Music in our house - Engelbert Humperdinck, from 1967

Music was always wafting through our Bedok kampong house and right about the time the older of us began his days at kindergarten in 1967 a new singer began conquering the Singapore radio airwaves with his love ballads, as well as hearts of the womenfolk like our mother – the British singer ‘King of Romance’ Engelbert Humperdinck. We boys did not know at that time that he was named after the German composer but the name was long and complicated to spell for us! Songs like ‘Release Me’, ‘The Last Waltz’ and ‘Les Bicyclettes de Belsize’ was swoon worthy indeed and easy to listen to and enjoy. Even our mother’s youngest uncle was collecting Engelbert’s LP vinyls and when we visited him in his Geylang kampong house, he would always oblige us to play his latest songs (we remember 1968’s ‘Pretty Ribbon’). Amazingly Engelbert continues to sing (and be active on social media too) and this year at 89 years of age, will be back in Singapore for a concert in November 2025. This post is to celebrate the vocal genius that is him. Sir, you are ‘not that easy to forget’ and your evergreen songs are certainly no ‘last waltz’ to us, not only in that kampong but also all over the world!