Rudi Wairata aka Rudy Wairata(1929/1930 –1981) was an influential Indonesian musician who had fronted the

Mena Moeria Minstrels The Mena Moeria Minstrels were a popular Netherlands based Hawaiian music group. They were made up of mainly Moluccans from the former Dutch East Indies colony. The group was originally led by steel guitarist Rudi Wairata and also featured Joyce ...

and the

Amboina Serenaders The Amboina Serenaders were a successful and popular group that did well in the Netherlands in the 1950s. Its members included Ming Luhulima, Rudi Wairata and Joyce Aubrey, the ex-wife of George de Fretes. They had a top ten hit in the Netherl ...

. Wairata's style of playing was influenced by

Sol Hoʻopiʻi Solomon Hoʻopiʻi Kaʻaiʻai ( ; 1902 – November 16, 1953) was a Native Hawaiian lap steel guitarist. A virtuoso, he was one of the most famous original Hawaiian steel guitarists, along with Joseph Kekuku, Frank Ferera, Sam Ku West and "K ...

and

Andy Iona Andy Iona (born Andrew Aiona Long, January 1, 1902 – November 9, 1966) was an American musician and one of Hawaii's most influential musicians. He was a composer, songwriter, conductor, saxophonist, and steel guitarist. He went to the Kamehameh ...

. Along with

George de Fretes 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. Backgroun ...

he was a prominent musician in the genre of Hawaiian steel guitar music. His song "Rock'n Roll Breezes" may be the first Indo-rock song.

Background

Wairati was born on

Ternate Ternate (), also known as the City of Ternate (; ), is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. It was the ''de facto'' provi ...

, North

Moluccas The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

, as Diederich Gijsbrecht Christo Wairati'', son of Andries Egbert Wairata and Antoinetta Cornelia Meulenaar, on 25 December 1929Biography
at the indo-rock-gallery website. (or 1930 or 1932). He learned to play steel guitar by listening to Sol Ho'opi'i and Andy Iona records. His family moved to

Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

, when he was 11 years of age. There he worked to improve his steel guitar skills while studying, amongst others from

. In 1949, his vocal group, a quartet called the Raindrops, along with the Jos Cleber Orchestra were broadcast on Radio Batavia. In 1950, he obtained a music scholarship for the

Royal Conservatory of The Hague The Royal Conservatoire (, KC) is a conservatoire in The Hague, providing higher education in music and dance. The conservatoire was founded by King William I in 1826, making it the oldest conservatoire in the Netherlands. Since September 2021, t ...

and went to the Netherlands. In 1951, Wairata founded the group the

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. This group featured Joyce Aubrey and

Ming Luhulima Ming Luhulima, also known as Lou Lima was a Netherlands-based recording artist originally from the Maluku Islands, which were part of the Dutch East Indies. He was closely associated with Rudi Wairata during his career. Luhulima was a member of ...

. Having been successful with the Mena Moeria Minstrels, he started the Amboina Serenaders. This group had the same lineup as his previous group, with the addition of a vibraphone-player. In 1957, RCA released "Rock and Roll and Breezes" backed with "Mahalani Papado," credited to Rudi Wairata & His Hawaiian Minstrels. In 1958 Wairata joined the Kilima Hawaiians group. They recorded "Whistling Guitar," which featured Wairata making bird sound effects with his steel guitar. Wairata's Ambonese background was an influence on the sound of the band. The Kilima Hawaiians toured American service bases, after which Wairata remained in Germany.The Waikiki Islander
Rudi Wairata Page 2
/ref> He was replaced by Coy Pereira. He worked in Germany for 13 or 14 years, during which he performed as a solo artist and sometimes with his wife. From 1961 to 1963, he recorded with Das Moana Quartett, a group that featured Ron Wattimena, also known as Ronnie Watti, who in the 1970s would record under the name of Peter Waaldrecht. He also played with the Roberto Delgado orchestra of German Bandleader & Composer Horst Wende for his first & second Blue Hawaii albums in 1965 & 1970. The group had a single and three EPs released in 1961 mostly for the Ariola label. Their last single was "Kaiwahu-Marsch," whose

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

was "On the beach of Waikiki," in 1963.NLDiscografie.n
Das Moana Quartett
/ref> During his time in Germany he recorded three albums. He returned to the Netherlands in 1974, when he formed a recording group called The New Polynesians. Their debut album was issued on the Delta Records label. In 1976, his album ''The Suara Nusantara'' was released on the EMI-Bovema label.

Death

Rudi Wairata died in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

, 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 ...

in 1981.

Rudi Wairata discography

;Singles * Rudy Wairata - "Tia Tato E Tamoure" / "Schöne Südsee Orchidee" - CNR F 388 - (1965)NLDiscografie.n
Rudi Wairata
/ref> ;Albums * Rudi Wairata - ''Rudi Wairata presents with love from the Islands "The Suara Nusantara"'' - EMI-Bovema Holland – 5C 050-25415 - (1976) * Rudi Wairata/Roy Moana - ''Good Old Hawaii'' - GIP GL 55.068, DURECO GL 55.068 - (1978)

Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels

* Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels – ''Beautiful Hawaii'' - Dureco 51.002 - (1962)
(Note: The cover says Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels but label says Muing Luhulima un The Mena Moeria Minstrels) * Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels – ''Waikiki Welcome'' - Dureco 51.055 - (19??) * Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels – ''With Love From....Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels'' - Capri – CA 32-G - (1972) * Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels – ''Love And Music From ... Hawaii'' - Capri CA 161 - (Circa 1974) * Rudi Wairata & His Mena Moeria Minstrels – ''Lovely Hula Girl'', Sweet Sweet Steel Guitar Series No. 3 - Maple MA-1003 - (1974)

Rudi Wairata & the Amboina Serenaders

;Singles * The Amboina Serenaders o.l.v. Rudi Wairata - "Hela Rotan" / "Goro Goro Né" - RCA 45 170 - (1955) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Panggajo E Panggajo" / "Sarinandé" - RCA 48 102 - (1955) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Ajo Mama" / "Kami Berlajar" - RCA 48 106 - (1955) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Bintang Malam" / "Toma Hasa" - RCA 48 112 - (1955) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Heimwee Naar Ambon" / "Meisjelief" - RCA 48 113 - (1955) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Soerabaja" / "Klappermelk Met Suiker" - RCA 48 117 - (1956) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "E-tanasé" (Roeierslied) / "Waktoe Potong Pad" - CID 48 119 - (1956) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Binta Ingin Mau Poelang" / "Ramai Dendang" - RCA 48 123 - (1956) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - "Bali Bali Boogie" / "Als De Tokèh" - RCA 48 130 - (1956) ;Extended play * ''Rudi Waitara presents his Amboina Serenaders Vol. 1''
"Panggajo E Panggajo", "Sarinandé" / "Hoera Hoera Tjintjin", "Ajo Mama" - RCA 75 152, CID 75 152 - (1956) * ''Rudi Waitara presents his Amboina Serenaders Vol. II''
"Hela Rotan", "Nona Pédédé" / "Goro Goro Né", "Kami Berlajar" - RCA 75 153 - (1956) * ''Rudi Waitara presents his Amboina Serenaders Vol. III''
"Soerabaja", "Meisjelief" / "Klappermelk Met Suiker", "Heimwee Naar Ambon" - RCA 75 158 - (1956) * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders - ''Amboina''
"E Tanasé", "Waktoe Potong Padi" / "Ramai Pendang", "Binta Ingin Mau Poelang" - RCA 75 172, CID 75 172 * Rudi Wairata & zijn Amboina Serenaders
"Autoderma", "Sioh Manis" / "Waltz Ampir Ziang", "Nona Manis" - CID 75 865 - (1956) ;Albums * Rudi Wairata and his Amboina Serenaders – ''Amboina'' - RCA – 130.153Discog
Rudi Wairata Discography, Albums
/ref>

Rudi Wairata and his Hawaiian Minstrels

;Singles * Rudi Wairata & his Hawaiian Minstrels - "My Hula Love" / "Waltzing At Dawn" - RCA 45 003 - (1958) * Rudi Wairata & his Hawaiian Minstrels - "Mahalani Papado" / "Rock And Roll And Breezes" - RCA 45 004 - (1958) * Rudi Wairata & his Hawaiian Minstrels - " Kilohara" / "Ua Ua" - RCA 47 9246 - (1958) * Rudi Wairata & his Hawaiian Minstrels - "Hawaiian Wedding Song" (Ke Kali Nei An) / "Minehaha" - RCA 47-9247 - (1959) * Rudi Wairata & his Hawaiian Minstrels - "Hawaiian Choo Choo" / "South Sea Swing" - RCA 4/60216 - (1960)

Rudi Wairata & his Serenaders

* Rudi Wairata & his Serenaders - "Dajoeng Sampan" / "Ladjoe Ladjoe" - RCA 45 004 - (1985) * Rudi Wairata & his Serenaders - "Omdat Ik Van Je Hou" / "My Ambon Manise É" - RCA 45 006 - (1958)

Ke Aloha Hawaiian Strings

;Singles * "Sweet Georgia Brown" / Orange Grove Of California" - CNR F 204 - (1959) * "The One Rose" / "Fascinating Rhythm" - CNR F 205 - (1959)

Das Moana Quartett

;Singles * Das Moana Quartett - "Maui-chimes" / "Holoku-waltz" - "Ariola 45 267 A - (1961) * Das Moana Quartett - "Kaiwahu-Marsch" / "On the beach of Waikiki" - Ariola 10 954 AT - (1963) ;Extended play * ''Von Manilla bis Hawaii''
"Maui Chimes", "Mauna-Kea" / Tomi Tomi", "Holoku Waltz" - Ariola 36 461 C - (1961) * Rudy Wairata & Das Moana Quartett - ''Am Strand von Waikiki''
"Kaiwahu March", "Blue Hawaii" / "Honolulu March", "On The Beach Of Waikiki" - Ariola 40 090 CT - (1961) * Rudy Wairata & Das Moana Quartett - ''Waikiki Melodie''
"Kaiwahu March", "Blue Hawaii", "Honolulu March", "On The Beach Of Waikiki" - Baccarola 41 888 VU - (1961)

Rudy Wairata & his Hawaiian Boys

;Singles * Rudy Wairata & his Hawaiian Boys - "Aloha Rag" / "Catamaran" - Teener 45-STU 42143 - (1962) * Rudy Wairata & his Hawaiian Boys - "Der Blaue Hawaii Express" / "Die Faszinierende Hawaiian Gitarre" - 777 63-03 - (1963) * Rudy Wairata & his Hawaiian Boys - "Taruna Serenade" / "Bora Bora Marsch" - 777 63-09 - (1963) * Rudy Wairata and his Hawaiian Boys - "Steel Guitar Rag" / "Bora Bora Marsch" - Teener 45-STU 42190 - (1963)

Rudy Wairata and his Kilima Hawaiians

;Albums * Rudy Wairata and his Kilima Hawaiians - ''Rudy Wairata And The Kilima Hawaiians'' - CNR GA 5015 - (1963) * Rudi Wairata en de Kilima Hawaiians – ''Hawaiian Melodies'' - CNR HAS 5099 * Rudi Wairata en de Kilima Hawaiians – ''Kapulani March'' - CNR 241.371 - (1972)

Rudi Wairata Und Sein Hula Girls

* Rudi Wairata Und Sein Hula Girls - "Hula Lu" / "Sweety, Sweety Von Tahiti" - Decca D 19 697 - (1965)Discog
Rudi Wairata Und Sein Hula Girls* – Hula Lu
/ref>

Rudy Wairata and the Oriental Four

* Rudy Wairata and the Oriental Four – ''The Magic Of The Orient'' - Music For Pleasure – 1A022-58163 - (1981)

References

External links

Nederlandse vinylsingles - Rudi Wairata
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wairata, Rudi 1929 births 1981 deaths 20th-century Indonesian male singers Steel guitarists Moluccan people Moluccan musicians Indo people Dutch male guitarists People from Ternate Indonesian emigrants to the Netherlands Royal Conservatory of The Hague alumni 20th-century guitarists