Getai - The Street Concert during ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’

Getai, is a Chinese term ‘歌台’ which mean street concert. That is one of the activities to entertain the god and related officer from hell and the people who donate the money for the ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’ celebration as in Chinese religion; it fall in Chinese lunar year’s 7th month.

Getai’s activities similar to street concert’s productions which having tentage, stage and backdrop set-up, live bands and the main soul of the event – the emcee and the singers. It’s crowd pulling events, because it’s entertaining, which attract many old folks; basically since is an religions related activities, it definitely lots senior people involved.

Hungry Ghost Festival celebration and the entertainment could be in traditional Chinese puppet show but getai is the most welcome event.

Nowadays, the singers whose sang the songs were came from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia & China etc. They might sing the song in varieties of dialects including Malay song, changing their flamboyant costumes a few times during their performance.
Xiaohei (real name is Raju Kumara) who came from Malaysia is one of the popular singer during the Getai event. Rawi Hamin also another popular singer, I met him few times in various events. Other famous local Getai artistes including Karen Lim, Nicole Lai...etc. Susie Wong should be also in the list if I am not wrong because I had came across Susie's pole dance performance photo in the Getai through the net. There also some young artistes which is polytechnic students, and 5-6 years old children appear in the Getai show.According the newspaper, their income was count in per song they sing, and they may be running around to many Getai in different places within one night; of course not everyday having that much of the street concert during the whole Chinese lunar 7th month; anywhere, seems their income not bad as well, but as an entertainer’s view, it is a seasonal jobs, hence nothing to be jealous about their income.

It does have 2 movies about the Getai story which is “881” and “12 Lotus” which produced by Singapore, directed by Director Royston Tan.That was very interesting infos and photos in the blog of the director Ryston Tan.
You still got time to catch the Getai Live show as per www.stomp.com.sg ‘s Getai A gogo schedule:
27 Aug Wednesday (Chinese lunar calander : 27th day of the 7th month)
Blk 602, Yishun Opposite Polyclinic
Geylang Lorong 1
Changi Beach
Near Queens Street (In front of OG)
Blk 3018 Bedok North Street 5, East Link Light Industrial Factory
(Starts at 7pm - 22 Singers)

28 Aug Thursday (Chinese lunar calander : 28th day of the 7th month)
Blk 171, Stirling Road
Red Hill Leng Kee Car Mart
Yishun 924 Central 1

29 Aug Friday (Chinese lunar calander : 29th day of the 7th month)
Blk 280, Yishun Avenue 7
Blk 1 Lor Liew Lian

30 Aug Saturday (Chinese lunar calander : 31st day of the no.7th month)
Blk 77, Whampoa Market
Blk 45, Owen Road

31 Aug Sunday (Chinese lunar calander : 1st day of the.8th month)
Blk 134, Jalan Bukit Merah
Blk 77, Whampoa Market

Caricature of Singapore River

Did an event at Maybank Tower and that was great I have chance again to work in a high floor building and able to have a good view of Singapore River and the city view. I taken these photos inside the building using my handphone.That was a fireworks show at 9pm, all the guests was very enjoy viewing the fireworks from the building. I left the building and took some photos at the ground floor, next to The Fullerton Hotel. The fireworks had attracted many pedestrian and people stopped their steps and taking the photos of the firework, it was one interesting day!

Beijing Olympics Games 2008

Olympic Games is big event in the world, my favorite game is gymnastic.That was surprisingly this year having some photos about Chinese cheerleaders in the event that was something very interesting and cute!see the related web address here.

Dinner and dance at Carlton Hotel Singapore

Did caricature drawing for Asia Mall Dinner and dance at Carlton Hotel, the theme is ‘Retro’, All the guest had come in retro attire, that was very interesting although I had came across thousands theme based event, I still like to see the guest came in costume, sometimes could be very dramatic feel.The glamour shoot photographer is preparing their stuffs before the event start.I like the ‘Tropical’ designed lounge in Carlton Hotel.

Death Race

Went to watch an action movie ‘Death Race’, the movie was interesting and nice in my view, because I like to see the effect of this movie. Of course you can’t expect strong storyline in such a strong movie, but it definitely worth to watch in the cinema.I like to watch movie, based on current technology and cheap home based sound and visual electricity equipment, lots movie can watch on your PC or LCD TV, but for those strong effect type of movie, I prefer watch it in the cinema. You may having a very big house and big room, but you might not able to switch your sound volume into maximum level, else you may get complaint be your neighbour.

Drawing style

Came across today’s newspaper which reported article of “The Singapore International Jewellery Show 2008”. According the report, the organizer was promote the craft of fusing with jewellery with art. I found the artwork of the artist Thomas Deigo Aermonia was amazing; his painting was having a nice and unique style, strong style which I talking about.

Caricature Drawing, Caricaturists In Singapore

Not only me, have lots of the artists in Singapore believed the best full time Caricaturists was Jit of Portrait Workshop. If I say he is the longest caricaturists who open a shop doing caricature, portrait drawing and illustrations in full time, who can be deny that? Maybe Einstein or Eric Ng or Pak Ah Bee (the long hair guy at Clarke Quay last time before this place gets renovated) was doing full timing that longer then him.

Many peoples had copying his drawing style, lots people tried to break his standard; if he not the best, why up to today still lots people keep copying his style? Haahaa! If you do some research, besides the newspapers and related editorial caricaturist, no matter how they claim they are having their own style, end of the day it was looks almost the same.

I didn’t copy Jit style, maybe that’s why I still in the rank at number 999; haahaa! I salut Jit, one of my brother, he is real cool, he do his own drawing and did not simply copy people’s work nor blogging style and so fort.

Thought the illustration and caricature drawing market in Singapore was real small, another thing was the customers who order caricature drawing, cant’ really accept too contemporary drawing style, ‘must be looks alike’ is the golden rules here, unless you are doing it for editorial, that was different matter, that could be the reason why not much caricaturist can break this rules.

Because by end of the day, after taking so much effort to do the drawing, you also need to ensure you can collect the payment, not like some artists get reject and put the drawing in the shop yet owing framing fees from the framing shops.

Art could be very subjective, sometimes you had taken lots effort to draw the guest, yet they could tell you that the drawing totally not looks like them at all, every caricaturists in the world sure experienced it and facing it once in a while, not because I am the only people who face this before (although I am in ‘rank number 999’) haahaa! So I would not like to talk bad about other artists to higher their own image, because it is equally laughing at you self.