MUSIC & FILM
Chris and Sir Dave Dobbyn
Chris Lam Sam is an accomplished and multi award-winning songwriter and composer for stage and screen.
He has worked on musical projects for some of New Zealand’s top-tier performers and recording artists including Sir Dave Dobbyn, and GRAMMY Award winning artists, Kimbra, and Joel Little.
Specialising in musical arrangement and film score writing, Chris’ music has featured on numerous radio and television channels, and movie theatres throughout the USA.
Chris has an ongoing musical collaboration with performer and composer, Dr. Jeremy Mayall. Together they have written film scores for several independently produced films, including Pikelet Cinema’s feature-length movie Penny Black in 2015.
In the past, Chris has composed music for clients including Fonterra, Canterbury Rugby Union, and Fiji’s Vomo Island Resort.
CHILDREN’S SONGS
In New Zealand, Chris is best known for his work with musical supergroup for children The Funky Monkeys. Together they co-produced seven albums, with many of their music videos still being broadcast on national television since 2007.
In his childhood, Chris enjoyed listening to the children’s songs of Jim Henson (The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street), and the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins, Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), and now enjoys making his own music for the children of today.
In May 2021 Chris was a finalist for the Best Children’s Music Artist Aotearoa Music Award for his first independent album, Silly Songs For Kids!
Over the years, Chris has received commissions to write songs for wide range of children’s productions by clients such as … Plunket NZ, the NZ Apple Board, World Vision, Sky City Entertainment, Auckland Museum, Westfield NZ Shopping Centres, Cognitive Education, and Edumaxi Ltd.
CHRIS LAM SAM’S SILLY SONGS FOR KIDS!
RELEASED 26.09.20
Featuring rib-tickling supporting performances from iconic Kiwi singers Jackie Clarke, MNZM, and Zed-frontman, Nathan King, Chris has orchestrated a symphony of silliness with songs about hopping, voices, questions, making funny faces, and even ... nothing!
A special thanks to …
● Creative New Zealand for funding the album
● New Zealand On Air for funding The Octopus Song music video
● Mukpuddy Animation Studio for their talent
‘SONG ABOUT NOTHING’
Winner of the NZ On Air ‘Best Children’s Music Video’ Award 2022!
“Wonderful. It’s not so easy writing about nothing. But Chris Lam Sam did it!!!”
Ryan Cooper & Alex Leighton (Mukpuddy Animation) with Chris Lam Sam, NZ Children’s Music Awards 2022
REVIEWS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
”Love this album! So witty, so funny - a masterpiece of silliness.”
- Suzy Cato, Children’s TV Presenter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
”Superb … such gentle complexity.”
- James Judd, NZSO Music Director Emeritus
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
”Brilliant. The whole album is great.”
- Craig Smith, Author (The Wonky Donkey)
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s like Flight of the Conchords for children. Absolutely hilarious and musically brilliant. ”
let’s love our sea
On March 2nd 2019, the beginning of NZ’s national Sea Week, Chris launched his first independent music video with friends Steve and Riley Hathaway from Young Ocean Explorers thanks to funding from NZ On Air.
Chris says Let’s Love Our Sea is a creative collaboration carrying an important message for children aged 2-6, “We need to care for the ocean because amazing creatures live there.”
Sea Week’s national coordinator, Dr Mels Barton says, “This opens the door to an exciting new way of sharing the marine life of Aotearoa with the next generation, while also encouraging the preservation of it. I believe this wonderful new musical collaboration has real potential to sow those seeds of guardianship.”
NEW CHRISTMAS SINGLE RELEASED! - 27.11.2022
Chris’ first Silly Funny Christmas single with Suzy Cato has just been released! Stream it for FREE on Bandcamp here!
DISCOGRAPHY
Chris has produced and featured on an extraordinary number of recordings!
KEY
☆ Featured Performer
★ Album / Song Producer
2022
★ (In Production) Silly Funny Christmas Songs For Kids! (EP) - Chris Lam Sam
★ Christmas Twice a Day (Single) - Chris Lam Sam & Suzy Cato
☆ The Return of the WolfWasp (Single) - Wolfgang Mayall
2020
☆ Together We Can (Single) - Tree Tree 123
★ Silly Funny Songs For Kids! (Album) - Chris Lam Sam
☆ Ō Ringaringa (Single) - Mac’s Patch
2019
☆ The Competition (Audio Book Narrator) - Ministry of Education
☆ Nian, The New Year Monster (Audio Book Narrator) - Ministry of Education
☆ WolfWasp (Single) - Wolfgang Mayall
★ Let’s Love Our Sea (Single) - Chris Lam Sam & Young Ocean Explorers
2018
☆ Professor Clever (Audio Book Narrator) - Ministry of Education
☆ Rat and Octopus (Audio Book Narrator) - Ministry of Education
★ Big Aroha (Album) - Kids For Kids
★ Wheely World App Theme - The Scorelocks Collective
★ The Smart Water Song (Single) - Chris Lam Sam
2017
★ The Kids For Kids Anthem (Single) - Kids For Kids
★ Kiwi As (Album) - Kids For Kids
2016
☆ Kiwi Convoy (Single) - Itty Bitty Beats
2015
☆ Charles The Magnificent Pony - The Scorelocks Collective
☆ It Will Remember Itself (Album) - Narrowing Weeks
☆ Penny Black: Soundtrack (Album) - The Scorelocks Collective
★ Healthy Habits: 41 Songs for Children (Album) - The Scorelocks Collective
★ Lapwing: Soundtrack (Album)- The Scorelocks Collective
★ Tropical Wetlands: Soundtrack - The Scorelocks Collective
☆ Hybrid Philosophies - Dr Jeremy Mayall
★ Slice Of Heaven (Album) - Kids For Kids
★ Fight The Furry Feeling (Single) - Colgate NZ
★ The Tiny Tones Show - Goodtime Music Academy
2014
★ A Collection Of Cues: Volume 1 (Album) - The Scorelocks Collective
☆ Imaginary Communication - Track 3: Shared Intuition - Dr Jeremy Mayall
2013
☆ Christmas With Late Eighties Mercedes (EP) - Late Eighties Mercedes
☆ Diamonds (Album) - Late Eighties Mercedes
★ Everything Is Ka Pai (Album) - Kids For Kids
2012
★ Dead Lucky: Soundtrack - Tuff Collective for the V48 Hours Film Competition
★ The ‘Sailor Asthma Show’ - Chris Lam Sam (for Asthma Waikato)
★ The ‘Musical Mad Hatter Show' - Westfield NZ & One Entertainment
★ The Ruben Rock / Te Waiata a Rupene (EP) - The Scorelocks Collective
★ The Plunket Waikato Roadshows Album - The Funky Monkeys
★ The ‘Drake the Dragon Show' - Westfield NZ & One Entertainment
2011
★ The Plunket Waikato “Are We There Yet?” Roadshow (EP) - The Funky Monkeys
☆ 139 (Album) - Debbie Shepherd
2010
★ The Plunket Waikato “Superhero” Roadshow (EP) - The Funky Monkeys
★ Camping Adventure - The Funky Monkeys
2009
★ World Buddies (Single) - The Funky Monkeys (for World Vision NZ)
☆ The Challenge (Single) - Vegas Brown
2008
★ Get Up Go! (Album) - The Funky Monkeys
☆ Glimpses (Album) - Sarah Hughes
★ The Apple Pips Song (Single) - The Funky Monkeys (for NZ Apple Board)
2007
☆ We Won’t Forget (EP) - Small Town Heroics
☆ Heartspeak (Album) - Debbie Shepherd
☆ Streetlights And Shadows (Album) - 48May
★ The Scotty Sky Tower Show: Soundtrack - Sky City & One Entertainment
2006
☆ Run For Your Lives (EP) - Run For Your Lives
☆ Always And Never (Album) - Goodnight Nurse w Joel Little
2005
★ Sleeping Beauty: The Musical - Katherine Ransom
★ Jungle Party! (Album) - The Funky Monkeys
★ The Wetasaurus Show: Soundtrack - Chris Lam Sam (for Auckland Museum)
☆ Leather And Tattoos (EP) - 48 May
2004
★ Christmas in The Summertime (EP) - The Funky Monkeys
☆ Deep For You (Single) - Kimbra
2003
☆ Kids Time 2 (Album) - Jules Riding
2002
★ The Lawn Moa: Soundtrack - Power Station Kids
2001
★ Power Station Kids Songs (Album) - Power Station Kids
