SAF 2011

Not Singapore Armed Forces, it's Singapore Arts Festival. HAHA! The theme for this year is - I want to Remember. Nice theme, and nice programmes to fit into the theme! You will see the link with the groups I'm attached to, continue reading.



Haven't been to any Singapore Arts Festival shows for a long long time. Probably because half of the time the programmes doesn't interest me. If it does, it probably clashed with all the intensive SY practices we used to have around this period.

This year, on some coincidence of the events happening and not happening around the arts festival time frame, I actually have the time to be involved in it. And I'm thankful for this. :) Of course the main reason was that I'm not working anymore by the time arts festival starts. And that this year SY's annual concert have been shifted forward to April, so we had this period free from the whole-week intensive rehearsals. And so I signed up to be a festival ambassador, to be a Liaison Officer specifically, and promised all my commitment to the whole arts festival period. From 13 May till 5 June. I mean, I wouldn't be that lucky to get a job that fast, plus I will be traveling from 10 June to 21 June, so I probably have no problem in that at all.

Anyhows, my job is to take care of the foreign artists in terms of their transport, any miscellaneous stuff they might need, and just stay around wherever they are during their rehearsals and show. It's pretty much an easy job. And I'm glad to really meet very nice people from different places.

My first group was Academy of Ancient Music (UK), about 20 of them, very nice and cool people. And they are almost fine with no transport at all, they liked to be on foot. Very independent and well-traveled. Nothing much to worry about. They have been on the trip for 2 weeks when they got to Singapore, tour performing around Asia, with soprano Sumi Jo from Korea. It's been good experience with them especially when they have very interesting instruments, oh and they are very ancient ones. As the name implies, they play ancient music too, mostly baroque. And I like them! No contemporaries! How long haven't we heard the classic classical music? It was great music, then together with Sumi Jo's great voice, the concert was so well-received. Click HERE for their official website. At the end of their trip, I'm glad I could send them off and receive their compliments for being with them for the stay, even though I felt that I didn't do that much. Somehow, it was slightly more difficult to interact with every single one of them since the group is quite large, but still, nice talking to a few of them and get to know what they do and about the instruments they play. It's really interesting information.

My second group was Topology and Loops from Australia. Topology from Brisbane and Loops from Melbourne. They were really brilliant. I picked up Loops from the airport and they are really nice from the start. Oh I was carrying my erhu that time cos I had lesson before that, so Adrian showed me his Zen drum. It's really a cool instrument where you can play any percussion instrument with that. (doesn't include the mallets I guess. haha!) But any kind, from western, to african, to indian, chinese. Whatever you want, just got to program it. The other 2 members are a married couple, with 2 little kids. They are so adorable. Very smart kids too. My other LO partner picked up the Topology, and so I only saw them on the 2nd day when I bring them over to the venue. They, too, are such nice people. And they, too, doesn't mind going on foot most of the time! Like how cool. They feel that 20min is nothing. Ok, partner and I feel like pampered Singaporeans. haha! But hello, the double-bassist wants to walk with his instrument? O.O!

My longest group actually. They had 3 performances during their stay. 1 outdoor which is showcase of their own groups' music. Loops did Raga Jazz, they are more steered to Indian music, using some classic Indian essence in their music. And they did their own composition, was good definitely. Topology did Lucid dreaming, totally love the strings they are using - violin, viola and double bass. Really great. The other 2 shows are their collaborated show - Airwaves. Very interesting concept of the show. They are like a live soundtrack playing. It's actually based on voice recordings of various important political figures around the world, but mostly Australian (which makes sense). They played so in-sync with the clip and the tone of the speech. So amazing. It isn't the first time they performed this together, but could see the great effort in doing it. Response wasn't that good in terms of the sales of house. But I'm sure those who watched would have enjoyed themselves. I didn't watch it downstage, but I enjoyed. :) And they were so nice to give us each a Topology pen and their Airwaves CD which was recorded a few years ago. Very happy. And we really didn't do much except to bring them to lunch and get them some tau huay for dessert. But they treated the 2 of us to chicken rice and forbid us to sit at another table. haha!  Nice and easy-going. :)))

So I sent Loops to airport as well since I received them. The 2 little darlings are so cute. Nadia reached out for the swan on my shirt the moment she saw it, and smiled at me ever-so-sweetly. Elan came to hold my hand after they checked in and were moving towards the departure gate. So here's the conversation between us:
Me: Elan, where are u going? Are you going home?
Elan: Yea
Me: Why? Do you want to stay here?
Elan: No.
Me: Do you like it here?
Elan: Yea. (a second later) No.

Haha, so smart right. Trick question totally and he knows it right. LOL! And I think he's artistically inclined? He was drawing at backstage during the performance, he actually drew a peacock! And I asked him who taught him, he said no one taught him how to draw. And told me that if you want to draw nicely, you have to draw slowly and have a lot of patience. I'm very impressed I must say.

Kinda miss them. haha! I told them I'm going for a holiday in June, and Mastaneh (the mum) joked and said she was going to offer me their couch, too bad I've already booked a hotel. Haha! There's really more chatting with this whole group since they have less people, 9 in total, and we spent more time with them.

Now i'm into my 3rd group, mainly from Cambodia, with a film-maker from USA and their interpreter cum I don't know, admin person from USA as well. Cool people as well. Haven't heard their music, but heard from one of their members they haven't been playing together for a long time and they only came together because of this festival. That's special, for us and probably for them too. The only problem is that most of the Cambodians can't speak english, so that's where Jason comes in. They actually have a political figure in the group! He had worked in Singapore for a while before, and thus can speak English. He's so easy-going, puts on no air, chatted and asked questions very nicely along the way to the place they are staying. And they think it's really nice to have someone to meet them at the airport. I thought that was essential. Really glad they think that way. :)

They will be here until 30 May. Flying back early in the morning. And their performance is free at the festival village today and tomorrow night! Come down and watch the film and the band playing. I wonder when would the next time you see something like that.