MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release SINGAPOREANS TO ENJOY DIGITAL MUSIC PERFORMANCES AT OUR HISTORIC NATIONAL MONUMENTS New series of music videos to inspire greater appreciation for Singapore’s built heritage and homegrown talents Singapore, 24 September 2020 – From songs waxing lyrical about the moon, to rearrangements of popular festive tunes, Singaporeans can immerse in a visual and auditory experience at our historic National Monuments through an all new Music At Monuments – National Heritage Board x Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (NHB x SCCC) digital music performance series. From now till December 2020, NHB’s Preservation of Sites and Monuments division and SCCC will be jointly rolling out a line-up of four music videos featuring Singapore talents, all produced at our National Monuments. They will allow everyone to view these icons of our built heritage in a different light, while showcasing the diverse talents of our local musicians. 2 Alvin Tan, Deputy Chief Executive (Policy & Community), NHB, said: “We came up with the idea of staging musical showcases at our monuments because we wanted to combine the magic of musical performances with the ambience of historical settings to create a new monumental experience for our audiences. At the same time, these digital showcases are part of NHB’s efforts to create digital content to maintain access to arts and culture, and serve as a source of revenue for our local artistes and arts groups.” 3 The four National Monuments that will take centre stage in this music performance series are the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), Goodwood Park Hotel, Jurong Town Hall and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH). Filmed against the backdrop of these iconic buildings, Music At Monuments will feature the vocal and musical prowess of homegrown talents The Apex Project, Derrick Hoh, MUSA and Fingerfunk as they present performances that are associated with the upcoming festivals – Mid-Autumn Festival, Chong Yang Festival, Deepavali and Christmas respectively. Members of the public can catch these digital music performances on NHB’s and SCCC’s social media platforms. The four videos will be rolled out monthly from September to December 2020. 1 4 Low Sze Wee, Chief Executive Officer, SCCC, shared “Pop culture in general, and pop music in particular, have strong appeal amongst youths. This has been reflected in the strong responses to our ongoing TGIF Music Station, annual Sing• Lang concert and SG:SW I Write the Songs festival. We are delighted to partner NHB in this meaningful collaboration to provide our local musicians with a unique platform to showcase their talents and introduce our shared heritage and culture to the public.” Celebrating festivities through music 5 The first music video of the series will be launched today, in conjunction with the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival – a well-loved festival amongst the Chinese community in Singapore and Asia. Local a cappella quintet The Apex Project will perform a medley of English and Mandarin songs associated with the moon, such as ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘月 亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart)’, at SYSNMH. Gazetted as a National Monument in October 1994, the memorial hall sheds light on the lesser-known details of Singapore’s and Nanyang’s involvement in the 1911 Revolution, and the contributions of our local Chinese community. 6 In October, the spotlight will be cast on ACM – a symbol of Singapore's history from colonial port city to independent nation state. Popular Mando-pop singer Derrick Hoh will perform the classic ‘写一首歌给你 (Write You A Song)’ composed by xinyao pioneer Liang Wern Fook. While not as widely-celebrated in Singapore, Chong Yang Festival is observed by the larger Chinese community and is associated with scaling new heights – an aspirational theme representative of, and espoused in, our local xinyao culture. 7 The third music video, slated for release in November, will take viewers to the Jurong Town Hall – a testament to Singapore’s rapid growth and industrialisation in our post- independence years. Popular for their instrumental compositions that reinterpret Chinese music in a contemporary style, local trio MUSA will perform their rendition of a popular Deepavali classic, ‘Unnaikkandu Naan Aada உன்னனக்கண்翁 நான் ஆட (As I Dance Upon Seeing You)’, ahead of the major festival celebrated by the Indian community. 2 8 Rounding up the series in December is a Christmas music video featuring electronic R&B and hip-hop quartet, Fingerfunk. The multi-genre group will perform an all-time favourite Christmas hit, ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, at Goodwood Park Hotel, a prominent landmark in the Orchard area for its unique architecture. 9 Linda Wee, General Manager, Goodwood Park Hotel said: “Goodwood Park Hotel is honoured to be a part of Music at Monuments. Engaging the public using the language of music to commemorate icons of Singapore’s built heritage with our local talents really reasonated with us. This project is additionally meaningful for us as the hotel also celebrates its 120th anniversary this year with a legacy of timeless elegance since 1900.” 10 Artiste Derrick Hoh shared: “I am excited to be part of Music at Monuments, where I am able to send love and joy to everyone through my music and our beautiful National Monuments. I will be singing the song “写一首歌给你”which will be released close to the Chong Yang Festival. The Chong Yang Festival is a time where Chinese people ascend themselves literally, climbing mountains and hills as a custom. The past few months have been a trying period for many artistes; I hope this music video will remind us Singaporeans of our beautiful cultural landscape, created by the same group of people whom I care about and respect so much. Let's continue to carry hope in our hearts and continue to reach new heights， together as one.” 11 Music At Monuments – NHB x SCCC is part of the larger #SGCultureAnywhere initiative from the arts and cultural sector, and is also a project supported by the Digitalisation Fund under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s Arts and Culture Resilience Package. Please refer to Annex A for more information on the series. To view the full series of digital music performances and for information on the publish dates of the individual music videos, please visit www.roots.sg or www.singaporeccc.org.sg. Hashtags: #SGCultureAnywhere #CultureAlive - END - 3 For media enquiries, please contact: Michelle Wong Cherell Soon Mobile: 9182 4908 Mobile: 8102 9131 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] About the National Heritage Board The National Heritage Board (NHB) was formed on 1 August 1993. As the custodian of Singapore’s heritage, NHB is responsible for telling the Singapore story, sharing the Singaporean experience and imparting our Singapore spirit. NHB’s mission is to preserve and celebrate the shared heritage of our diverse communities, for the purpose of education, nation- building and cultural understanding. It manages the national museums and heritage institutions, and sets policies relating to heritage sites, monuments and the National Collection. About Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre collaborates with arts and cultural groups and community partners to promote and develop local Chinese culture. Through engaging and accessible content, we hope to nurture greater appreciation of our multi-cultural identity and a stronger sense of belonging. Opened by our Patron, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 19 May 2017, our centre in the heart of the city welcomes everyone to enjoy exhibitions, fairs, performances, seminars, talks, workshops and other cultural activities throughout the year. 4 ANNEX A Music At Monuments – NHB x SCCC Co-presented by the Preservation of Sites & Monuments division of the National Heritage Board and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Music at Monuments – NHB x SCCC is a series of digital music performances featuring homegrown talents performing curated tunes at our National Monuments. The first video will launch on 24 September in conjunction with Mid-Autumn Festival. Bask in the voices of local a cappella band The Apex Project as they present a medley of moon- themed songs to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Singapore’s 33rd National Monument! Where to watch: ● National Heritage Board Facebook ● National Heritage Board’s Preservation of Sites & Monuments Division Instagram ● Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Facebook ● Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Instagram ● Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Youtube About the four digital music performances: Music Video #1 for Mid-Autumn Festival National Monument: Former Sun Yat Sen Villa (now Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall) Artiste: The Apex Project Song: Medley of English and Chinese songs associated with the moon, such as ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and ‘The Moon Represents My Heart 月亮代表我的心’ Release date: 24 September 2020 Bask in the voices of local a cappella band The Apex Project as they present a medley of moon-themed songs to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Singapore’s 33rd National Monument! About the Former Sun Yat Sen Villa (now Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall) Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is one of the few surviving examples of villas that were once common sights in British Singapore. As its name clearly suggests, the building is strongly linked to the Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat Sen. Moreover, it serves as a reminder of the contributions of Chinese pioneers and their historic connection to the 1911 Chinese Revolution. The memorial hall was gazetted as a National Monument on 28 October 1994. Read more about it here: https://www.roots.sg/Content/Places/national-monuments/former- sun-yat-sen-villa-now-sun-yat-sen-nanyang-memorial-hall About The Apex Project The Apex Project is a Singaporean acappella band formed in 2016.