Kamahl (third from left) hands Prince Bernhard a cheque for the World Wildlife Fund in the Netherlands on 21 November 1975, the year ‘The elephant song’ went to number one there. Photo: Rob Croes / Anefo, Nationaal Archief, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
In 1975 a song about an elephant went to number one in the Netherlands. And in Belgium. It reached number three in Sweden. The man singing it was a softly spoken baritone who’d grown up in Kuala Lumpur and learned his trade in Adelaide and Sydney. In Australia the same record stalled at number 55.
That’s Kamahl for you. He’s been singing professionally for more than 70 years, a household name here for most of them, and still one of the most underrated voices we’ve produced.
The song that went to number one in Holland
‘The elephant song’ was written by Dutch producer Hans van Hemert, and the Dutch took to it in a big way. It topped the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the album of the same name went to number one in the Netherlands as well, according to Kamahl’s Wikipedia biography. His follow-up, ‘Chanson d’amour’, reached number 20 there. In Sweden ‘The elephant song’ made number three and hung around for a long time, and it’s still the record European fans ask him about.
Why there and not here? Nobody really knows. Plenty of Aussie fans only found out about the European success years later, usually at a trivia night.
Kuala Lumpur, Adelaide, then Sydney
Kamahl was born Kandiah Kamalesvaran on 13 November 1934 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. He came to Adelaide as a student in April 1953 and sang at parties and functions around town.
At one of those parties, in December 1958, a young newspaper proprietor named Rupert Murdoch tipped him ten pounds and told him to try Sydney. Murdoch then arranged his first television appearance in 1959, which the ABC says was part of Adelaide’s first live telecast, and a six-week season at the Hotel Australia in Sydney. Kamahl ended up living with the Murdoch family at their Darling Point home for two years. Not many young singers get that kind of start, and he’s always been quick to credit Murdoch for it.
The records took a while. His first hit single, ‘The sounds of goodbye’, reached number 19 in 1969. His 1971 album Kamahl went to number one in New Zealand, and in 1971 and 1972 he had his own ABC TV series with international guests. He was also among the first performers at the Sydney Opera House after it opened, and he worked the pubs and clubs just as hard as the concert halls.
A gold record on Bandstand
Around this time Kamahl turned up on Channel Nine’s Bandstand for one of its big live specials. Our Bandstand Live DVD with The Hollies and Herman’s Hermits includes Kamahl being presented with his first gold record and singing ‘Somehow someway’ and ‘Life must go on’, on a special that also featured Aussie singer Dianne Horder. It’s a lovely bit of footage and worth seeing if you only know him from later years.
Hey Hey and “Why are so many people unkind?”
Which brings us to Hey Hey It’s Saturday. Kamahl was a regular guest, and he was often the butt of the joke. He told the ABC in 2025 that he was once hit in the face with a white powder puff the week before his second Carnegie Hall concert, and he described some of that treatment as a form of racism. He first spoke out publicly in 2009, around the time Harry Connick Jr complained about a blackface skit on the show’s Red Faces segment. Host Daryl Somers publicly apologised in April 2021.
The line everyone quotes back at him, “Why are people so unkind?”, isn’t quite right either. Kamahl says it comes from a 1978 song of his, and the real line is “Why are so many people unkind?” The “so many” matters to him, because in his view most people are kind.
Through all of it he kept recording, more than 30 albums across a 70-year career, and he kept popping up on the telly, in The Chaser’s War on Everything (2007), Spicks and Specks (2010) and Offspring (2013).
How old is Kamahl, and is he still singing
Kamahl is 91 as of September 2026. The ABC’s December 2025 profile found him still singing at Christmas carols events and finishing a spoken word recording called A guide to life, due in 2026.
The honours list is long. He has done more than 30 concerts at the Sydney Opera House, played Carnegie Hall twice and sung for Queen Elizabeth II three times. He also played the London Palladium. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1994 and named Australian Father of the Year in 1998. He received the Centenary Medal in 2004 and three Mo Awards in a row from 1982 to 1984, and in 2006 the Variety Club included him among its Entertainers of the 20th Century. He’s reported to have sold more than 20 million records.
Got a favourite Kamahl record, or a memory of seeing him live? Share it in the comments, or request a song. If the big-voiced balladeers are your thing, have a read of our story on Roy Orbison.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Kamahl?
Kamahl was born Kandiah Kamalesvaran on 13 November 1934 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, so he is 91 as of September 2026 and turns 92 in November. An ABC profile in December 2025 said he was still performing occasionally.
What is Kamahl’s most famous song?
Overseas, ‘The elephant song’ (1975), written by Dutch producer Hans van Hemert. It went to number one in the Netherlands and Belgium and number three in Sweden. At home, his breakthrough was ‘The sounds of goodbye’, which reached number 19 in 1969.
Did Kamahl really say “Why are people so unkind?”
Not quite. Kamahl told the ABC in 2025 that the line comes from a 1978 song of his, and it’s actually “Why are so many people unkind?” He likes to point out the “so many”, because plenty of people are kind.
Was Kamahl on Bandstand?
Yes. Our Bandstand Live DVD with The Hollies and Herman’s Hermits includes Kamahl receiving his first gold record on the program and singing ‘Somehow someway’ and ‘Life must go on’.
When did Kamahl come to Australia?
He arrived in Adelaide in April 1953. There he met Rupert Murdoch, who arranged his first television appearance in 1959 and encouraged him to try Sydney. Kamahl lived with the Murdoch family for two years.
Is Kamahl still singing?
Yes, now and then. In December 2025 the ABC reported that he still sang at Christmas carols events and was finishing a spoken word recording, A guide to life, planned for 2026. He has recorded more than 30 albums.
What honours has Kamahl received?
He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1994, named Australian Father of the Year in 1998 and received the Centenary Medal in 2004. He also won three Mo Awards between 1982 and 1984.
Where has Kamahl performed?
Just about everywhere. He has given more than 30 concerts at the Sydney Opera House, played Carnegie Hall twice and the London Palladium, and sung for Queen Elizabeth II three times, as well as plenty of pubs and clubs around Australia.
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Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, music history is often based on available documentation and interpretation.
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