Oscar Harris

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Oscar Harris
Oscar Harris 1981.jpg
Harris in 1981
Background information
Born (1943-11-30) 30 November 1943 (age 77)
Albina, Suriname
Genres Pop, soul
Occupation(s)Singer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1970–present

Oscar Harris (born 30 November 1943) is a Surinamese singer. He was among the best known Surinamese musicians in the Netherlands during the 1970s and 1980s.

Harris moved to Amsterdam to study architecture in 1963, and founded Oscar Harris and The Twinkle Stars, a ten-man vocal and instrumental group in 1965, which became known by playing at student gatherings in Amsterdam. [1] In 1968 the group was signed to the artist roster of Omega Records and Blue Elephant, with a tour of South America in 1971. [2] [3]

In 1974, Harris went solo with the single "Alta Gracia", commencing a series of hit-singles up to 1988. He had also recorded some hits in Indonesia, including "Sandy" and "Oh Tuhan".

In 2015 TopNotch released a compilation-cd in the Sranan Gowtu-series (Surinamese Gold) devoted to Surinamese artists, mainly from the 1970s.

Discography

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References

  1. Annemarie Cottaar, Ik had een neef in Den Haag: nieuwkomers in de twintigste eeuw 1998 "Op de podia van studentenverenigingen begon ook de carrière van de in 1965 opgerichte band Oscar Harris and the Twinkle Stars, de populairste Surinaamse groep in Nederland ..."
  2. Billboard – 13 March 1971 – Page 53 "Oscar Harris and the Twinkle Stars in South America for a six-week tour."
  3. Billboard – Volume 84 1972 p37 "Oscar Harris and the Twinkle Stars are a ten-strong vocal and instrumental group from Surinam in the West Indies. They settled in Amsterdam several years ago and in 1968 they joined the ..."