About
Active Period
—
Genre
Music
Subgenre
—
Geographic Location
—
Hawaiian Blue Rhythm Entertainers; Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Band; Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Boys; Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Syncopators.
About
Singapore band which was active from 1936 to 1956. The 1955-1956 group was billed as the Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Band or Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Syncopators, but given the bands name also varied in the 1930s & 1940s it is assumed the 1950s band is a continuation of the earlier one.
Appeared at:
- June 1937 – Happy World Cabaret, Singapore
- April 1938 – Wembley Cabaret, Penang
- August 1938 – New World Arena, Singapore (with Miss Roekyah’s “Terang Bulkan” Troupe)
- October 1939 – Happy World Cabaret, Singapore
- January 1940 – New World Dance Palace, Singapore
- August 1940 – Royal International Club, Johore Bahru
- July-October 1955 – various social events in Singapore
- May 1956 – Adelphi Grill (Adelphi Hotel)
- The band also broadcast over Radio Malaya (Singapore ZHI or ZHP) during the 1930s & 1940s. Known broadcasts include:
- August-Sept. 1936 – billed as The Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Boys
- April 1938 – “relayed from the Great World Cabaret”
- November 1938
- May 1939
- January 1941 – “from the studio”
Established Date
–
Genre
Music
Troupe Organisation
No troupe organisation recorded.
Travel (Tours and Routes)
Tours
No associated tour recorded.
Other Travel Routes
| Departure Date | From | Arrival Date | To | Via |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No routes information recorded. | ||||
Support (hasSupport)
| Supporter Name | Type of Support | Support Description |
|---|---|---|
| No support information recorded. | ||
Context
Geographical Roots
–
Cultural and Historical Roots
–
Training and Recruitment
–
Associated Performance(s)
No associated performance recorded.
Media
The Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Entertainers (1940). Image provided by Ross Laird.
Sources
–
Contributor
Last Updated on:
November 6, 2025 at 3:48 pm
Contributors:
scarcesounds@hotmail.com
To Cite:
, and scarcesounds@hotmail.com, scarcesounds@hotmail.comscarcesounds@hotmail.com scarcesounds@hotmail.com.
2025. “The Blue Rhythm Hawaiian Entertainers”. In Performing Archipelagos, edited by Kyueun Kim, Alvin Eng Hui Lim and Hedren Wai Yuan Sum. Singapore: National University of Singapore.
Troupe
Diasporic Identities and Intercultural Encounters
Chinese Opera or Wayang or Xiqu — Cantonese opera or Yueju
British Malaya (1826-1941)
1867-1941: Straits Settlements as Crown Colony
Troupe
Colonial and Empire Networks
Military
Straits Settlements (Up to 1946)
1900–1941: Pre-War Colonialism and Economic Growth
Venue
Comedy
Dance
English theatre
Music
British Malaya (1826-1941)
Up till 1895: British Colonial Consolidation
Performance
Colonial and Empire Networks
Amateur Drama, Farce.
Straits Settlements (Up to 1946)
1867–1900: Straits Settlements as a Crown Colony
Troupe
Colonial and Empire Networks
Bangsawan
British Malaya (1826-1941)
1867-1941: Straits Settlements as Crown Colony
Performance
Comedy
English theatre
Music
British Malaya (1826-1941)
Up till 1895: British Colonial Consolidation
Troupe
Colonial and Empire Networks
Acrobatics
Circus
Revue or Variety — Animal Acts
British Malaya (1826-1941)
Up till 1895: British Colonial Consolidation
Troupe
Archipelagic Agents
Chinese Opera or Wayang or Xiqu — Cantonese opera or Yueju
British Malaya (1826-1941)
1867-1941: Straits Settlements as Crown Colony
1911–1912: Xinhai Revolution
Troupe
Variety
Singapore, Post-Independence (1965 onwards)
1965–1975: Singapore’s Early Independence and Postcolonial Southeast Asia