Daisy Devan
A South Asian woman with short dark hair in a bouffant set; she is wearing white beaded earrings and a sari.
Daisy Devan, probably in the 1960s.
Born1928
Malaya
Died2009(2009-00-00) (aged 80–81)
Singapore
OccupationBusinesswoman

Daisy E. Devan (1928-2009) was a Singaporean businesswoman, called "Singapore's Mother Music".[1] She was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame posthumously, in 2018.

Early life

Devan was born in Malaya, the daughter of Indian parents.[2]

Career

Devan worked in the rubber industry with Société des Matieres Premieres Tropicales,[3] before becoming involved in the music business.[2] She was Artistes and Repertoire Manager of EMI in Singapore beginning in 1957.[1][4] Her discoveries included The Quests,[5][6] and Sarena Hashim, and she promoted the work of Kartina Dahari,[7] Anita Sarawak, Taiwanese singer Tracy Huang, and Sharifah Aini.[1]

In addition to popular music, Devan recorded traditional Malaysian music in various languages and genres. In 1965, she produced the first official recording of Singapore's new national anthem. After she retired from the music business in 1981, she and her husband ran a health food store.[3]

Devan was one of the founders of Singapore's Business and Professional Women’s Club.[3][8] She was a judge for Discovery Talentime 1975, a musical talent contest on Radio Television Singapore.[9]

Personal life and legacy

Daisy Devan was married to Albert Devan. She had been a widow for sixteen years when she died at her home in Clementi in 2009, aged 81 years.[7] In 2017, a program about Devan, When Mother Music Comes to Tea by Khir Johari, was featured at the Singapore International Festival of Arts. In 2018, she was posthumously inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.[3][10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Johari, Khir. "A Tribute to Singapore's Mother Music" Passage (September/October 2017): 16.
  2. 1 2 "She Leaves Her Desk to Run a Home--Then It's Time to Study". The Straits Times. 27 January 1955. p. 12. Retrieved November 7, 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Daisy Devan". Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  4. ↑ "Malaysia High on New Year". Billboard: 14. January 16, 1965.
  5. ↑ Chua, Henry (3 April 2014). "How The Quests' Shanty shaped Singapore's pop scene". TODAYonline. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  6. ↑ Toh, Christopher (3 April 2014). "How The Quests' Shanty shaped Singapore's pop scene". TODAYonline. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  7. 1 2 Thomas, Sujin (April 1, 2009). "'Mother of Local Music' Dies at 81". The Straits Times. p. B8. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Business and Friendship are her Interests". The Straits Times. 26 July 1956. p. 12. Retrieved November 7, 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. ↑ "Suzanna's 'Loving You' Wins the Judges' Hearts". The Straits Times. 5 December 1975. p. 10. Retrieved November 7, 2020 – via NewspaperSG.
  10. ↑ Tan Tam Mei (2018-03-25). "12 women role models inducted into Hall of Fame". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
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