Chris Lam Sam is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s top musical entertainers for children and families.

Born in Tāmaki Makaurau and raised in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Lam Sam enjoyed a musical childhood thanks to his mother’s love of playing the piano. By age 5, he could sit at the instrument and plonk out simple melodies by ear. At age 10, after developing his talent despite turning his nose up at formal lessons, his grandfather gifted him his first keyboard so he could join the school concert band.

Lam Sam studied music throughout his schooling and eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Waikato University in 2002. A few years later, he graduated again with a Post Graduate Diploma in Primary School Teaching.

Over the last 23 years, the Wellington-based performer has presented more than fifty children’s concerts for the Royal NZ Ballet, the NZ String Quartet, the NZ Symphony Orchestra, and Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of NZ. He has also worked in over 700 schools, from Cape Reinga to Bluff performing musical health shows for the Asthma & Respiratory Foundation of NZ. He has also performed over 900 interactive shows with his musical supergroup for kids, The Funky Monkeys.

His first children’s picture book ‘Inspector Brunswick: Case of the Missing Eyebrow’ was published by London’s TATE museums in 2017 and won a 2018 Storylines Notable Book Award.

He has produced four albums of songs with The Funky Monkeys and his debut solo album ‘Silly Funny Songs For Kids’ earned him a place as one of three finalists for the Best Children’s Music Artist Tūī Award at the 2021 Aotearoa Music Awards. A year later, Lam Sam won Best Children’s Music Video award featuring his silly waiata ‘Song About Nothing’.

During his career, Lam Sam has performed with a number of local and international celebrities, including Grammy Award winner Dave Dobbyn, improv comedy star Kimbra, Colin Mochrie from ‘Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’ and Disney’s Muppets. This year he is producing two new children’s albums: Silly Funny Action Songs and Silly Funny Christmas Songs featuring Suzy Cato.

For 10 years, Lam Sam was the head Musical Director for Kids For Kids, New Zealand’s only touring choir concerts for children and he played keyboard in Hamilton’s premier swing-funk band, Late 80’s Mercedes. He currently plays the accordion for the rambunctious Wellington Carnival Street Band.