Jump to content

Xinyao

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Xinyao(Chinese:Tân dao;pinyin:Xīnyáo) is a genre of songs that is unique toSingapore.[1]It is a contemporary Mandarin vocal genre that emerged and rose to fame in Singapore between the late 1970s to 1980s.[2]Xinyaosongs are composed and sung bySingaporeansand it is an outlet for them to express their thoughts and feelings around themes like friendships or love stories.Xinyaois aChinesenoun comprising two words:Xīn( tân ) which is an abbreviation for Singapore, andyáo( dao ) for song. The extended form isXīnjiāpō gēyáo( Singapore ca dao ), which simply means "Singapore songs".

Xinyao can be clearly identified by its distinctive style of Mandarin genre, that is conveyed through poetic lyrics with clean acoustic accompaniments.[3]Often, a group of people sing and harmonize together,[4]accompanied solely by the guitar. As the movement grew and became semi-commercialized in the early 1990s, more sophisticated accompaniments like drums and castanets were adopted.

Early pioneers of this style of music includeWong Hong Mok,Liang Wern Fook,Dawn Gan,Eric Mooand Billy Koh, who discovered and groomed many successful Singapore artistes in the Asia Chinese-Pop music scene (includingKit Chan,A-DoandJJ Lin).

History[edit]

Birth of Xinyao[edit]

In the Chinese music scene, the local xinyao movement started in the mid-1980s and was the source of a number of success stories in today's regional Chinese pop music industry.[5]This genre was started by a group of students (mainly secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics), who were influenced byminyao( dân dao ), a Taiwanese folk songs movement in the 1970s,[1]school campus songs ( vườn trường dân ca ) from Taiwan. The Taiwanese folk genre sought an authentic native Taiwan identity exemplified by songs such as "Grandma's Penghu Bay" ( bà ngoại bành hồ loan ). The rise in popularity of theschool campus song movement( vườn trường dân ca ) especially among the Chinese students and schools came at a time of major education reforms led by then Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister MrGoh Keng Sweewhich sought to streamline and align Chinese education into the national syllabus, which can be interpreted as a spontaneous reaction to assert identity against these changes.

In September 1982,Nanyang Technological University's Chinese-language newspaper,Nanyang Business Daily,organised a seminar titledThe Song We Sing( chúng ta xướng ca ). The seminar revolved around discussing the emerging trend of xinyao, which was representative of Singaporean composed schoolyard songs at that time. Furthermore, it was also during the 1980s that the termxinyaowas coined and popularised inSingapore.[6]

1980s: Peak of Xinyao[edit]

Xinyao was considered to be at its peak in the 1980s as the songs propelled manySingaporeansingers and songwriters to stardom.[1]It was during this period where many students who lovedxinyaogathered and staged their own performances. Some of the earliestxinyaogroups includes The Straws ( thủy thảo tam trọng xướng ), The Merlion ( đuôi cá sư tiểu tổ ), and Underpass Group ( ngầm thiết tiểu tổ ).[1]This movement soon spread across Singapore, beyond schools and into the public arena such as community centres. Led by The Merlion, which was formed at Clementi Community Centre in 1983, there were more than 20 xinyao groups registered with a neighbourhood community centre by mid-1987[7]..

Songs such asA Step at a Timewritten and sung byxinyaoartists were popular with those born in the mid-1960s to 1970s. In 1983, the songEncounter,a duet by Moo and Huang Hui-zhen, became the first xinyao song to chart onYes 933's "Pick of the Pops" ( Singapore Long Hổ Bảng ) chart. The song was part of a xinyao albumTomorrow 21( ngày mai 21) released in 1983-84 and were created by Billy Koh, Koh Nam Seng, Huang Yuan Cheng, Zhang Jia Qiang and Colin Goh, was considered by some fans[8]as the landmark album that brought xinyao to the mainstream media. The creation of this album led to the birth of what would becomeOcean Butterflies Productions.[9]

1990s: Decline of Xinyao[edit]

The decline of xinyao began in the early 1990s. Despite constant efforts to promote the xinyao genre such as xinyao concerts and inter-school songwriting competitions, the popularity of xinyao continue to wane. Following the stop of the Xinyao Festival in 1990 due to the lack of funding, theSing Music Awardswas consequently scrapped due to limited album releases.[10]Other factors contributing the decline of xinyao including the rise of Taiwanese and Hong Kong songs in Singapore's music industry,[4]as the declining of new xinyao talents inSingapore.

2000s: Resurgence of Xinyao[edit]

Xinyao was revived in the early 2000s when a series of xinyao concerts caught the eye of the public once again. A reunion concert in March 2002 where xinyao pioneers such as Moo, Liang and Gan were featured.[11]Beginning in 2002, an annual xinyao concert featuring xinyao veterans were organised, with Taiwanese singers participating to promote the concert.[12][13]

The revival of xinyao has been attributed to nostalgia for the era among the generations who grew up listening to that music genre. In recent times, Xinyao stirred the interest of the younger generations as well.[14]Reality competitions such asProject SuperStarandCampus SuperStarwere also organised in television to promote the xinyao culture.

Today, xinyao is regarded as a key highlight of Singapore's music scene in the 1980s. Although some argue that any current local compositions by young musicians are considered part of xinyao, the term generally refers to the folk genre of songs by Singaporeans that emerged in the 1980s.[15]

Significance[edit]

The xinyao movement was largely home-grown and enriched the local arts scene in post-warSingapore.It was one of the more notable youth musicsubculturesinSingaporewhich outgrew its origins and gained public acceptance as well as support.

As a young nation,Singaporewas still in the process of nation building in the 1980s, and different campaigns were constantly launched in search of constructing a national identity and “characteristics” that are unique toSingapore.[16]Using lyrics that relates closely to the daily lives ofSingaporeanyouth, xinyao brought out a music culture that aptly representedSingaporein a unique way.

Social Influences[edit]

Media[edit]

One of the very crucial and deciding factors that pushed xinyao towards its level of popularity was the increased exposure in radio stations as well as on television. In 1983, there was a weekly half-hour radio programme that was specially dedicated for xinyao and its musicians. The programme was titledOur Singers and Songwriters( ca vận tiếng lòng ) and started by the thenSingapore Broadcasting Corporation(SBC). In the same year, SBC broadened its annual Chinese Talentime ( đấu ca cạnh nghệ ) programme, to include a vocal group section. Following its success, it then further expanded to include a local-composition category in 1985. As an effort to promote xinyao, the SBC also used xinyao songs as theme songs for Chinese television drama serials.[17]

The xinyao movement was further strengthened with the release of the first xinyao album in 1984 titledTomorrow We’ll Be 21( ngày mai 21).

Following its revival, xinyao starts to reappear in the eyes of the public. In 2007, xinyao was showcased in The Chinese-language musicalIf There're Seasons( thiên lãnh liền trở về ), the musical featured 30 of Liang's compositions, of which many were his signature xinyao pieces.[18]In 2015, a xinyao documentaryThe Songs We Sangwas released in Golden Village.

In 2018, a Singaporean reality-competition series organised by Mediacorp, titledSPOP Sing!,targets local students from Singapore in search of finding a homegrown musical talent as well as promoting local music culture of both mandopop and xinyao, as well as paying tribute to modern singers that rose to fame, such asSing! ChinafinalistsNathan Hartono[19]andJoanna Dong.[20]A competition with a similar format aired in 2013, thefourth seasonofCampus Superstar,also use only mandopop and xinyao music only during the competition.[21]

National Day Parade[edit]

Xinyao songs such asVoices from the Heart( tiểu nhân vật tiếng lòng ) were also staged and performance during the 2014 and 2017'sNational Day Parade in Singapore.

During his Chinese National Day Rally speech in 2014, Singapore's Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loongstarted off by singing to a popular xinyao tune,Small Stream that Flows Forever( tế thủy trường lưu ) by Liang[22]

Education[edit]

In 2015, a school xinyao programme was introduced by Singapore's Ministry of Education. The programme includes a singing, songwriting competition and media appreciation sessions and songwriting workshops. The aim of the programme is to enhance student's Chinese learning abilities in terms of writing and reading.[23]As part of the effort to revive the xinyao spirit and to help participating students, 20 xinyao music appreciation sessions and 2 songwriting workshops were conducted by veteran xinyao songwriters - Jim Lim, Roy Li, Zhang Lesheng and Tan Kah Beng. The programme can be deemed to be a success as over 10,000 students participated in its 2017 iteration.[24]The success of the programme has also led to the production ofSPOP Sing!.[21]

Examples of Xinyao Songs[edit]

Year Title Composer Lyricist
1983 Tình cờ gặp gỡ Vu khải hiền Hoàng huệ xanh
1988 Làm đêm nhẹ nhàng rơi xuống Lương văn phúc
1986 Tiểu nhân vật tiếng lòng Ngô giai minh Ôn tuyết oánh
1987 Tế thủy trường lưu Lương văn phúc
1987 Chúng ta này nhất ban Hứa hoàn lương Ngô khánh khang, hoàng nguyên thành
1987 Lịch sử khảo thí đêm trước Lương văn phúc
1981 Xướng một đầu hoa sơ ca Lương văn phúc
Sa mạc dấu chân Trương gia cường Lâm có hà
1984 Viết một bài hát cho ngươi Lương văn phúc
1984 Thủy nói Nhan sáng sớm Lương văn phúc
1988 Quên đi qua đi Vu khải hiền Mộc tử
1990 Singapore phái Lương văn phúc

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Xinyao | Infopedia".eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  2. ^Miller, Terry E and Sean Williams. In The Garland Handbook of Southeast Asian Music. New York: Routledge, 2008.
  3. ^Koh, Jamie. Xinyao: Made in Singapore.” National Library Board Singapore, January 22, 2014.http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2015-02-17_175438.html
  4. ^abThe changing face of xinyao over the years. (1994, September 2). The Straits Times, p. 28. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
  5. ^Ng, Gwendolyn (August 27, 2015)."Xinyao hits a crescendo".The Straits Times.Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.RetrievedMarch 31,2016.
  6. ^Nam Dương học sinh chủ thúc giục: Đạn đạn tân dao · nói tân dao. (1982, September 13). Nam Dương thương báo, p. 33. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  7. ^Foo, J. (1989, August 6). In search of the Singapore song. TheStraits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
  8. ^"Tân dao người Trương gia cường nửa ngày phổ ra kinh điển tác phẩm tiêu biểu | zaobao.sg".zaobao.sg.Archived fromthe originalon 2014-12-22.
  9. ^"Our History".12 January 2015.
  10. ^Guan, L. (1992, May 24). The last strains of xinyao?The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
  11. ^ng, S. (2002, April 1). A show to xinyao ’bout. The Straits Times, p. 6. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  12. ^Tân dao dân ca phong thái vẫn như cũ. (2002, June 10). Liên hợp sớm báo, p. 30. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
  13. ^Tân dao văn hóa tố cầu. (2003, June 30). Liên hợp sớm báo, p. 18. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  14. ^Chan, B. (2008, April 25). Xinyao lives on. The Straits Times, p. 64. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  15. ^Chan, B. (2013, August 1). Xinyao uniquely Singapore. (2013, August 1). The Straits Times.
  16. ^Heng, Chye Kiang. “From Architectural Heritage to Identity in Singapore.” In Paper 7, 145-156. 2017.
  17. ^Koh, S. T. (1987, August 21). Has xinyao gone pop?The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG
  18. ^Vương anh mẫn. (Wang, Y. M.). (2007, July 26). Lương văn phúc đẩy ra âm nhạc kịch. Tân dân nhật báo. Retrieved from Factiva
  19. ^"Nathan Hartono finishes second in nail-biting Sing! China final".straitstimes. 7 October 2016.Retrieved2018-10-25.
  20. ^"Joanna Dong comes in third in Sing! China finals".channelnewsasia.Retrieved2018-10-25.
  21. ^ab"SPOP Sing! on the hunt for next local singing sensation".toggle.sg. Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2018.Retrieved2018-10-25.
  22. ^"Video: PM Lee sings opening line of xinyao song in National Day Rally | Coconuts Singapore".Coconuts.August 18, 2014.
  23. ^"National xinyao competition promotes the composition of new songs in the genre".The Straits Times.February 7, 2018.
  24. ^"Students reliving spirit of xinyao".The Straits Times.August 21, 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xinyao&oldid=1231666224"