Singapore: Dipping into the melting pot

The modern Singapore identity is a mix of the diverse peoples – predominantly Chinese, Malay, Indian and British –who have made the island their home. Of course, each community retains its own special traditions and character which are an inextricable part of the united Singapore identity.

Among the best ways to sample this unique culture is through the events, exhibitions and performing arts.

Here are several upcoming events that will be of interest to culture seekers.

Huayi: Chinese Festival of Arts 2012

The festival reflects Singapore’s multicultural heritage and most dynamic forms of Chinese artistic expression, ranging from traditional to modern, such as theater, dance, music, visual arts and more. Themed “Courage”, the festival represents the Chinese diaspora and their artistic talents.

The ongoing festival will run through Feb. 5 at the Esplanade.

For musical performing art buffs, there is “One Hundred Years of Solitude 10.0-Cultural Revolution”. This cutting edge work will take place at the Esplanade Theater at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The extravaganza reveals the relationships between the public and its leaders, people and government as well as culture and revolution. Featuring the 12 most acclaimed Chinese theater
artists in the country, the attraction provides a perspective into the evolution of successive generations as they encounter revolutions in culture and life.

A show not to be missed by lovers of Chinese arts and heritage.

Ticket prices range from S$35-S$45, excluding booking fee, and can be purchased on SISTIC (www.sistic.com.sg).

Spring Awakening

If you’re looking for an explosive, electrifying and exhilarating musical, Spring Awakening is a good option, critics say.

The show, touted for breaking all the rules of musical theater, is heart-warming, one reviewer says.

“It’s full of humanity messages and humor in a row, telling the tale of teenagers group embarking of a turbulent journey of a self-discovery; each one with its own dramatic psychological, emotional and spiritual and sexual awakening,” says www.sistic.com,

Each of the group of 11 has distinct characteristics: The Misfit, The Idealist, The Innocent, The Rebel, The Mama’s Boy, The Runaway, The Abused and others, all of whom express their emotions in music.

The Spring Awakening’s Broadway production won eights Tonys from 11 nominations in 2007, including Best Musical, while its London production won four Olivier Awards.

Go with the musical flow from Feb.3-26, 2012 at the Drama Center Theater; at 8 p.m. (on Tuesday-Friday) and also matinees at 3 p.m. (on Saturday and Sunday). Tickets can be purchased on SISTIC from S$40-S$85, excluding booking fee.

Thaipusam 2012

Watch devout Hindus celebrate Thaipusam in Serangon Road, Little India, the spiritual heart of the Indian community. It’s a festival for the brave celebrated on Tuesday, Feb.7. Be prepared for a visual spectacular with acts of faith that include extreme body piercing among the devotees.

Thaipusam is a highly symbolic Hindu festival celebrated by Singapore’s Tamil community. This annual procession is a visual spectacle and claimed to bring traffic in the city center to a standstill, with a colorful ceremony full of chanting and scatty rhythms Indian drums.

Many devotees also start fasting a month before the festivities. Others might fast a week, yet others three days. By fasting, it means a strict vegetarian diet as it believes spiritually that only when the mind is free of material wants and the body free from physical pleasures that a devotee can
undertake the sacred task without feeling any pain.

Providing for the Afterlife: Han Funerary Art

To be held at Shaw Foundation Foyer, Asian Civilization Museum Empress Place, until Feb. 19, this exhibition introduces the broad range of Chinese funerary objects of the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE).

For thousands of years, these burial objects – called minggi, or spirit objects – have been created as miniature versions of people, cooking utensils, tools and animals. These items were created and interred in graves to cater the needs of souls in the afterworld, highlighting the long-standing concerns of the Chinese for the life beyond. An interesting look at one culture’s view of death.


— JP/Fanny Hapsari Utomo