This is the new Logo for my VanderpostVoiceStudio

Even before this picture was taken I was in Arts, loved drawing and painting.  So long ago it was bore my national Opera debut as Silvio in I Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. What a night that was, I believe I was the first blond Silvio, not haven been given a dark wig I just went on and Maralin

 Niska singing Nedda whispered to me wow a blond Silvio, a first one for me.

We sort of chuckled and went on to perform.  It was a tour de force for me.  It was my first full orchestra unrehearsed performance, the staging for me was unbelievably strange to say the least because the man who was the stage director had no clue what a diaphragm is for.  Nedda was at her make uptable with me sitting on one end of with my bag toward her.  I had to turn in some weird angle, face her and go for a high note.  During the actual orchestrated performance I at the spur of the moment decided not to the awful turn faced the opposite way and the high g came without any problem

The following day I was not mentioned in the cast write up by the critic because I have to be honest I went a bit to fast tempo wise, which was not appreciated by a lot of people I understand and just took it like a trooper.

Frank Guerrera was a fabulous baritone and the tenor was the incredible Giovanni Consiglio, Maralin Niska as Nedda.

I must be very honest that the soprano was quite snooty and I truly believe she did not like me but the show must go on.  During our famous duet, some of the chorus members told I looked and acted quite fresh because when I was next to Nedda and the lean over her and caress her body, accidentally my hand vanished under her skirt, in the heat of singing and doing all the things right I had no clue.

Before the performance something strange, awkward and ridiculous happened.  Making my debut also meant I had my own dressing room, I was thrilled and looked forward to having that room all for myself.

Well I arrived and opened the door and there he was that horrible little tenor from the conservatory.  He looked at me and snarled like the nasty moron he was" well now that you are a star and alone I thought I can share this room with you," he laughed.  I very calmly replied, " I am not a star and you cn keep this dressing room all for yourself you make believe idiot, I will go to the men's room and change, just don't touch my roses, they are from a very special admirer" and I left him in the room with a nice gold star on the door

Other people told me as to why I let him have the room, being it the night of my debut I did not ant to argue with a man who was Nelly, jealous.  During performances at the conservatory I worked the night shift and coming to class I always was singing flat but the week before the performances I took off from my job and when I sang I always loved to interpolate a high A and A flat.

After such a performance he ran over to me, Why did you do the A A flat, I am a tenor and don't have those notes yet.

I smiled  and said than perhaps you are not a tenor, I refuse to leave my capabilities out of a performance because it upsets you.

I never ever found out who the admirers were but it was so great because when I performed the role of Valentin in Faust by C Gounod, I received thirteen deep velvety red roses, presented to me by two girls.  They looked adorable in they summery flower printed dresses.  I asked who were they looking for, Mr Vanderpost one said, that is me I replied, This box is for you and when I opened it there were those beautiful roses.

The soprano who was singing Marguerite, are those for you James, well she went on to say, I have never seen a man receive flowers like this at a performance.  My reply, well there is a first time for everything, she looked very unhappy and made a sort of sour puss face.

She was a beauty queen and was quite full of herself. I just shrug it off and went to the dressing room area.      

Mother and I right after the war in 1947, in the Netherlands

Indo discrimination, rampart in the old days, perhaps till mid sixties

The word Indo was a derogatory word like in the USA the N word.  Indo was applied to half breeds, mixed people of European and Indonesian blood.  Majority were the Dutch, They had occupied the country for over 300 years.

During those years, many Indos  were  born and they were put in a different category not ever able to climb the corporate ladder, sort of kept in their place and  a glass ceiling prevented any one of them to become high-ranking executives, but when they climbed to the highest level they were called, and thought so of themselves, Tuan Bazaar, important man.

They had their own movie theaters, places to go, they made money and were able to afford servants like, a babu, live in maid, cook, katjoeng work boy, some even a car with a chauffeur.

So overall a very great life, but in their own put in environment.

Night clubs for the white men, chic and elegant bands, littering night life.  Before WW2 broke out my father took my mother Marina, a name he had given her because her real name Christina, she never liked that and he started calling her Marina to one of the European clubs at her insistence.

She was convinced she could pass for a European woman, Her problem being, that she loathed being Indonesian.

One evening, Marina decided she wanted to go the nightclub, dinner and dancing.  Apparently, it started out grandly, the band was playing and the food was excellent, some drinks and then it was time for the big band to come on and play dance music. 

Quite a few couples were dancing and having a great time, smooth music in the thirties, waltzes, tangos, Marina's favorite.

Then, out of the clear blue sky, the band abruptly stopped playing and every one was looking at each other with great surprise on their faces.

The MC took the microphone and started talking, well, actually he was asking this, "Would the woman on the dance floor not of European blood, please remove herself from the dance floor?"  Marina looked around, looking up at her tall husband.  The MC again took up the microphone and  this time he spoke more firm, very affirmative, asking the same question again this though adding that if this woman would not do so the band would stop playing and the club would close.  Marina again played it very cool and than my father whispered to her to just give in and to leave the club.

They left the club and I believe that was a great insult to Marina and started the beginning of dealing with a great mental inner war.

Soon the Japanese attacked the Indonesian Islands, they had been stopped by the Australians or the Japanese plans were to take Australia but since the were not able to make that reality, Indonesia was next.

So discrimination has been around for a extremely long time and a lot more would come Marina's way for the next ten years minimum. It would eventually catch up with me and my experience with discrimination was nasty, painful, and unbearable at times.  My experience with discrimination started in the foster homes where I was placed out of great necessity, by my mother.