A teacher’s unforgettable tunes

Raw and innocent: Roziah Latiff and The Jayhawkers comprising (from left) Anthony John, Harold Lawrence, Joe Chelliah, Roziah Latiff, Douglas Canagasaba and Martin Seriwardene.

WHEN Roziah Latiff & The Jayhawkers hit the airwaves in the mid-1960s, rubber tappers with transistor radios strapped to their heads were listening to the songs, says the band’s songwriter and guitarist Joe Chelliah.

Chelliah, 71, who grew up in post-war Malaya in a rubber estate in Johor, recalled the simple, uncomplicated times that were captured in the music.