Greg Roskowski
Encyclopedia
Greg Roskowski was an announcer of Radio Ceylon
during the height of the station's popularity in the 1950s in South Asia
. Roskowski, born of a Polish father and a Japanese mother, was the booming voice of Radio Ceylon's morning radio programs.
The Roskowski family at one time also owned and ran Hotel Nippon, a middle-budget hotel and restaurant, situated in the commercial heart of Colombo
. Hotel Nippon has one of the earliest oriental restaurants and it exists to this day, in downtown Colombo.
According to one-time radio colleague Jimmy Bharucha
, Greg Roskowski used to receive fan mail of over 500 letters a day. Listeners to Radio Ceylon enjoyed his 'wakey wakey' style and he introduced the hit songs of Frank Sinatra
, Dean Martin
, Sammy Davis Junior, Bill Haley & His Comets
, Cliff Richard
and Elvis Presley
to audiences in Ceylon and beyond.
Greg Roskowski was known as 'Happy-go-lucky-Greg' over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon. He was immensely popular on the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon and the All Asia Service where he presented a countdown of English pop music called the Binanca Hit Parade.
Indian listeners of Greg Roskowski's programme then wrote into the station in the thousands clamouring for a countdown programme of Hindi filmi
songs since All India Radio had banned Bollywood
music. Binaca Geetmala
, presented by Ameen Sayani
, was the outcome – it became an iconic radio programme over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon.
Greg Roskowski was one of a handful of 'overseas announcers' working for Radio Ceylon in the 1950s and 1960s when the station ruled the airwaves in South Asia
; the others being the American Craig Thompson who co-presented the Kiddies Corner, a program for children, and Ameen Syani from India, who presented Binaca Geet Mala, a program of Indian filmi music.
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.- Edward Harper :...
during the height of the station's popularity in the 1950s in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. Roskowski, born of a Polish father and a Japanese mother, was the booming voice of Radio Ceylon's morning radio programs.
The Roskowski family at one time also owned and ran Hotel Nippon, a middle-budget hotel and restaurant, situated in the commercial heart of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. Hotel Nippon has one of the earliest oriental restaurants and it exists to this day, in downtown Colombo.
According to one-time radio colleague Jimmy Bharucha
Jimmy Bharucha
Jimmy Bharucha, called a 'colossus in Sri Lanka's broadcasting world' died in Colombo in June 2005.Bharucha who was educated at St.Peter's College,Colombo, had a career in broadcasting spanning 46 years...
, Greg Roskowski used to receive fan mail of over 500 letters a day. Listeners to Radio Ceylon enjoyed his 'wakey wakey' style and he introduced the hit songs of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, Sammy Davis Junior, Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
and 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"....
to audiences in Ceylon and beyond.
Greg Roskowski was known as 'Happy-go-lucky-Greg' over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon. He was immensely popular on the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon and the All Asia Service where he presented a countdown of English pop music called the Binanca Hit Parade.
Indian listeners of Greg Roskowski's programme then wrote into the station in the thousands clamouring for a countdown programme of Hindi filmi
Filmi
Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. Music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playback singers and it makes up 72% of the music sales in India....
songs since All India Radio had banned Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
music. Binaca Geetmala
Binaca Geetmala
Binaca Geetmala was a weekly radio countdown show of top filmi songs from Indian cinema listened to by millions of Hindi music lovers, that was broadcast on Radio Ceylon from 1952 to 1988 and then shifted to Vividh Bharati network in 1989 where it ran till 1994...
, presented by Ameen Sayani
Ameen Sayani
Ameen Sayani is a popular radio announcer from India. He achieved fame and popularity all across South Asia when he presented his Binaca Geetmala program of hits over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon. He is one of the most imitated announcers even today....
, was the outcome – it became an iconic radio programme over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon.
Greg Roskowski was one of a handful of 'overseas announcers' working for Radio Ceylon in the 1950s and 1960s when the station ruled the airwaves in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
; the others being the American Craig Thompson who co-presented the Kiddies Corner, a program for children, and Ameen Syani from India, who presented Binaca Geet Mala, a program of Indian filmi music.
See also
- Radio CeylonRadio CeylonRadio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.- Edward Harper :...
- Sri Lanka Broadcasting CorporationSri Lanka Broadcasting CorporationThe Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on January 5, 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Dudley Senanayake who was the Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1967 ceremonially opened the newly established Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation along with Minister Ranasinghe...
- List of Sri Lankan broadcasters
- Kiddies CornerKiddies CornerKiddies Corner was a hugely popular children's radio programme broadcaston the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. The format was devised in 1963. This was the 'golden era' of the radio station, the oldest in South Asia...