Traditional music
If Singapore is often referred to as a gateway to Asia, it's because the country is the meeting point of several of the region's great cultures - Chinese, Indian, Malay and Tamil - each cultivating its own traditions on site. The Chinese form the largest community (almost 75% of the population). Their main tradition is classical opera, such as Hakka opera, which some passionate troupes are struggling to preserve from extinction, or Teochew opera, which originated in the Chaoshan region of southern China and combines music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics and acting.
There are also chamber ensembles of Nanyin (or Nanguan), a traditional form originating in Fujian province in southern China and dating back to the Han dynasty. Remarkable for its melodic delicacy and slowness, Nanyin in its traditional form is performed by a group of five artists, with the singer seated in the middle surrounded by musicians playing the dongxiao, a bamboo flute, theerxian, a two-string hurdy-gurdy, the pipa, a Chinese lute, and the sanxian, another lute, an octave lower than the pipa.
Far from being relegated to the ranks of the old, the Nanyin is now finding a new audience among the younger generations in Singapore, as demonstrated by the Siong Leng musical association (founded in 1941), made up of generation after generation of musicians often in their twenties. While they practise Nanyin in a very authentic way, close to its roots, Siong Leng is also trying to develop the genre by experimenting and trying to marry it with Indian tabla or Malay kompang.
An extension of Nanyin music, Liyuan opera is seen as a dramatized version of the latter. It is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera.
A good opportunity to get closer to Singapore's Chinese traditions is to attend the Huayi Festival, held during the Chinese New Year celebrations and offering a program as traditional as it is avant-garde.
Among Singapore's Malays, one of the most popular traditions is Dondang Sayang . This discipline, centered around melodious poetry on themes of love and generosity, is accompanied by violins, gongs and tambourines, and is traditionally performed by two artists, a man and a woman. The Malays still play the kroncong (pronounced " kronchong "), a distant cousin of the ukulele. It gives its name to a musical style derived from the Portuguese musical tradition - imported by sailors to Indonesian port cities in the 16th century.
Among Singapore's Indian community, Hindustani and Carnatic music, the two great classical forms, are highly prized. This is also the case for bhangra, a style of Indian dance and music from the Punjab region, known for its typical rhythm played on the dhol drum.
The Perenakans are a blend of Chinese and Malay cultures. Its origins date back to the 16th century, when the first Chinese immigrants settled here and married young Malay girls. Their traditional music is inspired by Malay tunes, often sung in English.
Popular music
In the 1960s, the archipelago was swept by a wave of local bands inspired by the great Western hits of the day, such as Cliff Richard & The Shadows or, of course, The Beatles. The stars of the era were by far The Quests, a band that produced hits such as Shanty and Don't Play That Song, The Western Union Band and their hit Driving Me Crazy, and the much more psychedelic October Cherries.
At the beginning of the 1980s, Singapore was into rock, and particularly into bands like Sweet Charity. The latter was led by singer Ramli Sarip, nicknamed "Papa Rock" because he was a true pioneer of the genre in the country - and a much-loved artist overall.
The 1990s were a time of exodus, with artists leaving Singapore in search of a bigger music scene. This was the case, for example, of the famous singer and belly dancer Dawn Xiana Moon and Sophie Koh.
Singapore has also established itself as one of the nerve centers of the Chinese recording industry, and has witnessed the birth of some of the biggest pop stars in Mandarin, such as Kit Chan, Stefanie Sun and JJ Lin.
Classical music
On the classical music front, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), founded in 1979, is the country's leading phalanx. Comprising almost one hundred members, this imposing ensemble tours extensively internationally and has made a number of recordings, sometimes for prestigious labels. The orchestra resides and performs at the Esplanade (the country's great cultural center, whose shape is reminiscent of the durian) and, more sporadically, at the Victoria Concert Hall.
Principal Conductor since 2020 has been Hans Graf, a former member of the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra and the Orchestre national Bordeaux Aquitaine. The SSO also saw the debut of the great local conducting talent, Wong Kah Chun, who has since been principal conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic and the Hallé (Manchester) - even though he's not yet forty... An overachiever.
The country also boasts some very fine soloists, such as the celebrated violinist Vanessa Mae, also a champion skier (yes, yes), or Siow Lee Chin, also a violinist, who has played with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Houston Symphony and the National Philharmonic of Ukraine.
Contemporary music
Singapore's electronic music scene has been blossoming in recent years (despite the country's restrictive club legislation), thanks in no small part to three labels that are driving it forward: Darker Than Wax, Midnight Shift and Syndicate. They produce house, acid and techno albums, and their artists tour the world, including Berlin.
In addition to these labels, a number of Singaporean artists have managed to make a name for themselves on the global electronic scene, such as Yeule and its blend ofambient, damaged soundscapes and Asian post-pop.
