From her very first single Asmara that reached the top of the charts in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia in 1960, Anneke has been a constant and prominent factor in the international world of pop music. During the 60s, she was Holland's most successful singer, collecting more gold records and No. 1 hits than anyone else has ever done. The rest of Europe soon followed and the Far East....well they had already known Anneke's great talents before the Dutch. Some of her greatest hits over the years included Buka Pintu, Nina Bobo, Papa Dja, Boeroeng Kaka, Bengawan Solo, Widuri, Mak Inang, O Ina Ni Keke, Oh Malaysia, among many others.
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Anneke Gronloh. An international superstar who radiates grace and elegance. Loved by her legions of fans who have followed her for fifty years. Strangely, just like Cliff Richard, she is not known in the United States. Don't know why. She is very popular elsewhere around the world, like in Europe, and in the Far East.
Anneke Gronloh. She may not be from Singapore, but I bet my last dollar that she thinks of Singapore frequently. I bet you Singapore will always be very special to Anneke.
From the biography at her official website, her 1960 debut single, the Malay "Asmara" did not do that well in Holland at the beginning, but it reached #1 in Singapore and stayed on the charts for three months. I read somewhere else on the Web that the record was also a smash hit in Malaya and in Indonesia. Not surprising since Malay is the common language in these three countries, and also because Anneke, a Dutch woman, was born in Indonesia and grew up there, could speak in Malay, thereby making a very good impression on the people in Southeast Asia.
Anneke Gronloh never forgot her Indonesian childhood. As her Dutch records propelled her to fame and popularity in Europe, she also released several more Malay records that scored well with her fans in the Far East. "Bengawan Solo," "Nina Bobo," "Buka Pintu," and, of course, her most beloved "Boeroeng Ka Ka."
"Lei trum, lei trum, lei trum, oh la la
Lei trum, lei trum, lei trum, oh la la
Lei trum, lei trum, lei trum, oh la la
Boeroeng kaka tua"
1963 saw the formation of the new country, Malaysia, out of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah. I remember there was a big government campaign all over the media and in school to generate the new national spirit and pride. Nothing, however, was as effective as the pop songs of the day, like "Malaysia Wonderful" by The Sundowners and "Singapura" by Sandra Reemer, and records like "Midnight In Malaya" and "Sunrise In Malaysia" by Boy and His Rollin' Kids.
Anneke Gronloh's "Oh Malaysia" turned out to be the anthem of1963.
”On the shore beyond the tropical sea
You will stand to welcome me
On the shore beneath the sky so blue
All my dreams at last will come true
Oh Malaysia, land of glory
Where I found my heart's true love
In a night so warm and tender
With the moon and stars above"
(I also came across this very interesting commentary on Anneke Gronloh on the Web. From September 21, 2007, by Mr. Paul Choo, who must be a real fan of Anneke Gronloh.)
http://choopaulo.blogspot.com/2007/09/anneke-gronloh-living-legend.html
Anneke Gronloh. A Living Legend.
Many of the younger generation in Malaysia do not know Anneke Gronloh. But in the 60s, she scored a string of Malay hits and was idolised by thousands of music fans in South East Asia. Regrettably, her songs are rarely played over our local radio stations now.
Anneke Gronloh was born in Menagassar, a little village in Northern Celebes, Indonesia on 7 June 1942. Anneke's father, a sergeant-major was made a prisoner-of-war soon after her birth. The occupying force gave her a Japanese name Yokko Tjang which means 'little sister.'
Her family resettled in Holland in 1949. At sixteen she signed a contract for appearances in Belgium and Germany. In her first single released in 1960, Asmara/Dari Ketjil, Asmara was a great hit and made it to the charts in South East Asia.
She made a tour of the Far East in early 1962 covering fifteen shows in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. A second tour soon followed after the tremendous success of her first tour.
One of the many things said about Anneke, "She has the ability, the charm, the appeal and, best of all, her voice is way above the class we expect of pop singers. She has the volume and she has the range of a coloratura soprano."
In this 1993 released CD is a compilation of some of her most popular songs recorded in Malay. It includes:
Asmara, Dari Ketjil, Boeroeng Kaka, Bengawan Solo, Nina Bobo, O,O,O Papa Dia, Mak Inang, Pengajung, Gema Rambulan, Aku Chari Laki Gagah, Rambut Itam Matanja Galak, Buka Pintu, O Ina Ni Keke, and Tjerewere. Missing from this compilation is Oh Malaysia which would have made it complete.
In 1994 Anneke Gronloh performed in The Golden Reunion Concert in Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 9 Dec. 1994 in front of a reported 20,000 audience. The concert was televised and released also as a CD.
For a detailed biography and discography of Anneke Gronloh, visit her official web-site HERE.
http://www.annekegronloh.nl/
Anneke Gronloh is a charming, elegant and beautiful singer of my generation. She is an inspiration to all of us when we were growing up in Ipoh, Malaysia.
I now live in Calgary and continue to listen to her great hits as it brings back good memories.
May she enjoy good health and long life. A wonderful human being.
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