Rudi Wairata


Rudi Wairata aka Rudy Wairata was an influential Indonesian musician who had fronted the Mena Moeria Minstrels and the Amboina Serenaders. Wairata's style of playing was influenced by Sol Hoʻopiʻi and Andy Iona. Along with George de Fretes 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, North Moluccas, Dutch East Indies, as 'Diederich Gijsbrecht Christo Wairati, son of Andries Egbert Wairata and Antoinetta Cornelia Meulenaar, on 25 December 1929. He learned to play steel guitar by listening to Sol Ho'opi'i and Andy Iona records. His family moved to Yogyakarta, Java, when he was 11 years of age. There he worked to improve his steel guitar skills while studying, amongst others from George de Fretes. 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 and went to the Netherlands.
In 1951, Wairata founded the group the Mena Moeria Minstrels in The Hague. This group featured Joyce Aubrey and Ming Luhulima. 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. 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. 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 was "On the beach of Waikiki," in 1963. 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, the Netherlands in 1981.

Rudi Wairata discography

;Singles
;Albums
;Singles
;Extended play
"Panggajo E Panggajo", "Sarinandé" / "Hoera Hoera Tjintjin", "Ajo Mama" - RCA 75 152, CID 75 152 -
"Hela Rotan", "Nona Pédédé" / "Goro Goro Né", "Kami Berlajar" - RCA 75 153 -
"Soerabaja", "Meisjelief" / "Klappermelk Met Suiker", "Heimwee Naar Ambon" - RCA 75 158 -
"E Tanasé", "Waktoe Potong Padi" / "Ramai Pendang", "Binta Ingin Mau Poelang" - RCA 75 172, CID 75 172
"Autoderma", "Sioh Manis" / "Waltz Ampir Ziang", "Nona Manis" - CID 75 865 -
;Albums
;Singles
;Singles
;Singles
;Extended play
"Maui Chimes", "Mauna-Kea" / Tomi Tomi", "Holoku Waltz" - Ariola 36 461 C -
"Kaiwahu March", "Blue Hawaii" / "Honolulu March", "On The Beach Of Waikiki" - Ariola 40 090 CT -
"Kaiwahu March", "Blue Hawaii", "Honolulu March", "On The Beach Of Waikiki" - Baccarola 41 888 VU -

Rudy Wairata & his Hawaiian Boys

;Singles
;Albums