Kamahl reveals he ‘had an inferiority complex’ about being ‘black in a white man’s world’ ahead of his appearance on Anh’s Brush with Fame
Kamahl has revealed he suffered an ‘inferiority complex’ because of his race, ahead of his his appearance on Anh’s Brush with Fame.
The 86-year-old performer, who was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia told TV week that his life changed dramatically when he arrived in Adelaide, South Australia in 1953.
‘I developed an inferiority complex, about being black in a white man’s society,’ he said in Monday’s issue of the magazine.
Changes: Kamahl (pictured) has revealed he suffered an ‘inferiority complex’ because of his race, ahead of his his appearance on Anh’s Brush with Fame. The 86-year-old performer, who was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia told TV week that his life changed dramatically when he arrived in Adelaide, South Australia in 1953
The singer and actor added: ‘And that was my attitude for a very long time’.
Kamahl will soon appear on an upcoming episode of Anh’s Brush with Fame, and told the magazine he hopes the painter and comedian, ‘will be kind’.
It comes after Hey Hey It’s Saturday host Daryl Somers apologised to Kamahl and said he ‘deeply regrets’ humiliating the singer after he spoke out about being racially mocked on the show.
Concerns: ‘I developed an inferiority complex, about being black in a white man’s society,’ he said in Monday’s issue of the magazine. ‘And that was my attitude for a very long time’. Pictured on Anh’s Brush with Fame
Kandiah ‘Kamahl’ Kamalesvaran, who was born in Malaysia to Tamil-Hindu parents, revealed that he was the target of a series of racist jokes on the popular variety program.
He said the most offensive skit happened in 1984 when a stage hand covered his face in white powder before presenter John Blackman called out off-screen: ‘You’re a real white man now, Kamahl, you know that?’.
While Blackman fired back after the tell-all interview and asked why the singer didn’t confront him about it 37 years ago, Somers issued a heartfelt apology last week.
Sorry: It comes after Hey Hey It’s Saturday host Daryl Somers (right) apologised to Kamahl and said he ‘deeply regrets’ humiliating the singer after he spoke out about being racially mocked on the show. A scene on Hey Hey It’s Saturday where Kamahl was doused in white powder
‘I want to make it very clear that I and all members of the Hey Hey team do not condone racism in any form,’ he wrote on Facebook.
‘I have always considered Kamahl a friend and supporter of the show, so I deeply regret any hurt felt by him as a result of anything that took place on the program in the past.’
He said the entertainment broadcast ‘never set out to offend anyone’ and acknowledged that some skits on the show, which ran from 1971 to 1999, ‘is plainly inappropriate’ and would not be aired today.
Apology: Somers said the entertainment broadcast ‘never set out to offend anyone’ and acknowledged that some skits on the show, which ran from 1971 to 1999, ‘is plainly inappropriate’ and would not be aired today