Gwailo

Gwailo are a group from Singapore, active in the mid-1990s. They are described as an Anglo-American band living in Singapore, with the identities of the members kept secret. The name is a Cantonese term that has racist connotations and caused concern at their record label, Pony Canyon, until the label realised that the band members were white.

Gecko Sushi and Pony Canyon

The group releases a debut album, Gecko Sushi, which sells out. They are then due to appear on MTV Asia, but the performance is cancelled after a drug smuggling scandal is uncovered within Pony Canyon’s management. Pony Canyon withdraws from Singapore and takes the album rights with it, leaving the band with little to show beyond a small number of copies of the record.

Later activity and collaborators

Many tracks on Gecko Sushi feature the voice of Phoenix J., who later collaborates with other bands and releases two solo albums. The band returns to its home countries within a year of the album’s release.