Getai
Getai (歌台), which literally means “song stage” in Chinese, is believed to have originated during the Japanese Occupation at the New World Amusement Park. It became a popular form of mass entertainment in the 1950s with getai established at various amusement parks. Today, getai is mainly staged during the Hungry Ghost Festival (中元节; zhong yuan jie) to entertain both the living and the dead.
Getai is said to have originated during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore (1942–1945). The first getai is believed to be the Da Ye Hui (大夜会) at the New World Amusement Park.4 At the time, Da Ye Hui had a five-member band and two singers, and they would perform every night, mostly singing. The other main getai then was An Na Shi Tang (安娜食堂), also established at the New World Amusement Park.6 The songs performed were generally folk songs or more traditional Chinese songs. Getai went on to become a popular form of entertainment. There were two reasons for this: the Japanese allowed the proliferation of getai because they loved music, and the locals flocked to getai for the much-needed entertainment to distract them from the hardship during the occupation.8 In those days, the audience did not have to purchase tickets to attend the shows; they were only required to pay for the drinks ordered.
The popularity of getai coincided with the decline of the ge wu tuan (歌舞团; song-and-dance troupes) that had taken root in Singapore in the 1920s.10 After the war, the getai remained a popular form of entertainment. According to Bai Yan, one of the veterans of ge wu tuan and getai, businesses flourished during the early 1950s – the economy was booming and people had money to spend as a result of the Korean War. With limited forms of entertainment, getai was then the entertainment for the masses. Today, getai is the most common form of entertainment during the Hungry Ghost Festival.27 Getai acts are usually performed on make-shift stages in open-air venues in Housing and development Board (HDB) estates. In 2007, it was reported that there were as many as 40 getai acts a night during the festival, with each attracting 1,000 to 5,000 people.28 Although getai performances are also staged throughout the year by various entities such as residents’ committees, community centres and corporations, getai is synonymous with the Hungry Ghost Festival and has become an identifying feature of the festival.
Getai
Getai (歌台) translates literally from Chinese as “song stage” and is a form of vernacular entertainment involving live performances of music, song, and dance. These performances are staged for festive occasions or on regular weeknights. The most well-known are those held during the Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节) also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, where the first row of seats is left empty for “spirit” visitors. A distinguishing feature of the getai performance is the predominant use of the Hokkien dialect. The interaction involves comedic banter and good humoured commentary on contemporary social issues as well as jokes and puns enabled by using multiple languages. Contemporary shows may use multi-coloured stage lights, LED props and screens, laser displays, and pyrotechnics.
The defining characteristics of Singapore getai developed during the various surges in its popularity: when the first getai troup, Da Ye Hui (大夜会) was set up at New World Amusement Park (Singapore’s first amusement park) in 1923; its heyday of the 1950s; its resurgence in the 1970s; and its new revival at the turn of the century.
Getai shows are typically performed outdoors in temporary tent and stage setups. These structures would be erected in open spaces like empty fields, basketball courts or parking grounds in the public housing estates that form the residential ‘heartland’ of Singapore. Getai mainly attracts working class, middle aged to elderly Chinese Singaporeans, especially those who prefer Mandarin or a Chinese dialect as their daily communication language. However, it is not uncommon to see people from other ethnic groups and backgrounds attend getai performances as they are drawn by the entertainment. Performers comprise of those who are able to speak Chinese dialects, of diverse gender and age group. There are also getai organisers who coordinate the getai performances.
Getai in Retrospect
Come celebrate the legacy of getai through music, storytelling and multimedia presentations!
A literal translation of “song-stage” from Mandarin, getai is a unique facet of Chinese culture and heritage in Singapore that comprises live entertainment with open-air performances of song, music and dance, with performers typically utilising Chinese dialects such as Hokkien on stage. Over the last 50 years, getai has continued to develop through innovations in stage design and musical offerings, comparable to those of contemporary music concerts.
Hosted by household names Marcus Chin and Lee Pei Fen, Getai in Retrospect features ten getai artists across generations. Watch veterans such as Huang Qing Yuan, Lin Ru Ping and Li Jin Cai take the stage alongside established artists Yuan Jin, Josephine Lam and Jason Chung, as well as new generation artists 2Z Sisters and Anddi Goh.
This 24-year-old Gen Z getai operator wants to share her love of the song stage with the younger generation
Taking over from her father in June 2022, second generation getai operator Silvya Tan is one of the youngest in Singapore to helm a getai company
Meet one of Singapore’s youngest getai operators, 24-year-old Silvya Tan, who took over the reins at TravellersMedia Concepts from her 64-year-old father Roy Tan in June 2022, and subsequently renamed it InSync by Travellers. It might be hard to imagine the sequined outfits, flowery suits, old-school Mandopop hits and heartland vibe of this traditional song stage appealing to a Gen-Z-er. However, growing up in a getai family, Tan absolutely loves the boisterous atmosphere of this unique type of Southeast Asian live music performance. “Usually when you go to a bar or lounge, you get the same performer for the whole night, and you have to order food or drinks to enjoy the music. Getai provides free live entertainment. The quality of the performers is comparable to that of a bar, and we change performers every 20 minutes. When you enjoy the performance with a large crowd, you can really feel the communal spirit,” said the second-generation getai operator.
While most of her peers enjoy their music on YouTube and Spotify, Tan finds the vibe of live getai music incomparable. Even before she was born, her parents were getai operators, and from the age of three, she spent weekday and weekend evenings immersed in this subculture. “As a child, I found it fascinating. Every time I heard the music, I would dance. Because I was very outgoing, the singers would dress me up in their costumes and sometimes bring me onto the stage during their performances to dance,” Tan said.
Karaoke kid conquers the stage to become getai star
A familiar face in the vibrant getai scene, Li Peifen's journey began at the tender age of six, an impressive feat in an industry known for its seasoned veteran
The stage lights are blinding, the music pulsates, and the crowd roars with anticipation. As the elaborately costumed figure steps into the spotlight, her infectious energy instantly electrifies the atmosphere.
This is the world of getai, and Li Peifen reigns supreme. A familiar face in the vibrant heartland entertainment scene, Li has captivated audiences for over two decades. Her journey began at the tender age of six, an impressive feat in an industry known for its seasoned veterans.
"I always had a really strong interest in singing," she recalls. "At home, I would look at the TV screen while it was turned off so I could see my own reflection, and I would just take a prop or something as a microphone and pretend to perform."
Getai performers getting younger — and so are audiences
SHOWTIME: Toh En Hui, 13, and her sister Toh Xin Hui, 9, on stage with getai veteran Wang Lei
Not only are performers getting younger, but more young people are watching getai. She took to the stage confidently, dressed in a blue and yellow dress, to the delight of the audience gathered at Hougang Avenue 3.
Toh Xin Hui, nine, might have been making her debut getai performance this Hungry Ghost Month, but she hardly looked out of place. The month-long festival ends this Saturday. Singing along with Xin Hui was her sister, Toh En Hui, 13, who has two years' experience. If the performers seem to be getting younger, it is because getai no longer appeals only to the older generation, said organiser Aaron Tan. In his 14 years in the industry, Mr Tan, 39, has seen a rise in younger audiences,
He said: "There are even groupies who chase after some of the singers, much like pop music fans."
The growing demand prompted getai veteran Wang Lei, 54, to take young singers under his wing. Other than the Toh sisters, he has groomed three other girls who also made their debuts this year: Jayner Teh Qiao Er, 15, Jasrene Choo Jia Yi, 12, and Belle Tan Ge Wee, 14. Mr Wang has 15 protégés, with the oldest at 49 years old and Xin Hui the youngest, at nine. He said: "There are companies that organise getai performances for their dinners and other events. Resident Committees, too. "It's not just for temples and Seventh Month celebrations now."
Getai Singapore
If you’re looking for a unique cultural experience in Singapore, you might want to consider checking out the getai scene. Getai, which translates to “song stage” in Chinese, is a form of live entertainment that originated in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation in the 1940s. Today, it’s a prominent part of the country’s cultural landscape, especially during the annual Hungry Ghost Festival.
During the festival, which takes place in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, it’s believed that the gates of hell open and spirits roam the earth. As a result, getai performances are held throughout the month to entertain the spirits and the living. However, getai isn’t just limited to the Hungry Ghost Festival. You can also catch performances during other special occasions like Chinese New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
Getai, which means “song stage” in Chinese, has a rich history in Singapore. It is believed to have originated during the Japanese Occupation at the New World Amusement Park. Getai became a popular form of mass entertainment in the 1950s with getai established at various amusement parks. Today, getai is mainly staged during the Hungry Ghost Festival, which is a traditional Chinese festival that falls on the seventh month of the lunar calendar. During the Hungry Ghost Festival, it is believed that the gates of hell are opened, and the spirits of the dead return to the world of the living. As a result, getai performances are held to entertain both the living and the dead. The performances are often held in open-air venues, and they feature a wide range of acts, including singing, dancing, and Chinese opera.
Top getai performers win big at Shin Min-Wanbao awards
Dressed in a blue and silver number adorned with neon lights and a pair of wings, Taiwanese singer and host Hao Hao hit all the right notes with his rendition of Cantopop singer Sammi Cheng's Overjoyed (Mei Fei Se Wu) on Sunday night (Oct 23) in front of an audience of 6,000.
He was performing in the name of getai - literally "song stage" in Mandarin - but the stage was not in the usual open field in a housing or industrial estate, but inside the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre instead. The 36-year-old, who opened the Shin Min-Wanbao Getai Awards 2016 with his performance, was one of the evening's biggest winners.
The Singapore-based Taiwanese singer and host, whose real name is Cheng Shih-wen, snagged three of the 29 awards - for best male emcee, best male getai singer and being one of the top 10 most popular getai artistes. Now in its seventh run, the yearly event is organised by Singapore Press Holdings' Chinese evening newspapers Shin Min Daily News and Lianhe Wanbao. Out of the 29 awards, 24 are based on votes cast by readers.
Getai
Getai (simplified Chinese: 歌台; traditional Chinese: 歌臺; pinyin: gē tái; lit. 'song stage') refers to boisterous live stage performances typically held during the Ghost Festival in the seventh lunar month and on the birthdays of Chinese deities. These shows typically last from 7.30pm to after 10pm and are commonly organised in Singapore, Malaysia and some parts of Indonesia (mainly in Riau, Riau Islands and North Sumatra). Additionally, stage setups are usually composed of temporary structures like tents situated in the suburbs of the city- namely, in empty fields, parking spaces or housing estates.
Stage backdrops are usually made of cardboard and cloths painted in bright colours, vibrantly illuminated by coloured spotlights. The performers normally don loud and glittery clothing. Some getai hosts indulge in crude humour; others maintain quick-witted dialogue, joking about local and current affairs, sometimes switching between Mandarin, local Chinese dialects, and even English and Indian languages. Younger people in Singapore may relate to Getai as kitsch, while older people enjoy dancing and singing along to familiar songs, often in Hokkien. Traditional singers such as Liu Lingling tend to dress conservatively, while young performers drawn to getai may choose more revealing outfits. The first row of seats at getai performances are also typically left empty and blocked off from the public as they are reserved for spirits and deities whom Chinese communities believe will return to the world of the living during the Hungry Ghost Festival. In Singapore's contemporary getai scene, performances feature local artistes such as the Baobei ("Darling" in Mandarin) Sisters and even international singers such as Hao Hao and Ya Ya from Taiwan, Bai Hui Mei from Hong Kong and Malaysia's "Little Princess", Li Bao En.
During the colonial period, Chinese operas and puppet shows were popular in Singapore. However, getai eventually began to overshadow these traditional forms of entertainment with its shorter and upbeat music performed by singers and live bands. Initially a popular form of entertainment found in amusement parks and theatres, getai eventually evolved into performances meant for wandering spirits during the Lunar Seventh Month's Hungry Ghost Festival and audiences in the world of the living. Early getai acts during the mid-20th century have origins in Shanghainese culture and tradition- namely in its format, which incorporates a variety of acts into a single show. This style was characteristic of gewutuan (歌舞团), which translates to "song and dance troupe", a popular form of entertainment which first arrived on Singapore's shores in the 1930s but declined in the 1940s. Subsequently, performers previously in the gewutuan business moved over to getai and brought dancing, drama, magic tricks and acrobatic acts to getai shows. Hence, leading to getai program lineups with a variety of acts reminiscent of gewutuan performances
Zhōngyuán Jié 中元节 Hungry Ghost Festival 2024
The Ghost Festival (also known as Zhongyuan Festival by Taoists or Yu Lan Pen Festival by Buddhists) is the day to pay respects to the deceased by offering sacrifices. In Chinese culture, it is thought that all ghosts will come out from the hell on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, so the day is called the Ghost Day and the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Month.
In China, people think on the Ghost month, the gate of hell will open to allow the ghosts and spirits go back to the living world. During the month, those have families will visit their families and those alone will roam on the street to seek food and entertainment. Family members usually offer sacrifice to their deceased ancestors and relatives during the month and on the Ghost day. They are honored with delicious food three times a day on a table. The family’s ancestral tablets and photographs will be put on the table with incense burning near them. People also pay tribute to those unknown wandering ghosts with food and burn joss paper to please the ghosts on the 15th (some places on the 14th) day of the 7th lunar month to avoid the harm by them.
Buddhists and Taoists usually perform ceremonies on the day to help the ghosts ease the sufferings. They will set altars for them and chant scriptures. Monks often throw rice or some small foods into the air to distribute them to the ghosts. On the evening of the Ghost day, people also make lanterns and float them on the river to help their relatives find their way back to home. The lanterns are usually lotus flower-shaped with light or candles. Some people also write their ancestors’ name on the lanterns.
