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.

George de Fretes
Born23 December 1921
Bandung, Dutch East Indies
Died19 November 1981 (1981-11-20) (aged 59)
Los Angeles County, California
GenresHawaiian music
Occupation(s)Music
Instrument(s)Steel guitar

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
George de Fretes albums
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
The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels albums
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]
George de Fretes En Zijn Suara Istana albums
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
  1. Berita Satu 28 August 2014 RRI Ambon Abadikan Musisi George de Fretes Sebagai Nama Auditorium
  2. Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  3. Indo-Rock-Gallery Wanda & Joyce
  4. Eastindonesia.com Wanda & Joyce
  5. Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  6. The Waikiki Islanders website Rudi Wairata, *1958* *1958*
  7. The Fanzine 17.11.15 Turn Down for Everything: An Annotated Playlist - Molly Brodak
  8. 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
  9. BBC Music, George de Fretes
  10. Find A Grave Frits George De Fretes
  11. Concertzender.nl Saturday 15 March 2014 23:00 - 00:00 Exitos Musicales, Surata Istana of Krontjong Minstrels led by George De Fretes (repeat).
  12. Sam Sam Music George de Fretes and his Royal Hawaiian Minstrels - The Home Recordings Vol.5
  13. Recollecting Resonances: Indonesian-Dutch Musical Encounters Edited by Bart Barendregt and Els Boegerts Page 286 Chapter twelve, Rein Spoorman
  14. Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance: An Active Approach Page 295
  15. Concealment, Maintenance and Renaissance: language and ethnicity in the Moluccan community in The Netherlands Page 24
  16. The Waikiki Islanders Rudi Wairata *1950* *1950*
  17. University of Hawaii Hawaiian Music Collection, Song Title: Ou' Oelate
  18. Bluesharmonica.nl Hawaiian muziek met o.a de Kilima Hawaiians en George de Fretes, DEEL 2: Archived 12 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  19. The Power Of Indonesia The Tielman Brothers, The greatest Indorock legend
  20. BMG; Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar Page 294
  21. Pedalpro.co.uk Jan Visser awarded at the CISGF 2010 by Jan Visser and Digby Hardy Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  22. Discogs George de Fretes Discography, Albums
  23. Discogs George de Fretes Discography, Albums
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