Chris Lam Sam
LAM SAM, Chris (1981- ) was born in Auckland and grew up in Wellington. He attended Waikato University and was awarded a Bachelor of Music in 2002. He then attended the Waikato School of Education and gained a Graduate Diploma in Primary School Teaching in 2005.
Since 2000, Lam Sam has been an entertainer and composer and formed the band The Funky Monkeys in 2003. Their first album was called Jungle Party! (2005), followed by Get Up Go! (2008), Camping Adventure (2010) and The Waikato Plunket Roadshows Album (2012). They have performed more than 900 shows to 1.7 million people. From 2013 to 2018, Lam Sam was the keyboardist for Late Eighties Mercedes, and produced two albums with them, Diamonds (2013) and Christmas with Late Eighties Mercedes (2013).
He has also been involved in creating children’s music videos on YouTube. The Thank You Song (2008) with The Funky Monkeys received the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Children’s Music Video of the Year in 2008. Other music videos produced include Kiwi Convey (2016) with Itty Bitty Beats and The Smart Water Song (2018). Most recently, he has received funding from NZ On Air to collaborate with photographer Steve Hathaway of Young Ocean Explorers to create Let's Love our Sea (2019).
His book Inspector Brunswick: Case of the Missing Eyebrow (2017) was published by TATE Publishing in London. For this, he worked with Angela Keoghan, a New Zealand illustrator. BookTrust UK described the book as “this light-hearted mystery picture book with attractive illustrations is the first in a series about the art-loving pair of detectives. The gallery setting is a great way to introduce children to this environment, particularly if they are embarking on their own museum or gallery visit”.
Lam Sam has also been associated with several New Zealand organisations. Since 2009 he has been the Musical Director for Kids school choir concerts. He has frequently performed at the Sailor Asthma Show for the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s education concerts between 2016 and 2019. Lam Sam was also a founding board member of the Kiwi Kids Music Trust, serving as Chair from 2020-2021.
In 2020, Lam Sam was awarded a grant from Creative New Zealand to produce an album of silly songs for children, which was released on 26 September 2020.
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