Andy Tielman
Encyclopedia
Andy Tielman was an influential Indo (Eurasian) artist. Nicknamed the "Godfather of Indorock", he was the iconic frontman of the music style called Indorock
and is considered one of the most important figures in Dutch Pop music.
He was known for his wide vocal range
(5 octaves) and virtuoso
guitar playing as well as his spectacular showmanship
. Many Dutch musicians such as Jan Akkerman
(Focus
) and Barry Hay
(Golden Earring
) have cited him as an important inspiration.
He has been acknowledged as having made the first Dutch Rock and Roll
single in 1958 and leading the first Dutch rock band with international appeal. He was the band leader of the Timor Brothers, the Four T's, the Tielman Brothers
and Andy Tielman and the Tielman Brothers. His career spans from the 1950s to the present day.
During Andy Tielman's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s his band was hailed as the best live act in Europe, cashing in the highest wages for live bands of the time.
In 2005 he was awarded a Royal decoration in the Order of Orange Nassau. He died in Rijswijk
, Netherlands
.
on the island of Celebes
in the Dutch East Indies
. His father, a KNIL captain, was Herman Tielman (born 02-09-1904, Menado and died 14-05-1979, The Hague
) and his mother was Flora Laurentine Hess (born 24-04-1901, Madiun
and died: 27-07-1991, Purworejo), both were Indo-European
. They had 5 children: Reggy (born 22-05-1933, Surabaya
); Phonton (born 04-08-1934, Surabaya); Andy (born 30-05-1936, Makassar
); Loulou (Lawrence) (born 30-10-1938, Surabaya); and Jane (Janette Loraine) (born 17-08-1940). Tielman had a carefree childhood until the Japanese invasion, when his father was imprisoned and his mother was left behind to take care of 5 little children. "When war came the world was broken. My whole world just fell apart."
His father, a professional soldier, survived Japanese imprisonment as a POW during World War II
. When the family was reunited after the war in 1945 the young Andy, his brothers and sister already started performing complex Jazz standards at private functions. Herman Tielman, a gifted musician, had taught Andy Tielman and his siblings to play music. Within half a year they were performing throughout the Dutch East Indies. Their repertoire included novel American and traditional Indonesian music.
at the presidential palace in Jakarta
. In 1951 they were introduced to the song ‘Guitar Boogie’ by Arthur Smith. In an interview Andy Tielman recalls: ”This was the first song which my brothers and I converted into rock ‘n roll by adding drums to it.” The band started playing rock and roll music by Les Paul
, Elvis Presley
, Little Richard
, Bill Haley
, Fats Domino
, Chuck Berry
and Gene Vincent
. Next to the family band Andy Tielman also played with the Dolf de Vries band ‘The Starlights’ in Jakarta and Freddy Wehner’s Hawaiian band in Sumatra
.
In the late 1950s anti-Dutch rules and regulations increased leading up to an escalation of the Dutch New Guinea conflict and possible recurrence of the Bersiap
violence. Dutch businesses and other properties were appropriated, Dutch social services were stopped, Dutch schools were banned and the last Dutch nationals were expelled. Anti-Dutch sentiments also affected Indo celebrities like the Tielman brothers and when they were pressured into forgoing their Dutch nationality the family repatriated to the Netherlands.
, and later to The Hague
in the Netherlands
. The initial years in the Netherlands were hard. Tielman called their first boarding house "really sad" and said music was the only thing that kept them going. When he and his brothers first went into a music shop to replace his busted guitar, the owner forbid him to touch anything, until Tielman actually played a guitar and the owners family came down to the shop to listen. The brothers played some rocking Elvis tunes, after which Tielman got his guitar at a discount and with only a small downpayment.
After getting geared up Tielman and his brothers started playing gigs in a hotel for only 2,50 guilders a week. Slowly their raw and spectacular Rock and Roll performances were getting a hardcore fanbase among the rebelious youth, along with the associated bad press. While Dutch youngsters and musicians were in awe, conservative Dutch establishment shot them down. On national radio and television influential opinion makers like Mies Bouwman
and Willem Duys
criticised and dismissed the brothers music.
After a dazzling show at the World Exhibition in Brussels
, Belgium
, in 1958, his band, the Tielman Brothers, was signed by a Belgian company to record the first Dutch rock 'n' roll single named: ‘Rock Little Baby Of Mine’. The bands flamboyant showmanship, acrobatic stage antics and rowdy sound were unseen and unheard of in the Netherlands and the band soon moved their show abroad. Andy Tielman recalls: "In the Netherlands we did not feel accepted. It seemed like Rock and Roll was forbidden here. On television we were totally torn apart publicly [...]. They [even] called us music rapists."
In Germany
the band enjoyed huge popularity and even recorded songs in the German language. Particularly in Hamburg
, with its big live music scene and large number of American GI’s, Indorock bands played many live venues in the famous Reeperbahn
area. Andy Tielman made an impression on both the German and British musicians playing there. In a later interview with Rolling Stone
magazine George Harrison
(The Beatles
) reflects on his Hamburg period, enthousiastically referring to “Andy, the Indo man”. Andy Tielman and his band enjoy a successful musical career throughout Europe until the emergence of British Beat music
headed by The Beatles
.
In the late 1970s he abruptly ended his music career, left his family and all his worldly belongings and wealth behind him, to live as a hermit in the jungles of Kalimantan
among the Dayak people
. “The Dayak hunted monkeys for food. I just hunted wild chicken.”, he recalls. For over 2 years Andy Tielman lived a low profile and rudimental life of meditation until a resolute and resourceful female fan tracked him down in the Bali
backwoods. For over a year the young German woman, who would become his wife, stayed with him there until he decided to return to the ‘civilised’ world and slowly resume his career.
Andy Tielman moved to Australia and lived there for 5 years. In the 1980s he toured Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. Summers he would return to the Netherlands where he gradually picked up his recording career again. After the influential book 'Rockin Ramona' was published in 1989 the Netherlands was re-discovering and rehabilitating its musical pioneers and Andy Tielman was getting more and more recognition as a founding father of Dutch pop music.
. In 1997 he released the album ‘Loraine Jane’, named after his daughter. That year he also headlined a festival commemorating Elvis Presley in the 'Amsterdam
RAI Convention Centre'.
In 1998 the album ‘Loraine Jane’ was presented at the Pasar Malam Besar
in the Hague. October 31, 1998 Tielman celebrates his 50th anniversary as an artist with a grand show at ‘The Hague Houtrusthallen’, performing for close to 2,000 fans. Leading up to this anniversary Andy Tielman was getting much publicity in the Dutch media. In a key news programme on national television established Dutch artists like Herman Brood
and Wally Tax
expressed their admiration for his musical legacy. In 1999 Andy Tielman toured the USA.
In 2003 Andy Tielman recorded a new album in Amsterdam. In 2004 he recorded a live DVD at the Kurhaus
in Scheveningen called ‘It's My Life’. In 2005 the DVD is officially presented at the Pasar Malam Besar in The Hague.
In 2005 Andy Tielman was also rewarded a royal decoration in the Order of Orange-Nassau
. Following the Tsunami
Andy Tielman made a special appearance at the Dutch national benefit for the Tsunami victims. Together with 2 other internationally known Indo artists Dinand Woesthoff
(leadsinger of the band Kane
) and René van Barneveld (former lead guitarist of the band Urban Dance Squad
) he performed the traditional Indonesian songs ‘Rayuan Palau Kelapa’ and Ole sio sayang e.
In 2007 Andy Tielman played with Chris Latul (former lead guitarist of the Massada (band)
) in Utrecht
celebrating the 60'th anniversary of the Pelita Foundation, the longest running social service organisation for Dutch Indos.
2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the single ‘Rock Little Baby Of Mine’ celebrated by the ‘Foundation 50 Years Nederpop
’ in Groningen during a weekend long festival launching the canon of Dutch pop music. October 3 he performed at the Heineken Music Hall
in Amsterdam during ‘Nederpop Live 50 Years’ festival along over thirty other artists and bands representing fifty years of Dutch pop history.
In 2008 Andy Tielman headlined the national May 5 Liberation Day celebrations in The Hague. With the new Indorock band ‘Tjendol Sunrise’ Andy Tielman recorded the album ‘21st Century Rock’. The anniversary album includes new versions of hits from the Tielman Brothers, a few new songs as well as an update of the song that started Dutch Rock and Roll: ‘Rock Little Baby Of Mine’. At the Tong Tong Fair they teamed up with master guitarist Jan Akkerman
for a one off concert.
In the autumn of 2009 Andy Tielman canceled a scheduled tour when he was diagnosed with cancer. In November he was operated and the singer made his comeback on December 19 already with a short performance in Drachten
.
In March 2010 Andy Tielman returned to the stage with a grand show at the 'Benidorm Palace' in Spain
. On this special occasion accompanied by amongst others support act Riem de Wolff, singer of the equally famous Blue Diamonds
.
During the 2011 edition of Indo festival the Tong Tong Fair Andy Tielman celebrated his 75th birthday and performed what is considered his farewell concert at a sold out 'Bintang Theatre'.
10 November 2011 Andy Tielman passed away at the age of 75 years old.
), mother: Flora Laurentine Hess (born 24-04-1901 Madiun
; died: 27-07-1991 Purworejo). Siblings: Reggy (Regginald) (born 22-05-1933, Surabaya
); Phonton (born 04-08-1934, died 29-04-2000 Jemper); Loulou (Lawrence) (born 30-10-1938, Surabaya; died 04-08-1994 Cairus, Australia) Jane (Janette Loraine) (born 17-08-1940; died 25-06-1993). Andy Tielman is married to German born Carmen Tielman and has 1 daughter Loraine Jane, named after his younger sister.
Reggy Tielman (Reginald)(banjo, guitar, vocal)- Surabaya, 20 May 1933
Ponthon Tielman (double bass, guitar, vocal)- 4 August 1934 - 29 April 2000
Andy Tielman (Herman Hendrik Aadrian) (guitar, vocal)– 30 May 1936
Loulou Tielman (Herman Lawrence)(drum, vocal)– 30 October 1938 - 4 August 1994
Jane Tielman (Janette Loraine)(vocal)- 17 August 1940 - 25 juni 1993.
The Four Tielman Brothers - The 4 T's (1957–1959)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, vocal)
Ponthon Tielman (double bass, vocal)
Loulou Tielman (drums, vocal).
The Tielman Brothers (1960–1963)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, vocal)
Franky Luyten (rhythm guitar, vocal)
Ponthon Tielman (bass guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
The Tielman Brothers (1963–1964)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Alphonse Faverey (lead guitar) ex-stringers to The Four Beat Breakers > The Time Breakers
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)
Franky Luyten (rhythm guitar, vocal) to The Four Beat Breakers > The Time Breakers
Ponthon Tielman (bass guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)to Tielman Royal; afterwards back to Indonesia
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
Jane Tielman (vocal)
The Tielman Brothers (1964–1969)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, 6 string bass,vocal)
Robby Latuperisa (bass, guitar, 6 string bass)
Hans Bax (rhythm guitar, vocal)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
Jane Tielman (vocal)
Andy Tielman and his Indonesians (1969-1971)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)
Rob Latuperisa (bass guitar, 6 string bass)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
Benny Heynen (tenor saxophone, rhythm guitar)
Maurice de la Croix (bariton/tenor saxophone)
Leo Masengi (tenor saxophone, rhythm guitar)ex-The High Five
Jane Tielman (vocal)
Ilse Uchtman (vocal)
Andy Tielman & The Tielman Brothers (1975–1981)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, rhythm guitar)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal).
Rob Latuperisa (bass guitar)
Maurice de la Croix (bariton/tenor saxophone)
Leo Masengi (alt/tenor saxophone, rhythm guitar)
Benny Heynen (tenor saxophone, clarinet, guitar)
Indorock
Indorock is a musical genre, originating in the 1950s in the Netherlands and Europe. It is a fusion of Indonesian and Western music, and has roots in Kroncong .Indo Rock, Rock 'n roll 50's 60's style....
and is considered one of the most important figures in Dutch Pop music.
He was known for his wide vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
(5 octaves) and virtuoso
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
guitar playing as well as his spectacular showmanship
Showmanship (performing)
Showmanship, concerning artistic performing such as in Theatre, is the skill of performing in such a manner that will appeal to an audience or aid in conveying the performance's essential theme or message....
. Many Dutch musicians such as Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained tone, and other complex techniques...
(Focus
Focus (band)
Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, and is most famous for the instrumental pieces "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia"...
) and Barry Hay
Barry Hay
Barry Andrew Hay is the vocalist/frontman for Dutch rock band Golden Earring.-Biography:Hay was born in Faizabad, India, and moved to the Netherlands at the age of eight. He lived in Amsterdam and later in The Hague. In the summer of 1967, he joined the Golden Earrings, as they were then called,...
(Golden Earring
Golden Earring
Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band, founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings . They had international chart success with the songs "Radar Love" in 1973, "Twilight Zone" in 1982, and "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. In their home country, they had over 40 hits and made over 30 gold and...
) have cited him as an important inspiration.
He has been acknowledged as having made the first Dutch Rock and Roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
single in 1958 and leading the first Dutch rock band with international appeal. He was the band leader of the Timor Brothers, the Four T's, the Tielman Brothers
Tielman Brothers
The Tielman Brothers were the first Dutch Indo band that successfully went international in the 1950s. They were one of the pioneers of rock and roll in The Netherlands and band became famous in Europe playing a kind of rock and roll later called Indorock, a fusion of Indonesian and Western music...
and Andy Tielman and the Tielman Brothers. His career spans from the 1950s to the present day.
During Andy Tielman's heyday in the 1950s and 1960s his band was hailed as the best live act in Europe, cashing in the highest wages for live bands of the time.
In 2005 he was awarded a Royal decoration in the Order of Orange Nassau. He died in Rijswijk
Rijswijk
Rijswijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a suburb of The Hague and covers an area of 14.48 km² ....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Dutch East Indies
Andy Tielman was born in MakassarMakassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
on the island of Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. His father, a KNIL captain, was Herman Tielman (born 02-09-1904, Menado and died 14-05-1979, The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
) and his mother was Flora Laurentine Hess (born 24-04-1901, Madiun
Madiun
Madiun is a city in the western part of the province of East Java Indonesia, an agricultural centre. It is the capital of the regency of the same name....
and died: 27-07-1991, Purworejo), both were Indo-European
Indos in colonial history
Indos are a Eurasian people of mixed Indonesian and European descent. The pre-colonial evolution of this hybrid Eurasian community in the East Indies commenced during the arrival of Portuguese traders in the 16th century and continued with the arrival of Dutch traders in the 17th and 18th...
. They had 5 children: Reggy (born 22-05-1933, Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
); Phonton (born 04-08-1934, Surabaya); Andy (born 30-05-1936, Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
); Loulou (Lawrence) (born 30-10-1938, Surabaya); and Jane (Janette Loraine) (born 17-08-1940). Tielman had a carefree childhood until the Japanese invasion, when his father was imprisoned and his mother was left behind to take care of 5 little children. "When war came the world was broken. My whole world just fell apart."
His father, a professional soldier, survived Japanese imprisonment as a POW during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. When the family was reunited after the war in 1945 the young Andy, his brothers and sister already started performing complex Jazz standards at private functions. Herman Tielman, a gifted musician, had taught Andy Tielman and his siblings to play music. Within half a year they were performing throughout the Dutch East Indies. Their repertoire included novel American and traditional Indonesian music.
Indonesia
When Indonesia gained formal independence from the Netherlands in 1949 they had already become a household name and even performed for president SukarnoSukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
at the presidential palace in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
. In 1951 they were introduced to the song ‘Guitar Boogie’ by Arthur Smith. In an interview Andy Tielman recalls: ”This was the first song which my brothers and I converted into rock ‘n roll by adding drums to it.” The band started playing rock and roll music by Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, Bill Haley
Bill Haley
Bill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:...
, Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
and Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
. Next to the family band Andy Tielman also played with the Dolf de Vries band ‘The Starlights’ in Jakarta and Freddy Wehner’s Hawaiian band in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
.
In the late 1950s anti-Dutch rules and regulations increased leading up to an escalation of the Dutch New Guinea conflict and possible recurrence of the Bersiap
Bersiap
Bersiap is the name given by the Dutch to a violent and chaotic phase of Indonesia's revolutionary period following the end of World War II. The Indonesian word bersiap means 'get ready' or 'be prepared'...
violence. Dutch businesses and other properties were appropriated, Dutch social services were stopped, Dutch schools were banned and the last Dutch nationals were expelled. Anti-Dutch sentiments also affected Indo celebrities like the Tielman brothers and when they were pressured into forgoing their Dutch nationality the family repatriated to the Netherlands.
Europe
In 1957 the Tielman family first moved to a boarding house in BredaBreda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
, and later to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The initial years in the Netherlands were hard. Tielman called their first boarding house "really sad" and said music was the only thing that kept them going. When he and his brothers first went into a music shop to replace his busted guitar, the owner forbid him to touch anything, until Tielman actually played a guitar and the owners family came down to the shop to listen. The brothers played some rocking Elvis tunes, after which Tielman got his guitar at a discount and with only a small downpayment.
After getting geared up Tielman and his brothers started playing gigs in a hotel for only 2,50 guilders a week. Slowly their raw and spectacular Rock and Roll performances were getting a hardcore fanbase among the rebelious youth, along with the associated bad press. While Dutch youngsters and musicians were in awe, conservative Dutch establishment shot them down. On national radio and television influential opinion makers like Mies Bouwman
Mies Bouwman
Maria Antoinette "Mies" Bouwman is a Dutch television presenter.Born in Amsterdam, she started her career on the very first broadcasting evening of the Dutch broadcasting association KRO on 16 October 1951....
and Willem Duys
Willem Duys
Willem Duys , was a Dutch radio and television presenter, commentator, tennis player and music producer.Duys was born in Bussum. Having made the final NK Older Youth in 1946, he won the Spieghel Hilversum and Heide B tournament, took the semi-finals Plaswijck Kralingen and won the B tournament in...
criticised and dismissed the brothers music.
After a dazzling show at the World Exhibition in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, in 1958, his band, the Tielman Brothers, was signed by a Belgian company to record the first Dutch rock 'n' roll single named: ‘Rock Little Baby Of Mine’. The bands flamboyant showmanship, acrobatic stage antics and rowdy sound were unseen and unheard of in the Netherlands and the band soon moved their show abroad. Andy Tielman recalls: "In the Netherlands we did not feel accepted. It seemed like Rock and Roll was forbidden here. On television we were totally torn apart publicly [...]. They [even] called us music rapists."
In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
the band enjoyed huge popularity and even recorded songs in the German language. Particularly in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, with its big live music scene and large number of American GI’s, Indorock bands played many live venues in the famous Reeperbahn
Reeperbahn
The Reeperbahn is a street in Hamburg's St. Pauli district, one of the two centres of Hamburg's nightlife and also the city's red-light district...
area. Andy Tielman made an impression on both the German and British musicians playing there. In a later interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
(The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) reflects on his Hamburg period, enthousiastically referring to “Andy, the Indo man”. Andy Tielman and his band enjoy a successful musical career throughout Europe until the emergence of British Beat music
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
headed by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
“[...]the Tielman Brothers stole the show with their wild rock'n'roll songs and acrobatic antics. They tossed guitars across stage, played the guitar and bass with their toes and teeth, and played their instruments behind their heads and upside down. Popular everywhere in Europe, they developed a particularly enthusiastic following in Hamburg, Germany where they may have been an important early influence on the Beatles.” George Lipsitz in his book ‘Dangerous Crossroads’ (San Diego, 1998)
Asia Pacific
Along with his immense success Andy Tielman also experienced the shadow side of his huge popularity. In a Dutch television interview he hesitantly recalls incidents of extreme idolisation where women cut their wrists in front of the stage to get his attention. “That’s nothing to be proud of. [...] It’s just very, very sad. [...] I just could not stand it anymore. [...] Maybe the Beatles could deal with that kind of thing. Not me.”In the late 1970s he abruptly ended his music career, left his family and all his worldly belongings and wealth behind him, to live as a hermit in the jungles of Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
among the Dayak people
Dayak people
The Dayak or Dyak are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily...
. “The Dayak hunted monkeys for food. I just hunted wild chicken.”, he recalls. For over 2 years Andy Tielman lived a low profile and rudimental life of meditation until a resolute and resourceful female fan tracked him down in the Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
backwoods. For over a year the young German woman, who would become his wife, stayed with him there until he decided to return to the ‘civilised’ world and slowly resume his career.
Andy Tielman moved to Australia and lived there for 5 years. In the 1980s he toured Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. Summers he would return to the Netherlands where he gradually picked up his recording career again. After the influential book 'Rockin Ramona' was published in 1989 the Netherlands was re-discovering and rehabilitating its musical pioneers and Andy Tielman was getting more and more recognition as a founding father of Dutch pop music.
Netherlands
Tielman eventually returned to the Netherlands. In 1990 he played a reunion concert with the Tielman Brothers. The same year he releases his solo album ‘Now And Forever’, followed in 1994 and 1995 by tours to the Caribbean islands and North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In 1997 he released the album ‘Loraine Jane’, named after his daughter. That year he also headlined a festival commemorating Elvis Presley in the 'Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
RAI Convention Centre'.
In 1998 the album ‘Loraine Jane’ was presented at the Pasar Malam Besar
Pasar Malam Besar
The Tong Tong Fair is the largest festival in the world for Indo culture, held annually in The Netherlands. In 2009 it was renamed to 'Tong Tong Fair'. Established in 1959 it is one of the oldest festivals and the fourth largest grand fair in The Netherlands...
in the Hague. October 31, 1998 Tielman celebrates his 50th anniversary as an artist with a grand show at ‘The Hague Houtrusthallen’, performing for close to 2,000 fans. Leading up to this anniversary Andy Tielman was getting much publicity in the Dutch media. In a key news programme on national television established Dutch artists like Herman Brood
Herman Brood
Hermanus "Herman" Brood was a Dutch musician, painter and media personality. Initially a musician who achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and called "the Netherlands' greatest and only rock 'n' roll star," later in life he became a well-known painter.Known for his...
and Wally Tax
Wally Tax
Wally Tax was a Dutch singer and songwriter, best known as founder and frontman of the Nederbeat group The Outsiders. After commercial and artistic success with The Outsiders in the late 1960s, he had a brief solo career in the 1970s, and then was a successful songwriter, producing a number of hit...
expressed their admiration for his musical legacy. In 1999 Andy Tielman toured the USA.
In 2003 Andy Tielman recorded a new album in Amsterdam. In 2004 he recorded a live DVD at the Kurhaus
Kurhaus (Scheveningen)
The Kurhaus is a prominent building located in Scheveningen, The Hague in The Netherlands .- History :It was built between 1884 and 1885 by the German architects Johann Friedrich Henkenhaf and Friedrich Ebert . It consisted originally of a concert hall and a hotel with 120 rooms. Having suffered...
in Scheveningen called ‘It's My Life’. In 2005 the DVD is officially presented at the Pasar Malam Besar in The Hague.
In 2005 Andy Tielman was also rewarded a royal decoration in the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
. Following the Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
Andy Tielman made a special appearance at the Dutch national benefit for the Tsunami victims. Together with 2 other internationally known Indo artists Dinand Woesthoff
Dinand Woesthoff
Marco Frank Ferdinand "Dinand" Woesthoff is a Dutch singer of Indo heritage.He is the lead singer of the Dutch band Kane...
(leadsinger of the band Kane
Kane (Dutch band)
Kane is a Dutch rock band. The group consists of the two original members, Dinand Woesthoff and Dennis van Leeuwen . Their music can be described as "guitar rock"...
) and René van Barneveld (former lead guitarist of the band Urban Dance Squad
Urban Dance Squad
Urban Dance Squad was a Dutch rap rock band formed after what was originally intended as a one-time jam-session at a festival in Utrecht on December 20, 1986...
) he performed the traditional Indonesian songs ‘Rayuan Palau Kelapa’ and Ole sio sayang e.
In 2007 Andy Tielman played with Chris Latul (former lead guitarist of the Massada (band)
Massada (band)
Massada is a Dutch-Moluccan band named after the Jewish town long besieged by the Romans. The members combine their Moluccan heritage with Latin-percussion rhythms. The line-up has changed through the years with lead singer Johny Manuhutu being the sole constant member.-Early years:Johnny Manuhutu...
) in Utrecht
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
celebrating the 60'th anniversary of the Pelita Foundation, the longest running social service organisation for Dutch Indos.
2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the single ‘Rock Little Baby Of Mine’ celebrated by the ‘Foundation 50 Years Nederpop
Nederpop
Nederpop is a Dutch term that was invented by the mid-1970s to describe the Dutch pop music scene of the 1960s and 1970s that was gaining worldwide attention, exemplified by bands such as Shocking Blue, Golden Earring and Focus....
’ in Groningen during a weekend long festival launching the canon of Dutch pop music. October 3 he performed at the Heineken Music Hall
Heineken Music Hall
Heineken Music Hall is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands, near the Amsterdam ArenA .The big hall is used for concerts, has a capacity of 5500 and is 3000 m²...
in Amsterdam during ‘Nederpop Live 50 Years’ festival along over thirty other artists and bands representing fifty years of Dutch pop history.
In 2008 Andy Tielman headlined the national May 5 Liberation Day celebrations in The Hague. With the new Indorock band ‘Tjendol Sunrise’ Andy Tielman recorded the album ‘21st Century Rock’. The anniversary album includes new versions of hits from the Tielman Brothers, a few new songs as well as an update of the song that started Dutch Rock and Roll: ‘Rock Little Baby Of Mine’. At the Tong Tong Fair they teamed up with master guitarist Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman
Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained tone, and other complex techniques...
for a one off concert.
In the autumn of 2009 Andy Tielman canceled a scheduled tour when he was diagnosed with cancer. In November he was operated and the singer made his comeback on December 19 already with a short performance in Drachten
Drachten
Drachten is a Dutch town, located in the municipality of Smallingerland in the province of Friesland.-Beginnings:Drachten began as a small community on the east side of the Drait River. There, early settlers started draining the land to use it for agriculture...
.
In March 2010 Andy Tielman returned to the stage with a grand show at the 'Benidorm Palace' in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. On this special occasion accompanied by amongst others support act Riem de Wolff, singer of the equally famous Blue Diamonds
Blue Diamonds
The Blue Diamonds were a Dutch 1960s doo-wop duo, best known for their million-selling chart-topping single, "Ramona". Indo brothers Ruud de Wolff and Riem de Wolff founded the group shortly after immigrating to the Netherlands in 1949...
.
During the 2011 edition of Indo festival the Tong Tong Fair Andy Tielman celebrated his 75th birthday and performed what is considered his farewell concert at a sold out 'Bintang Theatre'.
"Everything around you is subject to decay, but the music never dies." Andy Tielman, 1998.
10 November 2011 Andy Tielman passed away at the age of 75 years old.
Family
Father: Herman Dirk Tielman (born 02-09-1904,Menado; died 14-05-1979, The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
), mother: Flora Laurentine Hess (born 24-04-1901 Madiun
Madiun
Madiun is a city in the western part of the province of East Java Indonesia, an agricultural centre. It is the capital of the regency of the same name....
; died: 27-07-1991 Purworejo). Siblings: Reggy (Regginald) (born 22-05-1933, Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
); Phonton (born 04-08-1934, died 29-04-2000 Jemper); Loulou (Lawrence) (born 30-10-1938, Surabaya; died 04-08-1994 Cairus, Australia) Jane (Janette Loraine) (born 17-08-1940; died 25-06-1993). Andy Tielman is married to German born Carmen Tielman and has 1 daughter Loraine Jane, named after his younger sister.
Line up
The Timor Rhythm Brothers (1945–1957)Reggy Tielman (Reginald)(banjo, guitar, vocal)- Surabaya, 20 May 1933
Ponthon Tielman (double bass, guitar, vocal)- 4 August 1934 - 29 April 2000
Andy Tielman (Herman Hendrik Aadrian) (guitar, vocal)– 30 May 1936
Loulou Tielman (Herman Lawrence)(drum, vocal)– 30 October 1938 - 4 August 1994
Jane Tielman (Janette Loraine)(vocal)- 17 August 1940 - 25 juni 1993.
The Four Tielman Brothers - The 4 T's (1957–1959)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, vocal)
Ponthon Tielman (double bass, vocal)
Loulou Tielman (drums, vocal).
The Tielman Brothers (1960–1963)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, vocal)
Franky Luyten (rhythm guitar, vocal)
Ponthon Tielman (bass guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
The Tielman Brothers (1963–1964)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Alphonse Faverey (lead guitar) ex-stringers to The Four Beat Breakers > The Time Breakers
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)
Franky Luyten (rhythm guitar, vocal) to The Four Beat Breakers > The Time Breakers
Ponthon Tielman (bass guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)to Tielman Royal; afterwards back to Indonesia
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
Jane Tielman (vocal)
The Tielman Brothers (1964–1969)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, 6 string bass,vocal)
Robby Latuperisa (bass, guitar, 6 string bass)
Hans Bax (rhythm guitar, vocal)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
Jane Tielman (vocal)
Andy Tielman and his Indonesians (1969-1971)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, 6 string bass, vocal)
Rob Latuperisa (bass guitar, 6 string bass)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal)
Benny Heynen (tenor saxophone, rhythm guitar)
Maurice de la Croix (bariton/tenor saxophone)
Leo Masengi (tenor saxophone, rhythm guitar)ex-The High Five
Jane Tielman (vocal)
Ilse Uchtman (vocal)
Andy Tielman & The Tielman Brothers (1975–1981)
Andy Tielman (lead guitar, vocal)
Reggy Tielman (2nd lead guitar, rhythm guitar)
Loulou Tielman (drum, vocal).
Rob Latuperisa (bass guitar)
Maurice de la Croix (bariton/tenor saxophone)
Leo Masengi (alt/tenor saxophone, rhythm guitar)
Benny Heynen (tenor saxophone, clarinet, guitar)
External links
- Official Andy Tielman Website.
- Vintage video footage showing exemplary live performance of the Tielman Brothers, dated 1959. Retrieved 26 March 2011
- Music Encyclopedia – Netherlands Center of Music (NCM) Retrieved 28 November 2010
- Music from NL – Online biography. Retrieved 28 November 2010
- Pictures and video footage overview. Retrieved 28 November 2010
- Indorock Website - Tielman Brothers biography. Retrieved 28 November 2010
- Story of Indorock website. Retrieved 28 November 2010 Article in Rolling Stone Indonesia. Retrieved 11 Jul 2011.