Diamond Records (Hong Kong)

[3][4][5] In the late 50s Diamond obtained a franchise from US Mercury and release many singles – mainly Patti Page The Diamonds and The Crew Cuts and together with US Decca issues on their Echo label they dominated the Hong Kong Charts and even more so when they obtained a Coral agreement and Teresa Brewer, The McGuire Sisters and later Buddy Holly and The Crickets also had huge success.

Although Ren Da Silva owned the company it was his daughter who was the leading light in the singles world and to her must go much of the credit for bringing US and UK music of the late 1950s to the young Chinese students of the time.

This 1950s period has been largely neglected but those who were in Hong Kong with the British military will remember the breakthrough Miss Da Silva achieved.

Taking a trip to the U.S., managing director da Silva visited the Chicago Mercury headquarters in August 1961 to discuss expansion in the area for manufacturing plant and distribution facilities.

[6] In the mid-1960s the label started taking on guitar driven bands such as Philip Chan and the Astronotes, Danny Diaz and the Checkmates, Teddy Robin and the Playboys, and The Anders Nelsson group.

Later on, other bands such as the Sam Hui fronted Lotus, The Mystics, The Zoundcrackers, D’Topnotes, The Downbeats, Joe Jr. and the Side Effects, Mod East, Sons of Han, and The Menace had recordings issued on the label.

[5][11] Filipino singer Carmen Soriano, credits him with him with giving her the inspiration and training to sing when she was lacking in confidence and repertoire while in Hong Kong.