Traditional music fans, this one's for you. For three days only, Siong Leng Musical Association is presenting a video showcase of Soul Journey, Ten Years. This particular reprise was presented in Esplanade, Concert Hall, as the opening act of the 2018 International Youth Nanyin Festival organised by Siong Leng – ten years after its premiere.
For those unfamiliar with traditional music from China, nanyin literally translates to "Southern sounds". It is a musical performing art central to the culture of the people of Minnan in southern Fujian Province along China's south-eastern coast. What originated as court music during the Han Dynasty in China more than two thousand years ago, the musical genre is distinct in a way that it evokes a quiet, chamber-based appeal. Today, nanyin is known to be a refined and elegant art form played in settings of private chambers and quiet temples.
Soul Journey, Ten Years was a joint effort by artistic director Lin Shao Ling, cross-disciplinary artist Lim Chin Huat, and composer Ng Kang Kee. Presented in a minimalist style with strong influences of Zen philosophy, the music performance features movements that depict the cycle of life and self-realisation: Germinate, Awakening, Introspection, Purity, Happiness, Heart and Enlightenment. The unique music reflects Singapore's multi-faceted culture, with Chinese instruments, cello, Indian tabla, and vocals coming together.
Get lost in the theatrical, dance, lighting and multimedia elements that enhance this reinterpretation of nanyin.
Do take note that as the video showcase will present Siong Leng Musical Association's archival videos, so the video and audio quality may fall short.
BY DEWI NURJUWITA