Jake Pulver
MUSC 1040-004
8:00-8:50 a.m.
Term Project—Culture of Singapore
Singapore is a unique city/state in southeast Asia with a diverse population and authoritarian democratic government. It is a prosperous nation with cultures, languages, and religion converging into harmonious living. Exploring in a limited way the history, religion, and music of Singapore gives a glimpse into this island’s life.
In an interview with Ee Chien Chua, he explained points about history, religion, and music in Singapore. He was born and raised in Singapore and served an LDS mission there. He attended college at Brigham Young University, graduating in 2014. He is currently an analyst at Goldman Sachs (Chua).
Mr. Chua shared that Singapore lies on the tip of the Malay Peninsula. It was a sleepy town until 1819 when Stamford Raffles founded a British trading post. In 1963 it became part of the Malaysian Federation, but two years later Malaysia kicked Singapore out of their country, which led to Singapore’s sudden and unforeseen independence (Chua).
He shared the following facts. There is one nature reserve park in the middle of the island. Today, Singapore is densely populated with approximately 5.5 million people. Ninety percent of the people live in high-rise housing. It is twice the size of Utah Lake and is made up of Malaysians, Chinese, and Indian people. Water comes from Malaysia through reservoirs and water recycling. Singapore will celebrate its 50th birthday this year having received its independence in 1965. It is known for its cleanliness and love for multi-cultural food. The country is currently ranked the third richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita (Chua).
Additional history states that during World War II, Singapore was attacked by the Japanese, and they occupied Singapore for three and one half years. The British took over after the Japanese surrendered in 1945, and Singapore became a British colony in 1946 (Our History).
Religions in Singapore were also discussed in the interview. Mr. Chua said there are diverse religions including 40 percent Buddhist, 25 percent Christian, 10 percent Hindu, 10 percent Muslim. The other 25 percent participate with other religions or no religion at all. It is a multi-cultural society based on equality and justice (Chua).
Muslims pray in mosques five times a day, and the women cover their heads whenever they go out in public. The men wear a skull cap only when they pray. Islam believes Jesus was a prophet and Muhammad is the greatest prophet. The Koran is their book of scripture that is similar to the Bible. After the five books of Moses, Islam differs from Christianity and Judaism. Muslims believe in five pillars: (1) faith in the oneness of God and Muhammad as the messenger, (2) prayer, (3) almsgiving, (4) fasting, and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (Chua).
Buddhism teaches morality, concentration and wisdom, and fengshui. The largest Buddhist temple is the Kong Meng San Phor Kar. The different organizations within Buddhism help people with businesses, shops selling religious artifacts, mobile clinics and services to help the elderly. The Singapore Buddhist Federation regulates Buddhism in Singapore (Guruswamy).
Christians adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ who is believed to be the Son of God. The life of Jesus is recorded in the New Testament and depicts his message, suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, death on the cross, and resurrection. Followers of Christianity accept Jesus as their Messiah. The oldest Christian church is the Armenia Church and was completed in 1835. Catholics and Protestants and other Christian denominations are found in Singapore. The Catholic Church runs several schools and special homes. Protestant churches operate counseling services and anti-drug abuse programs (Guruswamy).
Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world, and Hindus believe God takes on various forms with the most influence in Singapore coming from the South Indian culture. The Hindus wash their hands and feet at the entrance of the temple, and on a daily basis, the priests perform rituals and chant scriptures within the temples. Major Hindu festivals are celebrated including Deepavali, Thaipusam, Navratri, and Tamil New Year (Guruswamy).
Mr. Chua reported that the music is westernized in Singapore. Malay, Indonesian, pop, and US music are prevalent. The Esplanade is a large performing arts center and represents Singapore’s commitment to bring in the arts. It is the home of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He explained that the Chinese people like to stay up to date regarding new music (Chua).
Rock n’ roll and pop music in Singapore has roots in the United States because in the 1960s Cliff Richards and bands like Beatles and The Pink Floyd performed there. The first bands that evolved in Singapore concentrated on instrumental concerts. Singapore’s rock bands produced Oddfellows and The Padres in the 1970s and 80s (Music of Singapore). On the top 30s Singles Chart for Singapore, all but one song are American artists (Top 30 Singles Chart Singapore).
Western music is popular with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra along with choral groups and wind bands. Chinese, Malay, and Indian music are also popular in traditional and contemporary styles. The Singapore Chinese Orchestra is the most well-known for Chinese music. They also have choirs that perform songs ranging from folk to opera. Malay music has percussion and vocal renditions as well as pop music. There are many institutions that perform classical Indian music that receive significant attendance in Singapore (National Arts Council Singapore).
Since Buddhism is the largest religious group in Singapore, it seems appropriate to select a song within this religion to represent the nation. Daniel Yeo, a Singaporean, composed an album entitled “Come Forth” (2003) which is a collection of Chinese Buddhist songs. A song on this album entitled, “Buddham Saranim Gaccami,” gives a sample of voice, string, flute and orchestra in this Buddhist rendition (BuddhaNet Audio).
Buddha teaches that heavenly singing and chanting heard day and night through flowers, birds, a gentle breeze, and movement in the trees can bring people to enlightenment. Buddhist music is central to everyday living by those who practice their religion and is heard at such events as weddings and funerals. A variety of musical instruments are used in Chinese Buddhist music. They include the inverted bell, the gong, a large bell, a large drum, a resonant wooden block called a wooden fish, small and large cymbals, and a Chinese tambourine (Sacred Music Radio).
“It is said that Buddhist melodies can be described as being strong, but not fierce; soft, but not weak; pure, but not dry; still, but not sluggish, andable to help purify the hearts of listeners.” (Sacred Music Radio)
In conclusion, learning about the different nationalities and religions gave me a broader view of the beliefs of others. I didn’t realize how small Singapore is—it would not take long to drive around Utah Lake two times. Water is vital for everyone, and Singapore has to bring in its water from Malaysia. Singaporeans are dependent in that aspect. Living in a desert, we also are concerned about water and rely heavily on reservoirs and snowpack. It was exciting to me that I was able to study about Singapore during its 50th birthday. It is a young nation compared to the United States. Housing is vertical in Singapore, and in Salt Lake County we have more single-dwelling homes. It is interesting to me that Singaporeans listens to mainly American popular music. This rich, diverse culture teaches me harmonious living is possible with all the other cultures that exist in Singapore.
Works Cited
BuddhaNet Audio. 27 March 2015 <http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-songs_chinese.htm>.
Chua, Ee Chien. Culture of Singapore Jake Pulver. 25 February 2015.
Guruswamy, Rekha. "Religions in Singapore." Guide to Working in Singapore. 23 March 2015 <http://worksingapore.com/articles/live_7.php>.
"Music of Singapore." Music of Singapore - About Singapore Music - Popular Music in Singapore. 24 March 2015 <http://www.focussingapore.com>.
National Arts Council Singapore. Home>Art Forms>Music>Overview. 4 October 2013. March 2015 <https://www.nac.gov.sg>.
"Our History." Visit Singapore-Tourist & Travel Guide – YourSingapore. 16 March 2015 <http://www.yoursingapore.com>.
Sacred Music Radio. 27 March 2015 <http://www.sacredmusicradio.org/buddhist-sacred-music/>.
"Top 30 Singles Chart Singapore." Top 30 Singles Chart Singapore - Music Weekly Asia. 24 March 2015 <http://musicweekly.asia/charts/top-30-singles-singapore>.
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