How Singapore musical duo NADA is treating traditional Malay music

NADA has been making waves with its eccentric performances and appearance — 

one dresses up in all-white and the other in all-black

NADA, music group

Combining soundscapes with visual art

“NADA, comprising two gifted artists, perform old Malay songs with a contemporary edge through sampling. The effect, at once mesmerising and nostalgic, is not to be missed, if you get the chance to see them. They are, the real deal: gifted, giving and gritty.” — Haresh Sharma, playwright

The duo, comprising Safuan Johari and Rizman Putra, does more than just contemporary takes of traditional Malay music. “We are a visual arts and sound project specialising in conjuring lost eras through music, particularly the golden period of Malay and Southeast Asian traditional and popular music from the 1950s to the 1980s,” explains Rizman.
In 2019, they performed with artists Kiat and Deborah Emmanuel from audio-visual collective Syndicate, at the ArtScience Museum. Titled Beyond the Silver Glow, the performance took place beneath famed art piece, Museum of the Moon by British artist Luke Jerram, and was a sonic and movement-based presentation that surveyed the cultural, scientific and spiritual relations different societies have with the Moon. Check this link for upcoming performances: bandwagon.asia/artists/nada

“Multi-genre music festival Hydeout takes place in April at Gardens by the Bay” — Karin Choo, Leading Flight Stewardess

NADA recommends…

Three spots every music geek needs to hunt down

Old record stores still exist in Singapore till this day. Although hard to find, 

the nostalgia is worth the effort. Photo credit: dimitris_k/Shutterstock.com

1. Red Point Record Warehouse

“This family-run record shop located in Tai Seng, an industrial area, has lots of old Singapore and Southeast Asian vinyls. The knowledgeable owner Mr Ong always has great recommendations!”

2. Roxy Records

“We’ve been visiting this store since we were teenagers! Before the internet, it carried demo cassettes from local bands. It was the place you went to check out new Singapore music.”

3. SLED Productions x Decline

“Housed in an industrial building in Geylang, this music production studio and performance art theatre is an inclusive space for all music genres and subcultures in Singapore.”

Where to go for live…

A comedy night at The Merry Lion

Comedy

The Merry Lion, a comedy club at Circular Road, prides itself on providing a platform for local comic talent such as Jinx Yeo and Sharul Channa.

Enjoy live music daily at Crazy Elephant

Music

The charmingly ramshackle Crazy Elephant bar in Clarke Quay is a top venue for live acoustic and blues music. Bands play from 9pm every night.

S.E.A Focus: This showcase of contemporary art from Southeast Asia – led by workshop and gallery STPI – usually takes place each January.

SEE ALSO: 6 creative spaces in Singapore for an artsy afternoon
To go back to the Discover Singapore homepage, visit here. To find out more about Singapore’s arts scene, go here.

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