SINGAPORE – Mandopop star Judy Ongg, King of Swing Jeremy Monteiro and xinyao pioneer Liang Wern Fook will lend their star power to Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC)‘s sixth Cultural Extravaganza from May 12 to June 18.
The annual cultural fiesta will present 11 exciting programmes, such as theatre productions, music performances and mini film festivals that spotlight three crossover elements – cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary and cross-generational.
Veteran singer Ongg will perform her Mandarin hits such as Prayer at Jazz It Up! A Jazzy Celebration Of Chinese Songs 2023, where jazzy renditions of well-loved songs will be showcased.
The concert will be led by the Jazz Association Singapore Orchestra, conducted by senior associate music director Weixiang Tan. Making a special appearance is Cultural Medallion recipient and jazz maestro Monteiro. The concert on May 27 and 28 will also feature producer-songwriter Lee Wei Song and singer-songwriter Marcus Lee.
Ongg, 73, told The Straits Times: “This will be the first time I am working with these young jazz musicians, and I am looking forward to it because I had many good memories performing with Singaporean musicians on my album and other charity concerts a few years ago.”
Monteiro, 62, said it is an honour to be able to perform a duet with Ongg, which is titled Look Up At The Stars In The Night.
Xinyao was widely known as the local music and cultural movement in Singapore in the 1980s and Dr Liang was instrumental in popularising xinyao with hits such as One Step At A Time and Friendship Forever. The Cultural Medallion and Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award recipient will also share about his musical creations at a Mandarin talk on May 20.
“Literary pens produce songs with a human touch. The essence of xinyao lies in its ability to convey the spirit of humanity through music,” said the 59-year-old. “Besides sharing it through the songs I wrote, I would also like to discuss this unique cultural characteristic of xinyao through my talk.”
The opening show, Present Past, on May 13 and 14 is a multi-ethnic performance by RuanAtWorkz. It harmonises various traditional art forms such as Chinese traditional instrument Ruan, Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance and traditional Cantonese Opera.
Another highlight is Toy Factory Productions’ musical, Ignite The Sun, on May 13, 14, 16 and 18. It will present “shiyue” – a fusion of Chinese poetry and music, and centres on the ingenuity of Nanyang University’s Chinese Poetry Club in the 1970s. It is directed by Goh Boon Teck and features students’ songs written and composed by composer Zhang Fan and poets Toh Lam Huat and Pan Cheng Lui.
Playwright Quek Yee Kiat said: “We have had many musicals, films and TV series featuring music from the xinyao era of the 1980s. But this will be the first time Singapore audiences get to watch a musical inspired by its predecessors, Nantah shiyue, and listen to these long-forgotten tunes from a heritage that remains relatively obscured within the nation.”
Nam Hwa Opera will be making its first foray into a modern Mandopop musical with Teochew opera elements with Who Says It First on June 16 and 17. In the story, the modern and traditional meet and collide with both joyful and devastating outcomes.
The opera troupe will also perform One Opera Singapore that unites different dialect opera groups on June 18.
As part of its centennial celebrations, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao will partner SCCC for an art exhibition, 100 Years Of Singapore Art. It will feature Qiu Zhai Art Studio’s collection of 160 paintings and calligraphic works by 80 renowned Singaporean artists.
The exhibition from June 2 to July 16 brings together different generations of artists from the past century, including first-generation masters as well as their contemporary counterparts. There will also be 21 paintings and calligraphic works from Zaobao’s private collection, all of which were gifts by art masters.
SCCC chief executive Low Sze Wee said: “Cultural Extravaganza 2023 will spotlight innovative programmes by our local arts groups, inspired by our multicultural society. SCCC is delighted to work with them to put together a line-up that conveys how our traditions and cultures are passed down from one generation to the next.”
Book it//SCCC Cultural Extravaganza 2023
Where: Various venues
When: May 12 to June 18
Admission: Free and ticketed
Info: Go to ce.singaporeccc.org.sg for more details on the various programmes
