Han River Girls, 1960s Korean all-girl band: They toured to Singapore & recorded 4 EPs on TNA (Tang Nam Ah), a local label. The band also traveled to South Vietnam in 1969 and played for the troops. [Note that they sing “Guantanamera”, a Spanish-language song apparently popular in 1960s Asia]. Thanks to Joseph Clement Pereira for providing this amazing album image and stories about Han River Girls. When I asked him which troops the band played for, he answered, “I think the US and the Korean GIs. South Korea was given two districts to manage. In fact the bands recruited in Singapore to play for the American GIs was done by Korean agents.” He continued to explain the reliance of itinerant entertainers upon the military infrastructure. “During the Vietnam war, four countries namely Taiwan, South Korea, Hongkong and Singapore provided much in the way of logistics support for the American military effort. Including the entertainment. Hence the presence of the Korean show biz agents in Singapore. We had many Korean performers in Singapore and we use to wonder why. Now we know. En route to South Vietnam. The bands that played there said it was a humbling experience.”  I’m starting to wonder how much of garage & surf rock in 1960s-70s in Asia was financed by military dollars. This summer I read that much of the early Taiwanese rock music passion and talent developed in order to entertain the United States G.I. based in Taiwan.

Han River Girls, 1960s Korean all-girl band: They toured to Singapore & recorded 4 EPs on TNA (Tang Nam Ah), a local label. The band also traveled to South Vietnam in 1969 and played for the troops. [Note that they sing “Guantanamera”, a Spanish-language song apparently popular in 1960s Asia].

Thanks to Joseph Clement Pereira for providing this amazing album image and stories about Han River Girls. When I asked him which troops the band played for, he answered, “I think the US and the Korean GIs. South Korea was given two districts to manage. In fact the bands recruited in Singapore to play for the American GIs was done by Korean agents.” He continued to explain the reliance of itinerant entertainers upon the military infrastructure. “During the Vietnam war, four countries namely Taiwan, South Korea, Hongkong and Singapore provided much in the way of logistics support for the American military effort. Including the entertainment. Hence the presence of the Korean show biz agents in Singapore. We had many Korean performers in Singapore and we use to wonder why. Now we know. En route to South Vietnam. The bands that played there said it was a humbling experience.” 

I’m starting to wonder how much of garage & surf rock in 1960s-70s in Asia was financed by military dollars. This summer I read that much of the early Taiwanese rock music passion and talent developed in order to entertain the United States G.I. based in Taiwan.