu.com/share/link?shareid
歌手: 美空ひばり Hibari Misora
所属专辑:《HIBARI SINGS FOLK SONGS AROUND THE WORLD》

ブンガワン・ソロ
Bengawan Solo in Japanese

Hibari Misora 美空ひばり  is a well-known enka singer in Japan.Her voice encapsulate the emotional pulse of Japan. She sing folk style (yuri) koboshi (wavering) and Latin and jazz






INSIDE A DETAINMENT CAMP - where bitter memories difficult to forget


In 1999 ?,  a  Dutch author Rudy Kausbroek, 70, was giving a lecture at Waseda University, Japan on his bitter experience at the Si Rengo Rengo camp, Indonesia during World War 2.
After Rudy Kausbroek finished his lecture,  an elderly Japanese man approached him:

"I was your camp commander...If you have a grudge against the Japanese, hit me in the face first." The Japanese old man said to him in Indonesian language.

That Japanese old man is non other then Ikegami the former commander of  the detainment camp for Dutch civilians in the remote village of Si Rengo Rengo in Indonesia. The one who responsible for the bitter experience of Rudy Kausbroek 50 over years ago. The packed audience in the University hall froze in silence.

"No," Kausbroek, the author, quietly replied in Indonesian. 
"Really?" Ikegami, the former commander asked in Indonesian
"No. He did not do any evil deeds toward us." Kausbroek turned to the audience and told them. 


This historic encounter took place in Tokyo Sept. 11, 1999 ?. Ikegami and Kausbroek met for the first time in 53 years after the War ended.
Kausbroke was visiting Tokyo to mark his book' s publication in Japanese and lecture in a University hall where this  former prisoner-of-war was met by his prison-commander.

It was in the final days of the war.
Kausbroek, who was born and grew up in Sumatra, was detained at the camp for about three years as a teenager along with his Dutch father.
Ikegami was a Japanese university student-turned-officer and served as commander of a detainment camp for Dutch civilians in the remote village of Si Rengo Rengo in Sumatra.
After the conflict ended, Ikegami  was detained as a war crime suspect because of his position as camp commander but was eventually released thanks to a witness, the late Dutch journalist Albert Besnard.

Ikegami told Kyodo News :
"I never expected to meet a former Dutch detainee more than half a century after the war.
"When I was appointed camp commander, I was prepared to give up my life at any time. Regrettably, scores of detainees died at the camp while I was the commander."
News Source : Kyodo News 1999 


OUTSIDE A DETAINMENT CAMP - where the soft flowing river inspired a melody




FROM A DETAINMENT CAMP - where this melody brought out to the rest of the world






Monday, September 2, 2013

Dr. Joseph Wolf

Joseph Wolf
Dr. Wolf's clinic : 878 Jalan  Kuhara Batu 2 3/4 91000 Tawau Tawau Sabah 91000 Malaysia, Tawau, Negeri Sabah, 91000

Dr. Wolf's clinic was at Jalan Kuhara, less then a kilometer down the road where we stay at that time in 1988-2000. I never been to his clinic but my wife and son did.

In 1988 my family moved to settle down in Tawau. Xing, the son, at that time was in nursery school and constantly cough at nigh since baby in Paraguay and has seen several doctors in Paraguay but with no improvement. So when we were back to Malaysia, among the first things I did was to look for a good doctor for children. Shortly we settled in or rented house in Jalan Durian, I shared my worry of my son's persistent illness with a local friend and asked who was the best doctor for children in Tawau. She without hesitation said "Dr. Wolf a very very old German doctor just not too far down the main road".  She offered to bring Shirley and Xing immediately that same day with her car.

Shirley brought Xing a few couple other times. This was how Dr. Wolf came connected into the health of our family. He was almost 85 year old.

One day after returning from seeing Dr. Wolf, my wife related an incident in the clinic : Dr. Wolf was searching and searching for his pen and said "...O! why I keep on forgetting things?.........."  Finally he found it.  This was only a normal incident, but I remember they said DR. was very old and now he has difficulty in where he put his pen. I took this seriously.   A couple of years, I read from a condolent from local news paper that Dr. Wolf has RIP.
He attended to the illness of my son several times. But I never had a chance too meet him or see him as a patient.

Dr. Wolf has a bronze name plat on the front fence of his house. This was how I know where he live. Otherwise we knew very little about the  life of  him except he has been servicing in this little town of Tawau for as long as the local people could remember.

In 2010, many years after he passed away, I came across his published biography "Old doctors never fade away: the life of Dr. Joseph Wolf of Tawau"



Still Winning Accolades In Medicine At 82 :  http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid


.......continue