Located at 1 Straits Boulevard, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) is 11-storey tall and home to a 530-seat auditorium, a 500-seat multipurpose hall and 150-seat recital hall. It is envisioned as a space to cultivate a deeper understanding, broader appreciation and long-lasting love for Chinese culture and aims to document the multi-faceted nature of Chinese culture in Singapore.
In celebration of its official opening, SCCC had presented the first SCCC Cultural Extravaganza with a series of activities ranging from film, music, exhibition, workshops and talks.
I am honoured to be invited to attend few of the Culture Extraavganza programmes.
为配合新加坡华族文化中心大楼正式开幕，新加坡华族文化中心筹办了为期八天的《华彩2017》。主办当局希望透过《华彩2017》的多媒体元素表演、相声、木偶、戏曲工作坊、音乐会、武术、电影、舞蹈和讲座等13项文化节目可以让大家进一步认识新加坡华族文化的活力多彩。
而我也有幸受邀观赏其中几项表演。
Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award Ceremony新加坡华族文化贡献奖颁奖礼
Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award aims to recognise individual and organisations from various sectors, who have made outstanding contributions in the promotion, enrichment, propagation and development of Singapore Chinese culture. It comprises of two categories – Individual and Organisation, and is conferred by SCCC.
The winner for the individual category is Mr Han Lao Da, who has been active in Singapore Chinese theatre since 1970s. He played a major role in the promotion and localisation of crosstalk in Singapore, and even published 3 crosstalk collections and commentaries.
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The winner for the organisation category is Siong Leng Musical Association, which is founded in 1941. Siong Leng Musical Association is recognised by reinventing and rejuvenating Nanyin music (a traditional form of Chinese Classical music that originates from the southern Chinese province of Fujian) and find new ways to present this traditional art form and make it appealing to the younger audience.
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Winners will each received a specially commissioned trophy which is made of interlocking strip of jade (and weighted at 10kg!), S$10,000 cash and up to S$10,000 in their project funding.
旨在表彰在不同文化领域为新加坡华族文化的传承、推动、提升和传播做出卓越贡献的个人和团体，新加坡华族文化中心设立了新加坡华族文化贡献奖。
今年的个人奖和团体奖项分别颁予给新加坡著名相声作家韩劳达先生和南音艺术团体湘灵音乐社。
韩劳达先生自70年代从事相声艺术和华语戏剧40多年，一直致力于推动相声艺术在当地的发展。他出版过3本相声作品和评论集，共创作相声60多段，还让多元文化特征的新加坡相声在1990首次在中国亮相。
湘灵音乐社自1941年成立，以继承和弘扬中华文化瑰宝南音与梨园戏为己任。它在延续和传承传统南音的同时，不断地大胆创新，发挥创意，让观众惊艳。
获奖的个人和团体将分别获得特制华族文化四色结奖座，新币1万奖金和以1万元为限的项目赞助。
Voyage 《起航》
Voyage is a spectacular musical directed by award-winning director Royston Tan. The 90-minute multimedia musical incorporate 3D projection-mapping technology and holographic imaging, featuring re-arangement of traditional Chinese folk songs and nursery rhymes by Teng Ensemble.
Audience get to enjoy the traditional drumming performance by Mediacorp actor Desmond Tan, colourful dance sequences by THE Dance Company, and tales of the tender affections from a mother to her child by veteran actress Li Yinzhu and “Getai” princess and radio deejay Lee Peifen.
《起航》是一部以全息影像技术呈献的多媒体音乐剧，参与演出的有舞人舞团、鼟乐团、艺人陈炯江、李茵珠与本地歌台歌手李佩芬。据陈子谦解释，《起航》的概念来自旅行。人们旅行往往是为了体验文化差异，过程所带来的冲击同时也让人们意识到自身的独有存在。
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| 陈炯江的鼓技还挺不赖！ |
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| 舞人舞团舞者优美的舞姿加上影像技术，把观众从座席带入幻景。。。 |
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| 很是喜欢李茵珠与李佩芬的演出，剧里两者虽然没有眼神的交流，却让观众觉得她们是那么的亲近。 |
Desmond Tan’s drumming is better than I expect, understand this required considerable strength to play well, it’s not difficult to guess the amount of effort he had put in to achieve this. With the 3D projection-mapping and holographic imaging, the dance sequence really bring me to another dreamscape. I was a bit surprised when the dancer suddenly ‘vanished’ on stage before I finally registered that the dance is just a holographic image!
陈炯江的鼓技比我想象中的好，（打）鼓不是门简单的乐器，可见他下了不少心思和努力。 舞人舞团舞者优美的舞姿加上影像技术，让我看了傻傻分不清楚谁是真的舞者，谁是幻影。李茵珠与李佩芬叙述她的童年与过去时，让我想起了过世的奶奶曾经也向我分享她在世界第二大战的点滴过去，心里一股暖意，却又不禁因为想念故人而有点难过。
667 《回程667》
667 is an omnibus film which is an anthology of short films by 5 local film directors. The five film-makers are Eva Tang, He Shuming, Kirsten Tan, Liao Jiekai and Jun Chong, who debute his first film in 667.
Why 667?
According to producer of the omnibus – Royston Tan, the number ‘667’ refers to the average size in square feet – of a three-room HDB flat in Singapore, home to many Singaporeans during those early years.
Since the project traces the journey of these filmmakers as they go in search of their cultural roots and how they make Singapore home, the HDB flats came to mind as they are home to a lot of Singaporeans and during the early years of development, they played a big part to bring different communities together.
《回程667》电影由五部短片组成，而这五部短片，又由五名新加坡年轻导演负责拍摄。参与的导演们有邓宝翠、何书铭、陈敬音、廖捷凯、巫峻峰、张俊峰。导演在短片中透过不同视角对自身文化根源进行探寻、反思和诠释，找回对新加坡的归属感。
Out of the 5 short films, my favourites are the following:
五部短片当中，我最喜欢的还是邓宝翠的《柳影袈裟》和张俊峰的《客》。
“The Veiled Willow”《柳影袈裟》 – Eva Tang 邓宝翠
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| Image credit: Eva Tang |
It is the 1960s, a period of economic transition in Singapore. Left with no choice, Chef Tham has to leave the household he has been working for to take on a job as a chef in a restaurant, leaving the loyal maid servant, Lau-jie, to care for Second Grandma. After her children and grandchildren have moved out, Second Grandma is faced with the loneliness of staying in an empty house, yet it is still her wish for Lau-jie to marry Chef Tham. Unfortunately, they belong to a generation who carries the burden of unspoken heartaches to themselves.
I was saddened by the ending, I even feel a bit heartache and helpless for the characters.
The strong and stubborn Lau-jie who insist to lead ‘her way of ‘ life and not dependent on anyone else; the gentle and traditional thinking Second Grandma who gave up her passion to fulfill ‘what every woman needs to do’ and the loyal and faithful Chef Tham who still prepare a table full of Lau-jie’s favourite dishes even after he was rejected.
Second Grandma, Lau-jie and Chef Tham are the older generation who hold on to their beliefs and refused to be moved by the changing new generations. But they cannot stop the environment from changing, and one day they will be forgotten by others. One day, will I be abandoned by my future as well?
《柳影袈裟》刻画60年代新加坡经济转型，谭家师傅必须离开一个大家庭到外面餐馆打工，大家庭里的女仆只剩下柳姐忠心服侍二祖母，二祖母面临子孙离开的孤单，但她疼爱柳姐，希望柳姐和谭家师傅在一起。可是那一代人就是有说不出的种种不如意。
短片结尾让我感到涩涩的，即心酸，又为剧中人物感到无助。坚强固执的柳姐，坚持自己的信念，不想让自己的命运被别人左右，可是她的选择是对的吗？谭家师傅虽然不能
和喜欢的人在一起，百般无奈却默默的“祝福”她，虽然不至于牺牲，却也难能可贵。
“Ke” 《客》 – Jun Chong 张俊峰
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| Image credit: Jun Chong |
The story revolves around the initial fear and trepidation of an elderly lady in a relatively new environment. Alone and armed with only a name, she sets out to find her grandfather in Singapore’s only Hakka cemetery. Through the use of cinematic images and the poignant use of the Hakka dialect, we follow the journey of the protagonist in her desperate journey to find her family member before the cemetery gets relocated. This is Jun Chong’s first film.
As a Hakka (and luckily one who understand and speak simple Hakka), the familiar language spoken in the film make me feel nostalgic. Seeing the old lady cluelessly searching for her grandfather’s tomb upset me a bit, I remember the desperate and disappointed look on mum when she tried to look for my uncle’s (her late brother) tomb but didn’t managed to find it.
Once again, the environment have left the past behind and moved on, but the sincerity in a person does not necessary change as long as she is firm and sincere in her belief.
《客》的故事围绕着一个在老太太在面对陌生环境中的的恐惧与不安。只是凭着一个名字，她孤身一个人在新加坡唯一的客家公墓里试图寻找她的祖父。虽然找到的机会渺茫，主角却不愿意放弃任何一个可以找到家人的机会。这是俊冲的第一部电影。
很庆幸我是一个听得懂客家话，并可以以简单客家话与家人交流的客家人。听着影片中熟悉的语言，不经让我感到莫名的情切感。看到老太太盲目无助地寻找她祖父的坟墓，让我不禁有些难过。
随着时代的变迁，环境也跟着慢慢改变，如果我们不继续前进，随时都有可能被淘汰。许多人也许因而变得失去自我，再也找不会自己的“根”，可是也有一些人，凭着坚定的意念，诚恳，不为环境动摇。
我也是客家人耶 🙃
好像很不错！ 早前去过一趟台湾寻客之旅， 下次可以去新加坡看看~
看了你的分享后，我很想去观看呢！
谢谢分享，家里的老人家应该有兴趣。
雨景好逼真！
好想去看，现场感受一定很震撼
by reading what you wrote, i am already like reading story book. when i was younh i ised to eatch hakka show with my parents. what a memory… – racheal
我发现你的中文文字很深奥且细腻，好奇你的职业哦
你好!! 第一次来坐坐!! 你的双语文章写得好棒棒呢!!
好难得找到同籍贯的同乡耶！你会说客家话吗？
有机会来看看吧！
可惜你错过了今年的演出，不晓得会不会在电视播映。。。
哈哈。也许吧！不过有些故事也许只有年轻人会欣赏喔！
对啊！我还真看傻了眼！其中一幕舞者消逝于雨中，我还傻了一下才发现舞者是投影上去的.
刚开始还担心有点闷，不过看完了还真的挺震撼的！
You understand Hakka? Yah. It brought back some childhood memories of mine too.
谢谢你！其实近年来都很少用中文写文章。。。都有点生疏了。
谢谢你美魔女！近年真的很少用中文写文章，这一次是心血来潮才尝试双语的。
真巧，我也是客家人，可是不会说客家话，真的有够失败 🙁