AYN: Time for Opera!
In the past when television hadn’t dominated homes, 大戏 (Chinese Opera) was the only form of mass entertainment Singaporeans could indulge themselves in. I cannot remember the last time I saw a Wayang being performed on the streets but I vividly recall the excitement in my shrieks when I heard “Dok Dok Dok Dok Qiang” from my living room 26 years ago.
I was eight. There was a humoungous field next to where I lived and I would gobble up my dinner at double quick time just to catch the opera with my neighbours. It doesn’t quite matter that it was the Hungry Ghost Festival. In the name of fun, we made sure we were there to socialise and snack our nights away.
Being a Millenial, born into the Speak Mandarin Campaign, dialects were shelved when the emphasis for a bilingual education policy was being enforced. To be honest, I could not understand a word that was being sung on that makeshift wooden stage. Yet, I was drawn to its distinctive music and acrobatic action scenes. It was the performing arts of the past - a dying trait since the 1980s because Singaporeans became more sophisticated in the appreciation of the arts.
Although Chinese Opera is staged in the three largest Chinese dialect group in Singapore (Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese), the audience comprised not only the Chinese but our Malay and Indian neighbours as well. That is how we have affectionately related the Opera to the term “Wayang”, a malay word to describe theatrical street performances. Regretfully, I know close to nothing about Chinese Opera even though I had been exposed to it in my childhood. Until I started researching and reading all about it did I felt the need to expose my children to this 450-year-old theatrical art!
Why?
Because it is worth reminding ourselves where our roots lie. Without appreciation of our history, we risk losing the fundamentals that make up our race and culture. They have never known what the Chinese Opera is and everything they are about to learn in this lifetime begins with me.
Dedric Wong De Li, General Manager of Ding Yi Music Company, is debuting Time For Opera! 大戏来咯! in two of Singapore’s most mature estates this November. Collaborating with Traditional Arts Centre, they endeavour to bring nostalgic memories back for our pioneer generation who deserves to be singled out for special attention. As we age, we know the most important ingredient in life is family and to watch a performance that is close to heart with their loved ones would make the evening count.
With the hope of bringing families together, Ding Yi Music Company has worked to re- arrange the pieces with a modern twang; reviving traditional music into familiar harmonies with the younger generation in mind. This 60-minute performance entail a jazzy Chinese instrumental piece, a Cantonese (蒂女花 ), Teo Chew and Hokkien Opera led by Nick Shen, an Opera performer himself. Be enchanted by local Opera singers who are veterens in this scene as they don traditional costumes in this remarkable showcase. Not only do the actors sing, they act, dance and they display basic acrobatics background, they have to be equipped with a steady hand for their own facial make-up. These brightly coloured masks, created by drawing lines on their faces, add an extra layer to the play. For the benefit of
people like myself, the programme will be translated on-screen to English and Chinese, catering to audience from all walks and all seasons of life.
So to my 婆婆 (Grandma), I would like to cordially invite you for an evening of Chinese Opera in the neighbourhood. Together with your son, myself and your grandchildren, it will make a memorable outing for everyone. As you reminisce in the simplicity of life you once known as a child, we sit and appreciate everything you’ve given us. We have come so far, making Ewan and Faye the fourth generation of our family. It is time to celebrate and recognize the cultural diet our pioneers used to indulge in.
Catch Time For Opera! 大戏来咯!, an initiative under National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood programme, on 23 November 2016 (7.30pm) at Toa Payoh HDB Hub, and on 26 November 2016 (7.30pm) at Ang Mo Kio Central Stage.
Embark on a transcendental journey with Ding Yi Music Company and Traditional Arts Centre as they reignite the world of dialects in a series of Opera classics.
This is just one out of the more than 40 entertaining, fun and interactive performances and activities which residents in neighbourhoods will enjoy in the November edition of Arts in Your Neighbourhood (AYN), presented by the National Arts Council (NAC), taking place soon from 12-27 November. There will be great music, theatre, dance and multi-disciplinary performances, as well as art installations, music, art and photographic tours.
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A stay at home mum, blogging to widen her social life.
We want to echo the sound of love through our lives to inspire other mothers alike.
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