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Kandiah Kamalesvaran (; born 13 November 1934), better known by his stage name Kamahl, is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. He has been in the Australian music industry over for 70 years and has made some memorable TV and film appearances, as well as concerts. He has sold over 20 million records and recorded more than 30 album. His highest-charting Australian single, "Sounds of Goodbye" (1969), reached the top 20 on the
Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music historian David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 19 ...
singles chart. Another single, "
The Elephant Song ''The Elephant Song'' is a Canadian stage play by Nicolas Billon, first presented in 2002 and since performed across Canada and around the world. There is also a film adaptation of the play, released in 2014. History ''The Elephant Song'', by Can ...
" (1975), peaked at number one in both
the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
.


Early life

Kamahl was born on 13 November 1934 in the
Brickfields A brickfield is an open site where bricks are made. Place names are often formed from the word. Brickfield, Brickfields, or Brickfielder may also refer to: Australia * Brickfielder, an arid wind * Brickfield Hill, an area of Sydney * Brickfields ...
district of
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...
,
Federated Malay States The Federated Malay States (FMS, , Jawi script, Jawi: ) was a federation of four protectorate, protected states in the Malay Peninsula — Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang — established in 1895 by the British government, and whi ...
to Ceylonese Tamil and
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
parents, the second eldest of six children. Kamahl's father, a chief clerk in the engineering dept. of Malaya Railways had migrated from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to Malaya in 1919. From 1936-1938 the young Kamahl lived with his mother in her hometown of Jaffna in Ceylon, then returning to KL where he grew up until attending school at King's College in Adelaide, South Australia, 1953-1955. His father was head of the local Tamil music school. Kamahl studied at the
Victoria Institution The Victoria Institution is the oldest secondary school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a memorial school, so-called because it was partly funded by public subscription intended for the erection of a permanent memorial to commemorate the Golden ...
. He suffered sexual abuse in his childhood by three different adults. He lived through the
Japanese occupation of Malaya Malaya, then under British administration,, was gradually occupied by Japanese forces between 8 December 1941 and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 15 February 1942. The Japanese remained in occupation until their surrender to the Allie ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. He arrived in
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, South Australia, in April 1953, and finished high school at King's College. He then enrolled at the
University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...
, studying
architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
to please his parents.


Music career

Kamahl developed an interest in singing at university. He went on the television talent program ''
Australia's Amateur Hour ''Australia's Amateur Hour'' was a talent quest, broadcast on Australian AM radio from 1940 to 1958, and a television spinoff, which ran for less than a year, 1957–1958. The radio program began on Sydney's 2UW, compered by Harry Dearth, foll ...
'' and won the state final which led to further television and club engagements. He dropped out of his architecture course and became a full-time entertainer. He also studied at the
Elder Conservatorium of Music The Elder Conservatorium of Music, also known as "The Con", is located in the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and is named in honour of its benefactor, Sir Thomas Elder (1818–1897). Dating in its earliest form from 1883 ...
for a year. At his early public performances, from 1958, he shortened his name to Kamal. Successive
masters of ceremonies DJ Pied Piper and the Masters of Ceremonies were a UK garage collaboration between producer and DJ Pied Piper and the MCs DT (responsible for the line "we're loving it, loving it, loving it"), Melody, Sharky P and the Unknown MC (Kamanchi Sl ...
announced him as "
camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
", so he changed its spelling to Kamahl.
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian - American retired business magnate, investor, and media mogul. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of List of assets owned by News Corp, local, national, a ...
was an early important sponsor, and tipped Kamahl £10 at a party 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 The Australia Hotel was a hotel on Castlereagh Street, Sydney, Australia. From its opening in 1891 until its closure on 30 June 1971 and subsequent demolition, the hotel was considered "the best-known hotel in Australia", "the premier hotel in S ...
in Sydney. After that season, he boarded with the Murdochs for two years. In 1966, Kamahl was a finalist in the Sydney Eisteddfod Sun Aria, singing
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...
's " Ella giammai m'amò" and
Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (; ; ; – ) was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five (composers), The Five." He was an innovator of Music of Russia, Russian music in the Romantic music, Romantic period and strove to achieve a ...
's " Farewell and Death of Boris". He co-wrote and sang the theme song for the 1967 feature film, '' Journey Out of Darkness'', which he also acted in. He was one of the first people to appear in concert at the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
. He has performed at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...
and
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
as well as
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
s 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 Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
label, but he also recorded on EMI, Mercury, Festival, Dino and Reader's Digest. In 1975, his single, "
The Elephant Song ''The Elephant Song'' is a Canadian stage play by Nicolas Billon, first presented in 2002 and since performed across Canada and around the world. There is also a film adaptation of the play, released in 2014. History ''The Elephant Song'', by Can ...
", composed and produced by
Hans van Hemert Hans van Hemert (7 April 1945 – 7 October 2024) was a Dutch record producer and songwriter. Mouth and MacNeal and Luv' are among the pop acts he produced. He won an ASCAP award for the song "How Do You Do" by Mouth and MacNeal. and composed th ...
, reached number one on the
Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 () is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore radio, offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" ...
, the Nationale Hitparade, currently
Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...
, and the Belgian BRT Top 30. This song was part of the soundtrack of a
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...
TV documentary. In 1978, Billboard reported "The Elephant Song" was the biggest selling single ever in Sweden. In 2004, he appeared at the
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...
rock festival. 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. Kamahl has released albums through
ABC Music ABC Music is Australia's largest independent record label. It operates under the ABC Commercial division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It covers a wide range of music genres, including classical, children’s and adult contempo ...
, a compilation
Christmas album Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of carols, may employ lyrics about the nativity of Je ...
entitled ''Peace On Earth'' (2012), and a three-CD collection of favourites entitled ''Heart and Soul: For Lovers Of Life'' (2015).


Acting and media appearances

Kamahl appeared in the
Adelaide Festival of Arts The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...
plays ''
Moon on a Rainbow Shawl ''Moon on a Rainbow Shawl'' is a 1957 play written by Trinidadian actor-playwright Errol John. Described as "ground-breaking" and "a breakthrough in Britain for black writing," the play has been produced and revived worldwide since its premiere ...
'' in 1961 and ''
Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfo ...
'' in 1963. He also played
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
in a production of ''
Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...
'' and appeared in ''
Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
''. In the 1967 film '' Journey Out of Darkness'', Kamahl played an
Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands. Humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 year ...
. Kamahl was a popular guest on the variety show ''
Hey Hey It's Saturday ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' is a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 28 years on the Nine Network from 9 October 1971 to 20 November 1999, with a recess in 1978. Its host throughout its entire ...
''. In 2009, he criticised the show for its treatment of him during his appearances. His feelings were revealed to the Australian public shortly after
Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling ma ...
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. In 2003, he had cameos in the Australian films ''
Harvie Krumpet ''Harvie Krumpet'' is a 2003 Australian adult stop motion animated tragicomedy short film written, directed and animated by Adam Elliot, and narrated by Geoffrey Rush. It tells the life story of Harvie Krumpet, a Polish-Australian man whose li ...
'' and ''
Fat Pizza ''Fat Pizza'' is a 2003 Australian comedy film based on the ''Pizza'' television series, both of which were created, produced, written and starred in by Paul Fenech. The film's story takes place between seasons two (episode "Desert Pizza") and ...
''. In 2005, he made appearances as a judge on ''
The X-Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
''. In September 2007, he appeared on ''
The Chaser's War on Everything ''The Chaser's War on Everything'' is an Australian television satire, satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television station ABC1. It has won an Australian Film Institute Awards, Australian Film In ...
'' on ABC TV where he sang for a "newly-wed couple" who turned up uninvited at his door. Kamahl appeared in an episode of the Australian TV quiz show '' Spicks and Specks'', first broadcast in September 2010. In 2011, Kamahl made a cameo appearance on ''
Swift and Shift Couriers ''Swift and Shift Couriers'' is an Australian comedy television series that first screened on SBS TV in October 2008. The series is produced, directed and written by Paul Fenech, who was also responsible for the comedy series ''Pizza''. It is s ...
'' as a phone store employee. In 2012, Kamahl made appearances in Prime's show '' The Unbelievable Truth''. In May 2013, the Australian drama, ''
Offspring In biology, offspring are the young creation of living organisms, produced either by sexual reproduction, sexual or asexual reproduction. Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny. This can refer to a set of simultaneous offspring ...
'', broadcast an episode which had Kamahl in a minor role as a medical specialist.


Other work

In 1988, Kamahl appeared in a television commercial for
Dilmah Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC, trading as Dilmah, is a Sri Lankan beverage company that is headquartered in Peliyagoda, Western Province, Sri Lanka. While MJF Teas is the parent company of Dilmah, MJF Holdings is the ultimate parent. The company ...
tea. In 2005, he had a sponsorship deal with
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
. In 2007, he made commercials for the Australian cable channel Fox8, advertising its WWE programming. His biography, ''Kamahl: The Triumph of Hope'', written by Keith Cameron is scheduled to be released on 15 November 2024.


Personal life

In 1967, Kamahl married an
Indo-Fijian Indo-Fijians () are Fijians of South Asian descent whose ancestors were Girmitiyas, indentured labourers. Indo-Fijians trace their ancestry to various regions of the Indian subcontinent. Although Indo-Fijians constituted a majority of Fiji's ...
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 in 1969, and
Rani ''Rani'' () is a female title, equivalent to queen, for royal or princely rulers in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It translates to 'queen' in English. It is also a Sanskrit Hindu feminine given name. The term applies equally to a ...
, born in 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. He cited
social media addiction Problematic social media use refers the use of social media or virtual online community engagement, often excessively, that can lead to negative consequences for the person engaging on social media or their peers. Problems may include impaired ...
as the cause of their separation, telling ''A Current Affair'': "I'm Twittering day and night, and now, I'm paying a terrible price for it." He remained an avid
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
user in the aftermath of his divorce, with the vast majority of his tweets being criticism of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, but has since deleted his account. In 2023, Kamahl first came out against the
Indigenous Voice to Parliament The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, also known as the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the First Nations Voice or simply the Voice, was a proposed Australian federal advisory body to comprise Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal a ...
and then changed his position to support it, leading Australian Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...
to coin the phrase "Kamahl-mentum" referring to a person who "came out and said No and went away, spoke to people, read what it was about, read the question and decided that he would come out and declare his support for Yes." However, in September 2023 Kamahl changed his position once again and ultimately did not support the Voice.


Intimidation charge

In May 2024, Kamahl was charged with "stalking and intimidation" concerning text messages allegedly sent to an unnamed 38-year-old woman, with
NSW Police The New South Wales Police Force is a law enforcement agency of the state of New South Wales, Australia, established in 1862. With more than 17,000 police officers, it is the largest police organisation in Australia, policing an area of 801,60 ...
seeking an
apprehended violence order An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable remed ...
against him as a result. He told Nine News that he had agreed to lend her $2,000 for a business after they had met for dinner and that she agreed to pay him back in $5 instalments. Screenshots of the exchange shared by Nine show the transaction description for the first $5 reading "to the molestor ic, and the message "I just wanted you to know that your behaviour is unacceptable and you're lucky I haven't gone to the authorities", to which Kamahl replied "You are a liar, and a failure, and most of all, an ungrateful bitch. The best is yet to come." Kamahl told Nine that he was "responding to a situation without all of (his) faculties." While stating that the "molestor" remark had inflamed the conflict, Nine, the ABC and ''The Guardian'' also explicitly stated that Kamahl was not being charged with molestation and all emphasised they were not suggesting he was guilty of any such offence. The matter was heard before the Sutherland Local Court in June 2024, where Kamahl's lawyer Bobby Hill made a section 14 application under the ''Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act'' 2020 which would see the charge dismissed on
mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
grounds. Hill told the ABC he wished to have the matter "diverted away from the criminal justice system into the hands of a medical professional... I think (Kamahl) has willingly stated that he was not taking medication at the time. He's an 89-year-old man. I'm sure his mental health and his totality of health is going to be a major feature of these proceedings.". The charge was dismissed in 2024, with a magistrate ruling that the matter should be dealt with on mental health grounds.


Discography

In 1985, the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' 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


Live albums


Charting compilation albums


Charting singles

Notes


Awards and recognition

* 1994 –
Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
* 1998 – Australian Father of the Year award * 2004 – Australian
Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or g ...
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 Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
, Dame
Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s to the 1980s. She possessed a voice ...
, Jack Thompson and
Graham Kennedy Graham Cyril Kennedy Order of Australia, AO (15 February 1934 – 25 May 2005) was an Australian entertainer, comedian and variety performer, radio and television host as well as a personality and actor of theatre, television and film. He wa ...
.


Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards, commonly known informally as the
Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were last awarded in 2016. ...
, 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. (wins only) , - , 1982 , Kamahl , Daily Telegraph Readers Award , , - , 1983 , Kamahl , Daily Telegraph Readers Award , , - , 1984 , Kamahl , Daily Telegraph Readers Award , , -


References


External links


Kamahl's official website


* ttp://huntertv.com.au/2015/01/kamahl-performs-my-home/ Kamahl performing "My Home" in 2015 at the age of 80 in Newcastle, NSW, Australia {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamahl 1934 births Living people Musicians from Adelaide Members of the Order of Australia Tamil musicians Australian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent Australian Hindus Australian pop singers Malaysian people of Indian descent Malaysian Hindus Sri Lankan Tamil musicians Sri Lankan Tamil people Malaysian people of Sri Lankan Tamil descent People educated at Pembroke School, Adelaide Attic Records (Canada) artists Philips Records artists Malaysian emigrants to Australia Australian baritones Musicians from Kuala Lumpur