Transcript of interview with Colin Ng (conducted by Amanda Lee), 23 November 2016, 3 pm, Skype.
Colin is a 38-year old male Chinese Singaporean who works at the flight operations centre in Silk Air. Colin likes English pop and rock music by artistes like Katy Perry, U2 and Bon Jovi. He likes their music as it is upbeat and has meaningful lyrics. Colin thinks this genre expresses his identity as this music is compatible with his sociable and jovial personality. He thinks that there is a cultural connection of English pop and rock music and other Western countries as Singaporeans’ musical tastes are influenced by them. Colin listens to some Western classical music and likes pieces like Canon in D (1694) and Swan Lake (1875). He likes contemporary instrumental music by Yanni and Kitarō as well. He thinks Western classical music is part of global culture as most people have heard of it, and because of its appeal to global audiences. Colin likes Chinese and Cantonese pop and rock music by artistes like Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung and Beyond. He likes them for the same reason he likes English pop and rock music; that they have a nice tune and meaningful lyrics. Colin thinks that Chinese and Cantonese pop and rock music expresses a cultural connection of Singaporeans with their Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Cantonese counterparts as it allows them to better connect with them. Colin does not listen to any traditional Chinese music but has heard bits and pieces of it here and there. He thinks it is important to preserve it for future generations so that they know the source of Chinese music and how it has evolved into what it is today. Colin liked the extract of Chinese crossover music as he found that the combination of traditional Chinese instruments and modern instruments melded really well together. Colin thinks that this genre represents him best as a Chinese person as he is enjoying listening to Western music more. Colin found the experimental Chinese music to be sleep-inducing and he found the introduction to be droning on incessantly. He thinks it expresses contemporary culture as it could be an attempt to mix Chinese instruments and Western music together. Colin likes the Singaporean group Copycat Clan as he finds their songs hilarious and he can resonate with the local flavors in their music. Colin does not think that Singlish comedy songs can represent Singapore on the global stage as there is no global appeal for it. However, he thinks that countries close to Singapore like Malaysia and Taiwan could possibly connect with the songs too. Colin thinks that National Day songs and community songs like the Total Defence song creates an authentic feeling of group belonging as it stirs a sense of nationalism in people. Colin thinks that Chinese crossover music is the genre that best represents Singapore. Colin thinks that the most important genre to him would be Singaporean music.
“Well with regards to rock, er, my favorite bands would be, er, Bon Jovi, U2. Um, and, er, to – with regards to pop maybe, um, something closer to this day and age would be, um, ya, Katy Perry. Ya.”
“My friends would classify me as a generally jovial kind of guy, you know. And – so therefore, um, with regards to the music that I listen to, er, you know, it, er, it’s also that kind of happy – you know – or upbeat kind of tunes that, er, you know I listen to that, er, or appeal to me basically.”
“If the tune is nice – like for example, er, Canon in D (1694) major – I think it’s a really nice tune. Er, what else, um, ya, er, Swan Lake (1875), is it? Ya, that’s right. Um, yeah so with regards to Western classical music, er, I just have a couple of, er, likes there.”
“I’m thinking that you know, Western classical music, er, you know generally appeals to a global audience, you know. Um, it – ya, essentially – you know – almost everyone in the world would, um, would either have heard of it or you know would know a certain few, er, you know, pieces of music.”
“I think we should preserve all forms of music. Um, because, er, you know basically we – I mean – yeah, because I mean the human race is so diverse and – and you know, um, different people, er, you know are into different kinds of music.”
“I do listen to, er, you know, some – some [Chinese pop] songs from, er, from older bands like Beyond? Um, Aaron Kwok. Okay, so Aaron Kwok’s not a band, but ya – you know, artiste. Aaron Kwok and Jacky Cheung, ya so generally more of their popular songs.”
“Or the [Singaporeans] that listen to Mandarin or Cantonese pop-rock music right, er, they ... um, they generally – I mean, it allows them to connect with their Taiwanese and Hong Kong and China, er, you know, counterparts better as well.”
“I mean, probably heard like – you know – snippets or clips [of traditional Chinese music], or what lah but not, er, not like – you know – gone for a – a – a concert or listened to an entire piece – you know – all at one go. Ya.”
“I feel that we should, er, or as – as in future generations should always be aware that – okay, that, er, you know – how [traditional Chinese] music has evolved from, er, you know – the, er, olden days and – you know – into what it is today.”
“[Chinese crossover music] was a very good, um, medley of – you know – Adele’s music. And, um, at the same time, the, er, you know the combination of the classical instruments together with modern-day instruments – you know – I – I think they melded really well.”
“I’m more attuned to Western music and, er, I – I – ya maybe that’s why maybe I appreciated that, er, [Chinese] crossover thing. Because – you know – it’s a – it’s a similar tune and it’s, um, you know, played with traditional Chinese instruments and, er, together with Western instruments as well. Ya.”
“Okay, that [experimental Chinese music is] a bit too sleepy for me, I’m sorry. Ya. Um, okay but – but, er, maybe – you know – if you could enlighten me a little bit right, um, how – how would that be considered experimental?”
“If [that experimental Chinese music] was meant to be an intro right, then it was a pretty long intro. Which I felt was, er, which I felt was like droning on a bit lah, you know.”
“I think [experimental Chinese music] is an attempt to – to bring – bridge you know like, er, er, like you know Chinese instruments and Western music together? Um, you know, however, ya I mean with regards to – to myself, you know, I – I won’t – it’s not the kind of, er, music that appeals to me, sorry.”
“[Copycat clan is] just – it’s just hilarious, lah. You know and, um, and very, er, okay – you know – it’s just this, er, local flavor which, er, er, which resonates with – with everyone that – that listens to them, you know.”
“The [local flavor includes the] use of, er, the – our colloquial English. You know, the lahs and lors. Er, and, um, of course the accent, that’s another. And at the same time, er, the use of, er, you know – the various, er, languages you know that we – we come across in Singapore, you know. Um, Malay, Tamil, Hokkien, ya, stuff like that.”
“People around the region should be able to – to appreciate [Singlish comedy songs], you know. Maybe – you know – going as far as Taiwan and China possibly. Yeah. But, er, if you’re talking about Western countries, er, you know, Australia, the European countries or the – America, I may – okay, I don’t think so.”
“I think the more recent pieces okay – you know have a bit more of, er, have a wider appeal than just you know, in Singapore. Um, whereas like, er, the older, er, the older, um, songs from the 80s like, er, like Count on Me, Singapore (1986), or One People, One Nation, One Singapore (1990), so all these – all these you know [are] very, er, very singular.”
“The Total Defence Song the one that goes, er, “There’s a Part for Everyone (1984).” And ya basically it’s like an education – it’s an educational kind of message from the government right – okay, to say we all have our part to play in Total Defence. But at the same time the tune ah, okay – still, er, you know resonates in – in my head, you know.”
“I think really – really Singaporean music would still be important to me, you know. Er, even though it may not have a big following or what right – you know – but we still need to maintain some kind of national identity, lah.”
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