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T H R E E
"Worlds"
The singapore legacy.
T H R E E "W O R L D S"
attractions
bangsawan
In the early 20th century, bangsawan was a new commercial form of Malay opera that was extremely popular amongst the locals. Bangsawan means “aristocracy” in Malay, which refers to the plays and characters about royalty which were the main theme of the operas [1].
Even though bangsawan was presented in the Malay language, the audience was not restricted to the Malay community [2]. Its audience consisted of a wide spectrum of immigrant communities such as the Chinese, Pernankans, Indians, Javanese and Europeans. The art form also incorporated other cultural elements to appeal to the locals. Since the Western culture was associated with modernity, bangsawan was an attempt to imitate the West by modelling after its stage setting [3]. Unlike traditional Malay operas that performed at “open-air platforms”, bangsawan shows were always performed on “ proscenium stage” in indoor theatres [4].
Commonly used musical instruments include violin, harmonium, tabla, drums, saxophone and piano, some of which were popular instruments used in Western music [5]. The integration of foreign cultures into Malay drama, music, dance and silat was reflected in bangsawan shows [6].
CABARET
Dance hostesses were also known as “taxi girls” because they could be easily hired by anyone who bought a coupon [7]. Male patrons would buy dance coupons, and three dances would cost 1 dollar [8]. For one dance, these “taxi girls” only received a commission 8 cents and each dance was registered on a piece of paper [9]. Meanwhile, rich towkays could afford to book a “taxi girl” for $13 per hour and take her out after the cabaret closed for the night [10]. Many of these girls eventually became their mistresses [11].
Joget/Ronggeng
Joget referred to modern Malay dance while ronggeng referred to the Malay traditional dance. Even though joget or ronggeng were used interchangeably [12], both refer to a form of Malay social dance popular in the 1950s. Men could dance with their favourite ronggeng girls after paying a fee; this was also known as “taxi dancing”[13]. At its core, this dance revolves around the theme of eroticism, and on a more symbolic level, it can be seen as a medium for the female dancer to share their femininity among men to enhance their masculinity [14]. Because of the focus on sexual desire, ronggeng bore negative connotations in society. Promiscuity was often associated with these ronggeng dancers since they were generally believed to have questionable ethics and “sexually loose”[15]. However, physical interactions were kept to the minimum during the performances as it was considered taboo then [16].
Talkies
The first Talkies were produced in the mid 1920s, and they were basically replacements of silent films that dominated the era. In news articles of that time, films were often referred to as “Talkies” and cinemas were referred to as “Talkie Theatres”.
wayang shows
Chinese opera, or commonly known as wayang shows, were highly sought after entertainment programmes in the “Worlds”. The reasons for its popularity were mostly attributed to two factors [17]. Firstly, there was a massive influx of Chinese immigrants into the Straits Settlements from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, leading to an increase of demand for cheap and familiar forms of entertainment [18]. To this, the diverse genres of the Chinese operas fit the bill perfectly. Secondly, these entertainment performances captivated the interests of Chinese elite class, resulting in more investment in such operas [19]. Thriving on the swift growth of the Straits’ economy, wealthy merchants, especially the Teochews and Hokkiens who dominated the entrepôt industry, were more inclined to spend on entertainment [20]. Wealthy merchants often openly rewarded actors and actresses after watching their performances [21].
[1] Tan Sooi Beng, Bangsawan : a Social and Stylistic History of Popular Malay Opera (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1993), 16.
[2] Yunn Chii, Wong and Tan Kar Lin. “Emergence of a cosmopolitan space for culture and consumption: the new world amusement park‐Singapore (1923–70) in the inter‐war years”. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 5:2, 292, DOI: 10.1080/1464937042000236757.
[3] Tan, Bangswan, 21.
[4] Wong and Tan, "Emergence of a Cosmopolitan Space," 292.
[5] “Musical practice of Bangsawan in Singapore,” musicSG, accessed November 1, 2020, https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/music/Media/PDFs/Article/59408ceb-ab6f-4d48-94f2-0e370f14bf33.pdf.
[6] “Musical practice of Bangsawan in Singapore.”
[7] “About Shaw: Amusement Parks,” Shaw Theatres, accessed November 1, 2020, https://about.shaw.sg/4-amusementparks.html.
[8] “About Shaw: Amusement Parks.”
[9] “About Shaw: Amusement Parks.”
[10] Jürgen Rudolph, “Amusement in the three “worlds,” In Looking at Culture, edited by S. Krishnan, 26, Singapore: Artres Design & Communications, 1996.
[11] Rudolph, “Amusement in the three “worlds," 27.
[12] Muhd Noramin Mohd Farid (Soultari), “Joget: The Popular, Ever-Evolving Music of Dance,” The Esplanade, accessed November 1, 2020, https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/joget-the-popular-ever-evolving-music-of-dance.
[13] “About Shaw: Amusement Parks.”
[14] Henry Spiller, “Negotiating masculinity in an Indonesian pop song. Doel Sumbang’s “ronggeng”,”’ in: Freya Jarman-Ivens (ed.), Oh boy! Masculinities and popular music, (New York/London: Routledge, 2007), 43.
[15] Spiller, “Negotiating masculinity,” 44.
[16] Tan, Richard Leng Poh, Oral History Interview conducted by Michele Lim on March 17, 2018, Accession Number 004226, Reel 1 out of 14, Oral History Interviews @ Archives Online, National Archives of Singapore, Singapore, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/oral_history_interviews/record-details/76a44e79-6a2e-11e8-a64b-001a4a5ba61b?keywords=joget%20new%20world&keywords-type=all.
[17] Pitt Kuan Wah, Gretche Liu, and Angelina Phillips, Wayang : a History of Chinese Opera in Singapore, (Singapore: National Archives, 1988), 25.
[18] Pitt, Liu, Phillips, Wayang , 25.
[19] Pitt, Liu, Phillips, Wayang , 25.
[20] Pitt, Liu, Phillips, Wayang , 25.
[21] Pitt, Liu, Phillips, Wayang , 25.