Xinyao is an asset that we need to keep alive: PM Wong on local music movement

Xinyao is not just a heritage but an important asset of Singapore that the people need to keep alive, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Mar. 30.

He was speaking at the premiere of a new documentary series about the Mandarin pop music movement, jointly presented by Mediacorp and the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC).

He shared that although he grew up in a family that mainly spoke English and Malay, he often watched Channel 8 dramas, such as "The Awakening", whose theme songs were written and sung by xinyao artists.

Addressing some of these artists who were in the audience, PM Wong said, "I grew up watching your dramas to learn Mandarin."

He went on to call xinyao a distinctively Singaporean creative movement, and echoed what xinyao musician and singer Liang Wern Fook said just before him, that the genre was an important asset of Singapore.

"I hope we can continue to keep the culture alive, and through activities like this, attract more youths to carry on the spirit of xinyao," PM Wong said.

"In remembering xinyao, we need to not only look back on the past, but ensure that the new generation continues to develop its spirit, and encourage more youths and more Singaporeans to create with Mandarin, keep singing xinyao, and keep singing the music of Singapore."

The documentary series

In the late 1970s and 80s, students came together to write and sing folksy Mandarin tunes about their lives, sparking a new music movement known as xinyao.

The seven-part documentary series will trace the evolution of xinyao, and how its contributors expressed the youth and dreams of their generation through song.

"Encounter Under the Stars" is part of Mediacorp and SCCC's Tuesday Report series, which spotlights the development of Singapore's Mandarin music scene.

Each episode blends archival footage and intimate interviews with significant figures of xinyao, such as Liang Wern Fook, Eric Moo, and Billy Koh.

They take viewers behind the story of iconic songs, including "Friendship Forever" (细水长流), "Write You a Song" (写一首歌给你), and "Kopi-O".

Premiering on Mar. 31, the seven episodes will be shown on Channel 8 every Tuesday at 8:30pm.

It will also be available on demand for free on mewatch.

Top images by Mothership and Mediacorp/SCCC