Celebration of youths uptown
This year’s Singapore Street Festival showcases a myriad of our youths’ artistic talents.

By Winnie Mak

Come May 31, Orchard Road will be transformed into a performing ground for youths, by youths. The stretch renowned as a shopping haven will host the Singapore Street Festival 2003.

“Through this event, we hope to encourage diversity and bring across the message that it is cool to be different,” said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Patron of the festival and Minister of State for National Development, at the press launch of the festival.

Themed “Street Revolution”, the festival organised by the Orchard Road Business Association is into its second year. Various community associations such as the National Youth Council and the Singapore Tourism Board are also supporters of the event.

Targeted at youths who would have completed their mid-year exams by then, this event invites them to let their hair down and lend themselves to the common expression of creative arts.

For those looking for something different, genres of the hip-hop street culture such as break dancing and graffiti art displays would definitely be explosive visual treats. Graffiti artist Phyreman, who led Dr Balakrishnan in the finishing touches to the Street Revolution Logo, felt that graffiti has a life of its own despite the negative impression that many people have. “I couldn’t care less because I knew I am humbly representing what I loved,” he said.

For the conventional, music, ranging from jazz to acapella styles, and drama performances will be plentiful throughout this event which ends on June 15.

Not forgetting the literary enthusiasts, the Musical Theatre Company will be reinterpreting Sondheim classics through original compositions of the show tunes. With youths turning up in droves for dance parties such as those held in Zouk, it is plain to see that the young and energetic enjoys mass dances. Therefore, a part of the event not to be missed will be the belly-dancing segment by Desert Rhythm, which attracted rave responses from audiences at the festival last year. They will be dancing to the tunes of folkloric cane dance and contemporary pop songs.

At the preview of the festival, it was a spectacle of both experienced artistes such as accomplished percussionist Bobby Singh and budding jazz singers like Felicia Edward. One could feel the performers’ immense passion for the arts as they exuded confidence and fervour far beyond their ages.

Amalia Yunus, 21, a second-year SMU business undergraduate and part of the funky duo Supergirls said: “This festival is a great opportunity for us to articulate our feelings about music and we hope that the public, especially the youths, can come down and lend us your support.”

Aspiring and interested performers can contact the festival’s programme director, Ms Annie Pek at annpek@cyberway.com.sg. Alternatively, they can log onto http://www.singaporestreetfestival.com for more information.

The Nanyang Chronicle
[article published 31 March 2003]