Reimagining Getai as Singaporean Art Song
Characterised by songs in Chinese dialects such as Hokkien and Cantonese, flamboyant aesthetics and a strong community presence, getai occupies a complex position in Singaporean culture: widely recognisable yet often culturally marginalised. As younger generations become increasingly distanced from dialects and social attitudes towards getai shift, this living tradition faces the risk of decline.
Commissioned by The Opera People, my collection of Getai Songs reimagines popular getai songs including Don’t Worry, Be Happy! (欢喜就好), Train Station (车站), Fate (命运) and One Little Umbrella (一支小雨伞) through the lens of contemporary art song. Rather than treating preservation as the reproduction of an existing tradition, the project approaches arrangement as an act of creative evolution. Drawing on personal childhood memories of watching getai with my family, the songs also explore how artistic identity is shaped at the intersection of personal memory, cultural heritage and contemporary practice.
Dr Tan Yuting
Singaporean composer Tan Yuting explores the interaction and manipulation of rhythm, texture and timbre to create evocative soundscapes. Her music has received multiple awards and been performed internationally across Asia, Europe, North America and Australasia, with collaborations including the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound, Sandbox Percussion, Ekmeles and Ding Yi Music Company.
Yuting also plays the piano, writes poetry and enjoys collaborating across artistic disciplines. She holds a PhD in Music Composition from the University of Chicago and currently teaches at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore.
YST Conservatory of Music