Scratchy old 78 rpm records from Asia. Probably other places too.
If you appreciate the unending stream of never reissued ethnic 78s, please support our efforts by donating five bucks to the tip jar. You might even get a surprise “thank you” gift, just like with NPR!
And speaking of never reissued 78s….Haji Maji has released an lp of thai music with Dust-to-Digital’s vinyl imprint Parlortone. There are a couple follow up projects in the works so stay tuned.
Please CONTACT ME if you have similar records you’d like to sell, donate or trade.
Who am I? I live in Oakland, California where I play fiddle in the Squirrelly Stringband and Greek bouzouki in the Disciples of Markos. I’m a graphic designer by trade and a reformed filmmaker.
Feel free to leave any comments or contribute information, and if you wish to use any of the material from this site please provide a credit and link.
33 Comments so far
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HAJI MAJI 
Please more, more, more!!! I have been searching for this music and though I have found Chinese music, it was not this, opera from the 20’s. This is just what I want!! Thank you so much for posting…MORE PLEASE!!!!!!
Comment by NoNameInTheStreet October 28, 2007 @ 1:45 amno worries…plenty more where these came from! Thanks for listening.
Comment by hajimaji October 28, 2007 @ 9:29 pmYes — this is SO great. Thank you for making an effort in preserving this material!!
Comment by wendell January 8, 2008 @ 12:14 pm:)
Comment by bibomedia February 28, 2008 @ 11:03 pmThis is such a beautiful wonderful thing. Thank you so much for doing it.
Comment by Greta Novitchka May 17, 2008 @ 1:22 pmHi, I was wondering if it’s possible to make a limited CDR release (max. 35 copies) with special packaging of your mp3’s? If you are interested you can mail me about it, thanks!
Comment by :René August 10, 2008 @ 1:23 pmThe 3 labels, Nam Sing, Golden Star Record and Tsing Ping were labels that were distributed in San Francisco. I particular remember Golden Star Records because they also had a radio station at the store in the 60s. My dad would blast their station every night. Some of the old cantonese opera I remember from my childhood days. My dad probably owned them. He had boxes and boxes of old 78s but they’re gone now.
Comment by Ed February 13, 2009 @ 11:49 amGreat, thanks for the info Ed.
Comment by HAJI MAJI February 13, 2009 @ 2:27 pmThank you. Your musical queries are prolific and I am very appreciative.
Comment by hannah December 11, 2009 @ 7:39 pmYou’re welcome…and thanks for checking in.
HM
Comment by HAJI MAJI December 13, 2009 @ 1:52 pmLove the stuff on morlarm and luk thing. I also collect some of these music and would be great to liase…
Comment by Pradip (Lord Lingham) January 24, 2010 @ 5:12 amNothing new for four months now – hope you are alive and well!…
Comment by Chris Zwarg August 28, 2010 @ 1:22 amHi. This stuff is awesome! I play bouzouki in a band called Corespondents, and my band mates play don bao (and drums) and guitar. We listen to, and attempting to incorporate a lot of stuff from all over time and space, and you have got some cool stuff on here.
Comment by Doug September 23, 2010 @ 12:35 amThank you, keep it up, and please let me know if the Disciples of Markos are interested in an instrumental opening act in November…? That stuff is great!
Thanks,
Doug
It’s so difficult nowadays to find information about 78 rpm records. So, this really helpfull.
Comment by H. Mulyanto October 11, 2010 @ 1:51 amI love to collect that kind of records too.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for setting up this website and uploading the music. Its such a treasure trove. Made my day!
Comment by pearl November 3, 2010 @ 1:00 amPearlyn from Singapore
Haji Maji rocks!
Comment by Kevin Gerzevitz April 14, 2011 @ 9:58 amlove from bombay. this is fantastic.
Comment by aa September 8, 2011 @ 8:17 amdear sirs
Comment by philippe October 16, 2011 @ 11:19 ami’d like to order the luk thung record please
All i can say is WOW!! Thank you!
Comment by erutu October 30, 2011 @ 4:21 pmThank you Haji Maji. As a Indonesian/javanese, I don’t have knowledge about Indonesian music, but I get many information from you. I believe that many others Indonesian also doen’t know about old Indonesian artist/musician. I love listening 78 rpm records on my old gramopho ne. Still try to collect Indonesian records and appreciate them.
Btw, unique name you have. Haji is a person (moslem) who has done hajj in Mekah.
Thank you & best regards.
Comment by Pedagang Karat November 24, 2011 @ 11:43 pmDmitri Mavra – David Murray – HajiMaji – whoever you are, your ears and your mind are in the right place – MUSIC! Thanks for your efforts to reclaim vibrant older, near-forgotten musical traditions.
I have at home some non-commercial recordings of ‘kebuon’ – sung recitations of traditional wisdom, for solo voice – by some (Western) Cham people from Vietnam and Cambodia – if this kind of stuff is not too ethnographic for your taste – do you want to hear a sample?
Comment by Yahya Abdal-Aziz January 30, 2012 @ 9:58 amyes, I’d love to hear it!
Comment by HAJI MAJI January 30, 2012 @ 10:06 amThis is the first time I have contact with Chinese music, and I must admit I am amazed …!! Thank you very much for your time and your dedication to spread these gems …!
Comment by Carlos March 20, 2012 @ 2:16 amI feel sorry for not being able to repay you with music or anything ethnic, but I have friends, and all I can offer is to spread your website … Congratulations from Argentina …! =)
Thanks Carlos, Enjoy!
Comment by HAJI MAJI March 20, 2012 @ 8:35 amHM
Congradulation for such a valuable and full of data website for recording history in East and South East Asia, according to records, photos and postcards.
Comment by Amir Mansour June 10, 2012 @ 4:30 amI have a similar website for recording history and discography in Western Asia focused on Iran cultural Area:
http://www.persiandiscography.com
I hope to have cooprations in finding mint informations and rare records of unknown music stars of Asia.
Amir Mansour
Tehran, Iran
Now, More data is available here:
Comment by Amir Mansour November 26, 2012 @ 4:08 amhttp://www.oirvm.com
Amir Mansour
Just outstanding! I am many friends can’t thank you enough for all this wonderful wax!
Comment by Dirk Bill August 12, 2013 @ 8:03 pmDear David,
Have meant to contact you for some time. I also live in Oakland. Have been running into your site every now and then. Love the music. Great work & congrats on the LA Times coverage. Thanks
Sonny Le
Comment by Sonny Le (@sonnylebythebay) October 8, 2013 @ 8:30 pmHello Haji Maji! Thanks so much for your fantastic website, but also for the Longing for the Past set. After 2 months of waiting for it, I must say it is absolutely incredible! All of it is so intense…. yet slow and steady it goes, trying to soak it up without being washed away…. ha! Move over, Charlie Pattons of the era, here come more monsters to mythologize. Keep up the good work, to say the least, and please keep ’em coming!
Comment by Taylor Savvy November 7, 2013 @ 3:57 amBest to you and your team, Taylor Savvy aus Berlin
Thanks Taylor,
I appreciate the compliments..enjoy!
Dave
Comment by HAJI MAJI November 7, 2013 @ 9:43 pmthe CD you put together for Dust To Digital, “Kassidat: Rare 45’s from Morocco” is wonderful. I’ve been waiting for someone to do this and even dreamed of doing it myself but my day job with Shanachie Entertainment leaves me no time. More importantly the selections are excellent….. I was however disappointed that there only six tracks….wondering why? there is a wealth of great Moroccan music on 45’s….there is a restaurant in Essouria which has a stupendous collection of old ’45’s right in the entry way…..the owner is a collector evidently…. I would love to trade, buy or donate for more of this music… please respond to me via e-mail…. once again, thanks for your great work!
Comment by Randall Grass March 22, 2014 @ 2:12 pmI like the Burmese pictures
Comment by pascal christel May 25, 2017 @ 2:34 amAre they copyrighted?
Thanks
Pascal
I believe the Burmese postcards are in the public domain.
Comment by HAJI MAJI May 25, 2017 @ 9:34 am