Transcript of interview with Upasana Bondopadhyay (conducted by Amanda Lee), 19 November 2016, 12.30 pm, Skype.
Upasana is a 31-year old female Bengali Indian who works as a psychologist. Upasana like English pop-rock music by artists such as Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Michael Learns to Rock. She likes their music for the catchy beats and good lyrics. Upasana thinks English pop-rock music expresses her identity depending on the lyrics, tone and her mood. She thinks it expresses a cultural connection of Singaporeans with other English-speaking countries as Singapore is a Westernized country. Upasana listens to Western classical music sometimes and likes Bach and Beethoven’s pieces. She listens to this music when she feels sad as it does not have lyrics, and is calming and mellow. Upasana thinks that this music is part of a global culture especially because many children in Singapore are learning Western instruments. Upasana thinks that Western classical music might be the foundation of pop-rock music for some genres of music and not for others. This is because there have been many variations in music and schools of thought over the years. Upasana thinks that it should be preserved since it is a good foundation for anyone learning the basics of music. Upasana does not listen to Bengali pop music as it is not her style. She listens to a few songs from Bollywood but maintains that she likes English pop music more. Upasana likes traditional Bengali music by Rabindranath Tagore as the songs have good meaning. She thinks traditional Bengali music expresses her best as a Bengali person. Upasana does not listen to Chinese pop music but heard some of it when she recently travelled to Beijing. Upasana liked the extract of traditional Chinese music as she found it jovial, fun and beautiful. She thinks that this music should be preserved and respected as it sounds beautiful. Upasana liked the extract of Chinese crossover music and thought it sounded like Western classical music with an Asian touch. She thinks this music expresses her identity most authentically. Upasana liked the extract of experimental Chinese music as she found it pleasant. However, she still preferred the extract of Chinese crossover music over this. Upasana thinks that experimental Chinese music expresses contemporary culture as the music is catered to both young and old. Upasana does not listen to Singaporean music and thinks that there might be a Singaporean musical style. She thinks that Chinese crossover music best represents Singapore as it is a mix of the East and West.
“I like Beyonce, I like, um, Ed Sheeran. I like, er, [Ben] Howard – I forgot the name actually. [Ben] Howard – something. And then – actually a lot – the Lumineers, I like the Lumineers. I like a little bit of, er, rock like alternate rock. Like maybe, um, you know soft rock you can say, like Michael Learns to Rock.”
“Because [English pop-rock] music, er, generally brings a lot of cultures together. And, er, definitely in Asian culture, or like the one in Singapore, er, really gets a Western outlook after – you know – inculcating a lot of English music inside their lives.”
“[Western classical music is] the kind of music that, um, maybe attracts me when it – in, er, not in a very good mood. Because it doesn’t have words and it is very mellow. It is very, er, it is – it is calming, and it also helps me think. Helps me to think, yes.”
“I think [Western classical music is] a global culture. However in Singapore, we see a lot of children these days learning piano. We see a lot of children learning the violin. And, er, I think this is just another gateway that opens up the Asian culture to the Western classical music. And, um, therefore I feel it’s not only part of the West, it’s also part of Asia, and therefore it has a global identity.”
“There have been a lot of variations – yes, [pop-rock] all started from [Western classical music], however there have been a lot of variations, a lot of different schools of thinking. You know, schools of music that have actually evolved over the centuries. So I cannot say it’s completely evolved from there – but yes, some of the singers might hold the belief that yes, it might – it must have.”
“[Western classical music] is the foundation to any person who wants to learn the basic of music. The different tones, the different, um, the different, er, er, you know, the – like the different types of, er, pitches of the sound, the – the – the intonations, everything. Even the mood associated with the music, it – it all starts from Western classical and I feel it’s very, very, very important.”
“I don’t like [Bengali pop music] that much because I think they have – they have too much of a punk-rock type, so it’s not very – it – it’s not my style, you can say.”
“Bollywood – some of the times I do. Some of the songs which are attractive, some of the songs which are nice, er, upon – by nice I mean some of the songs that – you know – make me want to listen to it again, and again. A few of them – yes, but mostly for me it is English, but I’m not Hindu.”
“I do listen regularly but, um, there has been a [period] of which I have actually listened to more traditional Bengali music, which is mostly the Rabindra Sangeet. Which is basically by Rabindranath Tagore who was a big poet.”
“I haven’t listened to any but I – I recently when to Beijing, and I heard a lot of it. It was playing in the hotel lobby, so it was good. It was nice, it was mellow. Although I could not understand anything, but [Chinese pop music] was very good.”
“I liked the part where [traditional Chinese music] started to be – it started very mildly, then it took up the pace and it begun very jovial, fun, beautiful music. And especially the flute kind of thing – I really liked.”
“I feel, er, that the artist who can play these [traditional Chinese] songs, er, these instruments should be, er, you know respected, should be – actually their art should be preserved. And I really, really feel that this is something that is worth preserving.”
“[Chinese crossover music] used modern, Western instruments in, er, together with the Chinese instruments if I’m not wrong. It – I think the sound that came out of both of these were great. It was not only – it was very touching, it was very soul-touching. It almost was like a Western classical music ... but with an Asian touch.”
“Beautiful [experimental Chinese] music that came out was actually quite pleasant. But not as good as the [Chinese crossover music] that you showed me – made me hear before.”
“[Experimental Chinese is] not only using the old techniques, the old instruments, it is also, er, moving forward together with the current instruments. It is moving forward with the help of the current instruments, going on with the current artists.”
“Singapore is mostly like a – you can say a mixture of the West meets East. And it’s not completely Asian, it’s not completely oriental. And, er, although it’s got major touches of oriental music in there. So – like using of the guitar, using of the drums together with the Chinese instruments, that’s what I think – that’s what represents Singapore really good.”
Click on the link below for the full transcript