Klankenstapper

With our fourth episode of the ‘Story about the real Malando’ we have arrived at the year 1963. The record company Phonogram, that is Philips, pulls a stunt that will have  far-reaching consequences for the further career of Malando. In Japan, they release a double LP titled ‘El Tango; The Continental Tangos by Malando’. In the first month after its release it has already sold 50,000 copies. They are recordings that were already released in the West, including the LP ‘Mood for Tango’. At one go, Malando is a celebrity in Japan. An award was not long in coming. From the hands of a group of 15 Japanese record dealers, Malando receives an 8-kilos-weighing sculpture resembling a Japanese archer. The Hawaii guitar can also be heard in one of his compositions: the “Hawaiian tango”, that was also released as sheet music.

In 1964, Malando celebrates his 25th anniversary as orchestra leader. Everyone from the music industry of Hilversum, the Netherlands is present at the reception. At this occasion, an LP is presented; a beautiful anniversary album with a praising text from music expert and friend of Malando’s, Melle Weersma on the flap of the sleeve.

Malando tries to cut a dash in Japan and he and his entire orchestra are invited for a long-term tour through the main cities of the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’. They are joined by a new singer called Greetje Drent but she goes by her stage name Marita Montés.

In the Netherlands, Malando received an Edison in 1964 from the hands of Dutch tv-personality Willem Duys during the Grand Gala du Disque Populaire. He had won it out of 217 nominees (number of LPs that were judged). In that same year, Malando goes on his first tour to Japan, where he by now has a celebrity status, with an 18-person orchestra. Until this very day his grandson Danny can go there every two years with his Malando orchestra. For LPs released in Japan, Malando succesfully arranges for example a children’s song. He also produces Japanese LPs with tangos by Japanese composers. In the meantime, Malando keeps releasing records that don’t contain tangos as well.

In between Malando visits Helsinki for a three-day international tango festival where he plays four of his own compositions.

In the Netherlands, Malando’s popularity remains unabated with weekly radio broadcasts  and the occasional tv broadcasts. Among them, a Dutch tv channel broadcasts a series titled ‘Onder Moeders Paraplu’ (Dutch folk song) in which only Dutch artists can be seen. That was a good reason for Malando to arrange a few true Dutch folk songs for tango: the LP ‘Twee Emmertjes Tango Halen’. His annual arrangements in big companies like ‘Heck’s Lunchroom’ in Amsterdam and in ‘Scala’ in Valkenburg continue as well. In 1966, the Valkenburg event is put up for the ninth time!