Popular music flourished in Singapore during the 1960s, when a number of local bands became extremely popular with their cover versions of British and American songs as well as original compositions. These bands had a strong following and often played to crowds ...
Established in 1949, The Singapore Art Society (SAS) is considered the first multicultural art society in Singapore. The society aims to foster the practice and appreciation of art in Singapore. SAS organises regular art exhibitions and overseas painting tours. ...
Music festivals play an important role in developing audiences and Singapore’s music scene. Grouping music events into a festival results in an intense and exciting audience experience. Music festivals have been staged in Singapore since the early 20th century. ...
Formal art and music education programmes in Singapore were established by the British colonial government in the 1920s and ’30s respectively. Private Chinese-medium schools also offered art education through courses run by professional artists. After Singapore ...
Independent (commonly shortened to “indie”) music encompasses a wide range of musical genres, including rock, pop, metal and folk. Indie music is associated with alternative, non-mainstream productions and forms of distribution. Increasingly, the term “indie music” ...
Tea dances were a popular social event in Singapore from the 1920s to the 1960s where patrons socialised over music and drinks. In the 1960s, tea dances organised by clubs became the centre of the rock ’n’ roll culture in Singapore. Such tea dances eventually died ...
Lee Peng Boon (b. 1956, Singapore–), popularly known as Dick Lee, is one of Singapore’s best-known personalities in the arts scene. Besides his creative output as a musician, playwright and designer, Lee is also involved in events management and advertising. In ...
David Lim Kim San (b. 7 May 1933, Singapore–) has a diverse career in music which spanned over four decades, including educator, administrator, producer, advocate, vocalist and conductor. Lim’s contribution to the school band and choral movements began in the 1960s ...
The Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association was founded in 1946 after World War II. Formerly known as the Singapore Chinese Medical Society, it is one of the largest traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) organisations in Singapore. It was established to provide ...
The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) is an umbrella body of Chinese clan associations in Singapore. The Federation was registered on 9 December 1985 and formally inaugurated on 27 January 1986. It was founded by seven clan associations, ...
Established in 1929, the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) is the official body for local matters pertaining to badminton, with the vision to make Singapore a “top badminton nation”. During the prewar and immediate postwar periods, the SBA was instrumental ...
Recognising the importance of family planning to national development, the government organised Singapore’s first national family planning campaign in 1960. The campaign aimed to raise public awareness on the need for family planning and the disadvantages of having ...
Singapore held its inaugural Grand Prix in mid-September 1961 called the Orient Year Grand Prix. It was renamed the Malaysia Grand Prix in 1962. After independence in 1965, Singapore held its own grand prix from 1966 called the Singapore Grand Prix, held around ...
Alexander S. Abisheganaden (b. 31 January 1926, Singapore–d. 7 March 2023) was among the most prominent guitarists in Singapore. A recipient of the Cultural Medallion for music in 1988, Abisheganaden dedicated much of his life to teaching and popularising guitar ...
The Singapore Kwantung Hui Kuan was established in 1937 to provide networking opportunities, unite fellow Chinese from China’s Guangdong province, contribute to charity and promote Chinese culture. Guangdong (formerly known as Canton) is located at the southernmost ...
Shui Lan (b. 1957, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China–), also known as Lan Shui, is an internationally acclaimed conductor. He was appointed music director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in 1997 and has been credited with transforming the SSO into a ...
Pasar malam is the Malay term for night market or night bazaar, and a pasar malam typically opens for business when night falls. Pasar malam has its origins as weekly night markets organised by hawkers in 1950s Singapore. The night markets were phased out in 1978, ...
The Factories Ordinance, 1958 (Ord. 41 of 1958), was a piece of legislation that sought to set minimum standards for the health, safety and welfare of workers in factories. In 1960, factory workers numbered about 120,000 and made up one-quarter of Singapore’s total ...
Kam Kee Yong (b. Penang, Malaysia–) is a composer, violinist, conductor, artist, and the father of violinist Kam Ning. He is often described as a self-made man, with values of hard work and a pioneering spirit. Kam led the Singapura String Orchestra and the People’s ...
The Singapore Labour Party (SLP) was inaugurated on 1 September 1948. It was fronted largely by English-speaking Indians who underwent the British education system, were exposed to publications on British politics and involved in labour unions. The SLP met with ...