Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
1-1996
Abstract
This paper illustrates how popular music written, produced, and performed by Singaporeans provides a means through which the culture and society of Singapore may be understood. Music with English language text conveys a sense of place and reflects a distinctively Singaporean spirit and identity. The paper examines four themes: the portrayal of Singapore's multiracial population which reflects a unique cultural synthesis; the Singaporeans' concept of urbanity, manifested as the simultaneous attraction and repulsion towards the city and the desire for nature and the rustic; the distinctive social engineering in Singapore; and the way in which global issues are imported into local agendas, as reflected in "green" concerns in Singapore-produced songs.
Keywords
Singapore, national identity, music, culture, popular music
Discipline
Asian Studies | Music | Sociology of Culture
Research Areas
Humanities
Publication
Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies
Volume
9
Issue
2
First Page
51
Last Page
77
ISSN
0741-2037
Publisher
Northern Illinois University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Citation
Kong, Lily.(1996). Popular music and a sense of place in Singapore. Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 9(2), 51-77.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2270
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40860534
Included in
Asian Studies Commons, Music Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons