A song actually made me think about the value of culture.
Chinese New Year is a festival greatly celebrated by Chinese. In Chinese-dominated Singapore, this is even more so, with large number of TV celebrations, the lifting of the ban on firecrackers, and of course, the fantastic atmosphere that's built up.
The fun of Chinese New Year is also when you get to do things which you usually can't do. Playing card games and mahjong, having that large delicious reunion with your family, and especially the singing of songs. These cheery songs have that effect of actually making you feel happier, and they're one of the only songs that don't mention anything about lost love. They're also better than cheers, because you actually like the tune when you're singing it, and not just because your heart feels like it.
Then comes music appreciation. I looked forward to it every assembly, for it implied that we could have an opportunity in our busy school lives to just sing some nice songs out loud and not care about the thoughts of others. It also provides a means of relaxation, where we can just sing and not multi-task, ie sing while doing our homework.
This week, I had a nice surprise originally remembering that we were singing Chinese New Year songs. When the music started playing, I also liked the fast tempo and the sweet voices. But what then happened was that a rap was, to a certain extent, forcefully included into the music. It involved various shouts imitating that of a pugilist, completely contradicting the point about this being a song of crooning emotions. The rap, though well-intentioned in wishing us the best for the New Year, did not really make much impact and sense at all, and I felt that some of the beauty of this song was lost.
I sense the comment of "cultural fusion" coming up. Admittedly, it was a commendable effort on MediaCorp's part to merge tradition with modern. But I strongly believed that MediaCorp could have reviewed and at least get the opinions of various individuals regarding these songs. Considering the fact that this is also a MediaCorp-produced CD for Chinese New Year songs, with MediaCorp actors in the Music Video. In other words, this is not a CNY CD, it is the CNY CD. I really wonder what the older generations will think about this "weird" twist to their familiar renditions.
Ultimately, I respect the fact that modernisation would like to give its own rendition to certain things. However, I am more conservative, and I value tradition to a greater extent than modernisation. I think that from relatively more conservative stand, I have justified my stand on keeping some things the way they were.
