Krontjong Music - George de Fretes - Tiki Music

R Rellik Member Joined: Jun 10, 2006 Posts: 5	R Rellik Posted posted on Sun, Jun 11, 2006 10:33 AM Hi all, I'm new here, and, frankly, I won't be here too often to chat. But I love tropical sounds (and Jimmy Buffett :), and rock-a-billy!) and I'm proud to be an "Honorary Conch" (Honorary Citizen Of The Fabulous Florida Keys), where I've lived for a while, so I love Tiki bars too. Now I live in The Netherlands. I just happened to find this place due to a search for an illustrous Les Adams record I did every year or so. This time I was lucky, and through this forum I could download the LP. This is absolutely great, and unbelievable after a 35 year search! Anyway, to thank you and do something in return, I was thinking of uploading my favorite Krontjong (Indonesian) record by the fabulous lapsteel guitarist George de Fretes and his Krontjong Minstrels (Also named "The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels" depending on what kind of music was on the record). This is an old record that is not for sale anymore. This LP also had been stolen (as was the rest of my record collection), and after I had attained a copy on tape (from the musicians themselves - I went to their home), I found it again. It had been re-released on CD in the early '90's. This time they had added a number of Hawaiian tunes to the Krontjong ones (a lot of people can't seem to hear the differrence, so the record company must have thought "Oh Well...let's fill 'r up!!) :) I was so happy I had found it again, I bought two copies, just so I would not be without one again. Nowadays we can store it on the computer and make copies, so my second copy is now owned by Bob Brozman. This LP was made in the mid '60's and recorded and produced by the band themselves. The quality (I think) is exeptional, and surpasses most Lp's made in that era. The CD is also not for sale anymore. The rip I made is from the CD, and includes the Hawaiian songs. I could not find the name George de Fretes in the search engine, so I figured this may be new to the forum. It's very relaxing music, which includes a, at times, violin-sounding lapsteel. I always thought it was a violin, but Roy de Fretes told me it was a lapsteel, and it was a big challenge between the family members who could make it sound most like a violin. Here,via this link on you tube, you can see how they do it. Only the steel player here (Peter de Fretes) is one of the original members who play on the records (doesn't play steel on the records though). The drummer here is Roy de Fretes and the son of the steelplayer. Peter de Fretes died shortly after this performance. A unigue chance to see an original Rickenbacker 'Frying Pan' at work (the very first electric guitar)! This performance is from 1995. (Krontjong + Hawaii music) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF7HUqXEAPk The first song they play is also on the record. (Hawaii music) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itjD-v1xrGw&NR=1 The musicians on the records are all family and kin and George's ex-wife and daughter (Wanda) sing (beautifully) on this LP. George and his family are from Indonesia and after WW II moved to Holland. Then later George moved to California. He passed away sometime in the 80's, I believe. The file is large (25 songs in good quality) and compressed as RAR. It's just under 100 MB, so it may take a while to download (it took me 20 minutes to upload) I just figured out how and where to upload, so.... You can get it via this page here: http://www.theaxpert.com/krontjong/downloadpagina.html (as you can see below, I have tried to edit this link a number of times to no avail. The real link starts at HTTP://... Etc..) Enjoy! If you do...., I have some more CD's with other recordings of this group there. Also some rehearsal recordings (Hawaii) If you search on YouTube for "George de Fretes" or "The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels" you will find some great stuff there. Including Wanda (who lives in the U.S.A.) who sings and plays ukelele. Enjoy, and thanks again for the Albums I was able to download, thanks to the people of this forum. Rellik [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:34 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:42 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:45 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:48 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:49 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:51 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:55 ] [ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:58 ]

Hi all,
I'm new here, and, frankly, I won't be here too often to chat. But I love tropical sounds (and Jimmy Buffett :), and rock-a-billy!) and I'm proud to be an "Honorary Conch" (Honorary Citizen Of The Fabulous Florida Keys), where I've lived for a while, so I love Tiki bars too. Now I live in The Netherlands.
I just happened to find this place due to a search for an illustrous Les Adams record I did every year or so. This time I was lucky, and through this forum I could download the LP. This is absolutely great, and unbelievable after a 35 year search!

Anyway, to thank you and do something in return, I was thinking of uploading my favorite Krontjong (Indonesian) record by the fabulous lapsteel guitarist George de Fretes and his Krontjong Minstrels (Also named "The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels" depending on what kind of music was on the record). This is an old record that is not for sale anymore. This LP also had been stolen (as was the rest of my record collection), and after I had attained a copy on tape (from the musicians themselves - I went to their home), I found it again. It had been re-released on CD in the early '90's. This time they had added a number of Hawaiian tunes to the Krontjong ones (a lot of people can't seem to hear the differrence, so the record company must have thought "Oh Well...let's fill 'r up!!) :)
I was so happy I had found it again, I bought two copies, just so I would not be without one again. Nowadays we can store it on the computer and make copies, so my second copy is now owned by Bob Brozman.

This LP was made in the mid '60's and recorded and produced by the band themselves. The quality (I think) is exeptional, and surpasses most Lp's made in that era. The CD is also not for sale anymore. The rip I made is from the CD, and includes the Hawaiian songs.

I could not find the name George de Fretes in the search engine, so I figured this may be new to the forum.
It's very relaxing music, which includes a, at times, violin-sounding lapsteel. I always thought it was a violin, but Roy de Fretes told me it was a lapsteel, and it was a big challenge between the family members who could make it sound most like a violin.

Here,via this link on you tube, you can see how they do it. Only the steel player here (Peter de Fretes) is one of the original members who play on the records (doesn't play steel on the records though). The drummer here is Roy de Fretes and the son of the steelplayer. Peter de Fretes died shortly after this performance.
A unigue chance to see an original Rickenbacker 'Frying Pan' at work (the very first electric guitar)!
This performance is from 1995.

(Krontjong + Hawaii music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF7HUqXEAPk
The first song they play is also on the record.

(Hawaii music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itjD-v1xrGw&NR=1

The musicians on the records are all family and kin and George's ex-wife and daughter (Wanda) sing (beautifully) on this LP. George and his family are from Indonesia and after WW II moved to Holland. Then later George moved to California. He passed away sometime in the 80's, I believe.

The file is large (25 songs in good quality) and compressed as RAR. It's just under 100 MB, so it may take a while to download (it took me 20 minutes to upload)
I just figured out how and where to upload, so....
You can get it via this page here:
http://www.theaxpert.com/krontjong/downloadpagina.html
(as you can see below, I have tried to edit this link a number of times to no avail. The real link starts at HTTP://... Etc..)

Enjoy!

If you do...., I have some more CD's with other recordings of this group there. Also some rehearsal recordings (Hawaii)

If you search on YouTube for "George de Fretes" or "The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels" you will find some great stuff there. Including Wanda (who lives in the U.S.A.) who sings and plays ukelele.

Enjoy, and thanks again for the Albums I was able to download, thanks to the people of this forum.

Rellik

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:34 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:42 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:45 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:48 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:49 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:51 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:55 ]

[ Edited by: Rellik 2009-11-23 13:58 ]