George de Fretes


George de Fretes was a musician from Indonesia who found fame in the Netherlands. Like his fellow countrymen Ming Luhulima and Rudi Wairata, he found sizable popularity in the Netherlands and Europe playing Hawaiian music.

Background

De Fretes came from the Maluku Islands, Indonesia and was born 23 December 1921 in Bandung. He was married to Joyce Aubrey and together they had a daughter Wanda, who was born in Bandung, Indonesia in 1946 and became a recording artist, like her musical parents. By 1952, de Fretes and Aubrey had divorced and she had moved to the Netherlands, taking their daughter Wanda with her. Aubrey joined The Mena Moeria Minstrels as their singer. The group was headed by Ming Luhulima. It is believed that de Fretes stowed away on a ship called the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and arrived in the Netherlands around 1958.

Death

De Fretes died on 19 November 1981. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park cemetery, Los Angeles County, California. He is buried next to his idol Sol Hoʻopiʻi.

Career

De Fretes was a multi instrumentalist. In addition to the steell guitar, he also played guitar, violin, trumpet and saxophone. He became a popular artist in the Netherlands, and like Luhulima, gained his fame there.
Along with Luhulima he was responsible for the Portuguese style or genre of music in the Netherlands called Kroncong becoming well known. He is also credited with teaching Rudi Wairata techniques on the steel guitar.
In 1960, he released an EP record on the Fontana label that featured the song "Ou' OelateZ". The record also featured Joyce Aubrey and Bill Toma on vocals. In 1966, he joined the Tielman Brothers and went on tour with them. He also recorded an album with Frank Valdor in 1966. Later he left to settle in the United States permanently. Around 1970 or 1971, Hula Girl was released on the Eclipse label. This was a re-release of an earlier album, Aloha Keakua that was released on the Omega label.
In September 2010, his daughter Wanda took a trip from California to the third Chanos International Steel Guitar Festival aka CISGF which was held in Chanos-Curson, France, to receive a posthumous European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame award for her father.

LP Discography

ActTitleRelease infoYearFNotes
George de Fretes & His Royal Hawaiian MinstrelsHawaiian ParadiseDecca – NP 356 001LP
George de Fretes and his Royal Hawaiian MinstrelsAloha KeakoaOmega 333 075LP
Royal Hawaiian Minstrels O.l.v. George de Fretes met zang van:
Wanda, Sita en de Samoa Voices		Royal Hawaiian Minstrels O.l.v. George de Fretes met zang van:
Wanda, Sita en de Samoa Voices		Iris Records 15042LP
George de Fretes And The South-Sea-MelodiansIsland In The Sun
Hawaiian-Klänge Mit George De Fretes And The South-Sea-Melodians		Tip 633 147LPRoyal Hawaiian Minstrels aka South Sea Melodians
The Royal Hawaiian Minstrels Conducted by George de Fretes With The Samoa VoicesBeautiful Hawaii: The Most Beautiful Hawaiian SongsPMF Records 90 533-21991CD

ActTitleRelease infoYearFNotes
George de Fretes En Zijn Suara IstanaHeimwee Naar InsulindeDecca 625 372 QL1976LP