Art Jam: Issue 28 by CULTURAL ACTIVITIES CLUB NTU

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the People Swan Lake Review 06 Yisa Yu 09 ANightWickedOut! 11 Foster Live in Singapore 14 Blast From the Past 18 Drumzout 22 Coldplay - Myloto Xyloto 26

Editor’s Note Greetings to all readers! The long anticipated holidays have come and gone and our few weeks of immortality went by as it always has and I’m pretty sure by now everyone is beginning to get accustomed, once again, to school life. Fret not! Routines are boring only if you allow them to get to you and well let’s face it- no one likes repetition, especially so if it involves academics! So what can I do, you ask. Well there are a myriad of activities coming up, and quite a number are organized by us, the NTU Cultural Activities Club (CAC) as well as our 22 member clubs! From concerts to performances, we have it all. Listed in the pages to come are events such as Drumzout, the upcoming Impresario finals, Nanyang Arts Festival and many others. In this issue of Art Jam, we bring to you reviews of the acclaimed musical Wicked, as well as the local production of Swan Lake, complete with interviews with the cast. The music scene looks set to get heated up with many world famous acts headed here, such as Deathcab for Cutie, Mayday and the Foo Fighters. We are also pleased to present to you reviews of the very well received campus concert by Yisa Yu, as well as comprehensive event listings so you will not miss a beat of the rhythm of the exciting things to come! Warmest Regards, Joshua Editor-In-Chief Editor-In-Chief Joshua Wang Editor Arjun Kudva Designer Xpress Print Pte Ltd Printer Xpress Print Pte Ltd Tel: 6880 2881

Writers Li Zhuo Da Jin Chuqing Regina Giam Ng Kai Xin Shane Lim Photographers Mervyn Chua Derrick Say

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Contents

News CAC Press ... 4 Reviews and Interviews Yisa Yu ... A Wicked Night Out ... Foster the People Live in Singapore ... Swan Lake Review ...

6 9 11 14

Previews and Upcoming Events Impresario ... 13 Drumzout ... 18 Nanyang Arts Festival Promotions ... 19 CD Review Coldplay-Mylo Xyloto

... 22

Event Listing CAC Events ... 24 External Events ... 25 Last Word Blast From the Past

... 26

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CAC Press

CAC PRESS This semester started with a blast at the CAC back to school bash. Themed after the popular song “Party Rock Anthem” as performed by the American electro recording duo LMFAO, the bash was held at Butterfactory on 5 January 2012. With a theme that is pretty much self explanatory, it saw beautiful people all decked out in flashy gear and hitting the dance floor with gusto till late into the morning of the next day. There were drinks all around, laughter, and good times that won’t be forgotten quickly- what a way to kick start a new term and a new year! During the past few months, our schoolmates involved in Chingay, be it the dancers or the organizing committee have been putting their utmost into preparations for their big day. Dancers have been training in full dress despite the sweltering weather, an indication of true dedication. Look out for our next issue where we will cover the event

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a n d their long but no doubt rewarding journey! On 13 January 2012, we saw the very pretty and incredibly talented Yisa Yu take to the stage at the NTU ADM auditorium in the first campus concert of the year. Attendance far exceeded expectations and the auditorium was packed with appreciative fans and curious students alike. Her charming personality and fantastic voice are quite a combination; do check out our full review of the concert on page 7. In the days to come, look out for an endless list of things to come! Many of our member clubs are gearing up for their upcoming performances and concerts and our special projects such as Nanyang Arts Festival, Impresario, Arts From The Heart, our national percussion competition (Drumzout) and the annual Joint Dance Concert look all set to rock the days ahead!

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Reviews

WARMING HEARTS By: Judith Jin.

Yisa Yu (郁可唯) is a Chinese pop singer. She came into prominence after becoming top 4 in the Chinese singing competition Super Girl in 2009. During the competition, she

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touched everyone with her sincere, intoxicating and soulful voice. She was the only contestant in the history of the competition to score 90 marks out of a total possible maximum score of hundred not once, but twice.

The Fierce Wife(犀利人妻). Warm Heart (暖心), another song of hers, was also featured in the series. The popularity of these hit songs made her famous in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and even Japan.

In 2009, Yisa released her debut single You Don’t Love Me (你不爱我) and was invited to sing for a Chinese 3D animation named Finding The Milu King: The Magic Reel.In the same year, she joined Rock Records as the label’s youngest contracted singer. In 2010, she released her first album Blue Shorts (蓝短裤) which won her Sina’s Best New Artist of the Year.(Sina is a wildly popular site in China). The song指望served as the theme song for the popular Taiwanese television series

Yisa’s rise to fame is quite the story. Having had no professional training and armed with little else other than passion and dedication, she took part in many a talent search and competition before finally ending the wait for her rocket to come. She has indeed come a long way from a university graduate working in real estate to become who she is todayA fantastic singer with a bubbly personality and most importantly, real talent.

Yisa Yu campus concert

Photographer: Vanessa Chan

Sequined silver sneakers, asymmetrical black and grey tee, chic short haircut, topped up with an amazingly sweet voice. With such an amiable appearance, it is no wonder Yisa Yu Kewei captured the hearts of the crowd who jam packed her campus concert, proudly brought to you by CAC’s Public Affairs Committee, held at the NTU ADM auditorium on the 13th Jan. After emerging as one of the top four from a nationwide singing competition Super Girl in mainland China in 2009, Yisa has been making waves in the showbiz lending her voice to widely popular Taiwanese idol dramas such as Fierce Wife and more recently, Office Girls. This time, the busy songbird has landed in Singapore for the second time to promote her second album “Micro Plus Happiness”(微加幸福), her first being the Rock 30 Singapore concert held earlier this year when she performed together with veteran singers such as WakinChau and Wu Bai.

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She enters with a soothing ballad called Can’t Afford to be Hurt” (伤不起）, an insert song of drama Office Girls and immediately captivated the audience with her soft and soothing voice. The song tells of the new modern women’s strive for perfection in love and hence the inability to withstand heart aches and heart breaks. She also performed many more fan favourites as well as songs from the new album such as “Good Friend is just a Friend” (好朋友只是朋友), “Expect”（指望） and “NuanXin”（暖心）. Tulips (the general name for Yisa’s fans) waved their LED fan boards passionately to the rhythm and revelled in the moving melody, others marvelled at her live singing ability. She then acknowledged their support with cutesy heart signs and interacting with the audience. The question sessions hosted by YES 933 DJ Kunhua were equally exciting when Yisa revealed juicy gossip such about singer Wu Bai being a weirdo. Apparently the singer liked to wear his sunglasses even inside the recording studio, which was, incidentally, located next to a cemetery. She also responded to her own more scandalous rumours involving Chang Chen Yue, poking fun at his sun tanning hobby. Lastly, she discussed about her dream man and revealed that she would fall for someone kind, motivated and responsible. The highlight of the day was when Yisa prepared a special stage where she invited a member of the audience to sing a duet with her on stage. She was very moved when the selected fan enthusiastically presented

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her an adorable elephant plush toy as a gift. “Elephant” is one of the new songs in her album. The whole session ended on a high note with Yisa concluding her performance with a remixed version of Fish Leong’s “Peaceful Summer”(宁夏）,adding in folk song elements in it and inviting the audience to join her in singing the chorus. It sure was an unforgettable night!

Reviews

A Night Out! By Ng Kai Xin and Regina Giam Photos by Jeff Busby, Andrew Ritchie and Joan Marcus.

The stage was set for the Singapore premiere of Broadway’s award winning musical, Wicked, on the 8th of December, 2011. Our seats provided us a clear view of the stage – however, a map of the Land of Oz acting as a curtain hid onstage preparations from our view. What intrigued us most, though, was the dragon mounted atop the frame of the stage. As the lights dimmed, a silence of anticipation settled over the audience. Yet, it came as a shock to many when a loud roar shattered the calm just as the orchestra struck its first note. The roar had come from the dragon, which writhed in tandem with the music as fire erupted from its jaws. The map of Oz unfurled upwards onstage – the musical had begun. As the dragon moved, its eyes flashed red – a colour reflected onstage as winged monkeys climbed on. It was a surprisingly climactic opening scene, which immediately set up a devilish atmosphere that foreshadowed the events to come. It piqued the audience’s curiosity, leaving us wondering, as nothing was explained. Members of the audience who were well-versed in The Wizard of Oz would have established the link between the winged monkeys and the Wicked Witch of the West, but the scene revealed nothing else. The following scene, however, revealed that Wicked would be operating on a non-linear narrative structure. Glinda the Good Witch of the South – played by Lucy Durack – descended in a bubble and announced to the citizens of Oz that the Wicked Witch of the West was dead. We had been told, in our previous interview with the Wicked cast, that Glinda’s bubble dress weighed a whopping 25 kilograms. Knowing that, we were impressed by Glinda’s fluid descent.

The technical aspects in Wicked provided the musical with a vivid realism that enhanced the performance. However, we, among others in the audience, questioned the purpose of the dragon. Other than providing the musical with a climactic start, it did not play much of a role in the rest of the performance. Nevertheless, there are other technical features that contribute to the plot in Wicked – the most striking of which was the Oz Head. The Oz Head lived up to its description in The Wizard of Oz as being a majestic talking head with a booming voice. Each word spoken through the Oz Head sent the Wizard’s voice vibrating through the theatre, letting the audience witness the grandeur the Wizard of Oz was known for to his subjects. Combined with the dazzling stage sets and intricately designed costumes, these mechanisms combined to create a vivid presentation that captivated the audience. Another element that contributed to the overall success of the musical was the emotion-filled performance by the orchestra. As the musical navigated through its “beautifully tragic” – as said by Elphaba in reference to her life – plot, the orchestra complemented the onstage performance perfectly. From the bubbly “Popular” to the heart-wrenching “I’m Not That Girl”, the music further augmented the emotions brought out in us by the actresses’ singing. The orchestra pit in the theatre was located under the stage, out of view from the audience but with a capability to amplify the music and send it resonating through the theatre. Several members of the audience, noticeably intrigued by the hidden pit, made use of the intermission to get a closer look.

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The most vital contribution to the musical’s success, however, was the performance by the lead actresses. Suzie Mathers, originally the understudy of Lucy Durack, was set to star in the Singapore performances of Wicked. However, Durack took the stage for the performance that night, when Mathers was unable to perform due to illness. Durack stepped into the role smoothly. With well-delivered witty lines, Durack drew much laughter with her vibrant portrayal of the slightly superficial but good-at-heart Galinda, who eventually changed her name to Glinda in tribute of her teacher. Glinda, a character with hidden depths that were not initially revealed to the audience, was a difficult role to step into, yet Durack effectively portrayed Glinda’s character development over the course of the musical. Durack’s touching performance taught the audience to sympathise with Glinda’s struggle between what is right and what benefits herself. Playing opposite Durack was Jemma Rix, as Elphaba, who comes to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba, with her unearthly green skin, stole the hearts of many in the audience with her self-deprecating humour and endearing character. Rix was outstanding as Elphaba, a misunderstood witch who was willing to sacrifice her hopes and dreams of a normal life for the better good. The friendship between Glinda and Elphaba, which the musical centers around, tells a moving tale of love, loss and hope. “For Good”, a duet performed by Durack and

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Rix towards the end of the musical, captured the essence of their friendship and moved all in the audience deeply. Yet it was the signature song “Defying Gravity” that marked the climax of the performance. Durack and Rix’s voices complemented each other in cohesive harmony, with Rix playing more of a starring role towards the end of the song. All eyes were glued on her as she was lifted into the air while singing the last lines of “Defying Gravity”, her voice hitting all the high notes perfectly. When the curtains closed for intermission at the end of the song, there was an awed silence before thundering applause broke out. As expected, the references to The Wizard of Oz in Wicked were far many. They ranged from obvious ones of Glinda telling Dorothy to “follow the Yellow Brick Road” and Dorothy’s killing of the Wicked Witch of the West with a bucket of water, to subtle ones such as the Wicked Witch of the East’s magic shoes and the true identities of the Tin-man, Scarecrow and Lion. By the end of the musical, we came to understand that rather than just interweaving strands of its plot with The Wizard of Oz, Wicked built on Oz to piece together an entirely different conclusion to the Oz plot. It challenged our previous understanding of Oz and unveiled a whole new world. Living up to its slogan – “so much happened before Dorothy dropped in” – Wicked was not only a prequel to Oz, it combined with the latter to create a gravity-defying masterpiece.

Reviews

FOSTERTHEPEOPLE L I V E AT F O R T C A N N I N G PA R K Concert Review by Joshua Wang It has been awhile since I’ve been to a concert like this, especially the open air kind that we have in sunny Singapore every now and then. Some really fantastic acts, including international ones, have performed at Fort Gate, Fort Canning Park and more are due to drop by this year, including bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Sum 41 and the Foo Fighters. The familiar grassy field beneath our sneakers and the anticipation, thick in the air, was quite something as we waited for the space to fill up with all the other kids who’ve come out to see Foster the People’s debut in Singapore. They’ve come a long way really, as does every band that somehow makes it big in a world where tastes in music are dramatically shifting and changing. The air was warm and the heat from the tightly packed crowd was bearable and to be honest, quite the mandatory with shows like this. Sure it was not as bad as it could be, but hey, this was no Big Day Out! A nifty little band called the Auditory Effect opened for the band- they were surprisingly decent and quite talented musicians in their own right and never shy of cheekily promoting themselves a little in between numbers. Then again they do deserve some attention; they were pretty good. When Foster the People hit the stage, we jumped. We jumped as one should jump at a rock concert- as high as we could go.

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Going right into the beats of the song “Houdini”, it was clear that Foster the People was in the house and were going to rock it through the night. Their CD, Torches, is filled with songs that in my humble opinion are listenable from track 1 down to the last track- a rare quality. The catchy riffs and syncs carry a hint of dance floor infusions, yet some select songs hide darker lyrics and maybe, if interpretated as such, critique on society. The song Houdini goes “It’s funny, how freedom, can make us feel contained” and ends by telling us to “focus on your ability” and “gain again what they want to steal”. Of course, songs are open to interpretations and each person might take something different away from the same thing. That is part of the beauty of music. Foster the People were a joy to behold. The band comprises of Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards/piano, guitars), Cubbie Fink (bass, backing vocals) and Mark Pontius (drums and percussions). They bled raw talent, and a passion in performing that you can perhaps only find in the youngest and the oldest of bands. They also covered a song by the Weezer(Say it ain’t so), while mentioning their story of humble roots and small time beginnings, of not being able to imagine that one day bands like Weezer would cover their very own songs(Pumped up Kicks). The night concluded with a remixed version of the hit single “Pumped up kicks”. Perhaps the only disappointment was the lack of an encore. Otherwise, it was quite an experience- the loud sweetness blasting from giant speakers, the riff of guitars and beat of drums, the fifteen dollar beers and aching legs. I hope that we will never be too old for this.

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Reviews

By: Shane Lim Photos: Dennis Ng On the cusp of their 25th anniversary, the Singapore Dance Theatre has prepared an exciting line-up of performances this season, and it opens with none other than what is considered one of the great Romantic ballets, Swan Lake. Speaking with the SDT’s Artistic Director Janek Schergen at the media preview of Swan Lake, we were brought up to scratch with the SDT’s nascence and repertoire for this season. This was followed by a closeddoor performance of the pas de trois (or dance variation involving three) from Act I and the famous danse des petits cygnes (or dance of the little swans) from Act II. The dual role of Odette and Odile, played by Rosa Park and Chihiro Uchida, is thought to be one of the greatest challenges for any dancer due to the complexity

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of emotions each character has, which in fact are two extreme ends of a spectrum. Both Park and Uchida have performed the roles of Odette and Odile in previous productions, and were last seen in SDT’s production of the Nutcracker. The subtle elegance of Odile in the pas de trois was tangible in the sleek pirouettes and series of lifts and twirls, performed to perfection by the champagne Uchida. The role of Prince Siegfried will be played by Chen Peng and Kenya Nakamura. Chen is reprising his role in Swan Lake, having played the character of Prince Siegfried in previous productions. In this media preview performance, we caught a glimpse of why he has successfully retained his role as the protagonist-prince, his tandem lifts and airy leaps performed effortlessly and in perfect complement with Uchida and Park.

As a unit, the cohesiveness of the dancers was visibly felt, with not a twirl out of syncopation, but more importantly as a performance, it was kind of breathtaking. Inspired by the performance on display, it was with excitement that I went to watch another ballet, Giselle, produced by the renowned Paris Opera Ballet, now on show at the Esplanade. From what little I know of the art, I could tell that the SDT are not too far away from their more illustrious counterparts in terms of technicality and performance. But I digress. First performed by the SDT in 2007 and then again in 2009, this third performance of Swan Lake boasts an ensemble cast comprising ballerinas plucked from famous overseas ballet schools as well as our very own homegrown talent. For the purists, this performance is a

marker of how well-established the SDT is in the region - to be able to stage a classic of this magnitude. For those of you who, like me, are not too familiar with the timeless art of ballet, the elaborate techniques and silky ballet moves on display will melt your heart like a hot knife through butter. Add these to the fact that the SDT has developed in terms of repertoire, number of performances and the experience and capability of the dancers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this promises to be their best Swan Lake yet, and could be the ballet that you were waiting for all your life. In the words of the Artistic Director himself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A classical production of Swan Lake belongs to the sophisticated and intelligent individuals who want to appreciate the artistic rather than a version tailored to a mass marketâ&#x20AC;?. Definitely recommended!

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3. Art Jam: With the show coming up soon, your schedule must be packed to the brim with rehearsals and events. What do you do for rest and relaxation?

Interview with Robin Lawrence Kent 1. Art Jam: Have you experienced any difficultly with the roles you have in this production of Swan Lake? If so, how did you overcome them? Robin: I haven’t learnt all of my roles yet but so far I would say that the hardest part for me has been building up my stamina to dance for long periods of time without breaks. It’s not really something you can work on without physically doing it. 2. Art Jam: Dance is a beautiful career, but not an easy one to pursue at the same time. What keeps you going? Robin: For me, just the feeling of being on stage is what keeps me going. It’s where I feel most comfortable/at home and it’s not a feeling you can artificially create; it’s just natural. All the stress and hard work seems to disappear when I’m stood on it, even if there isn’t an audience! Another thing which keeps a lot of dancers going is the feeling you get in curtain call (the bows), all the people clapping and cheering for you lets you know that you’ve entertained them, given them a good show and done your job right. I think it’s a feeling that you have to experience to understand and it’s definitely a feeling every performer craves.

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Robin: For rest and relaxation I enjoy getting away from Ballet. I spend time with family and friends, go to the cinema, shop, sleep (dancers love to sleep!). I don’t think it’s healthy not to have any interests outside of the ballet world because at the end of the day your dance career doesn’t last forever. I enjoy music and I’m very interested in the music industry, I attempt song writing, I enjoy film making, I play sports and a dream of mine is to become a Ski/Snowboard instructor one day. Obviously not at the same time as performing!

year. Firstly, it is a classic and they don’t usually differ much from each other. The choreography might be different in sections but the bulk of it remains the same. What may differ is how differently this new batch of dancers will dance. 2. Art Jam: All of you begun training as dancers from a young age, perhaps, in a nutshell, could you describe the life of a professional dancer?

4. Art Jam: How do you dance: with your mind, with your soul, with your body or with your heart? Robin: I think as a dancer you dance with all four! You use your body to create movement. You use your mind to be a smart dancer by applying all the small details that are given to you, as well as basic things like staying in formation. You use your soul to let out the character and stage presence and finally dance with your heart to give a great and truthful performance to your audience. If performing’s not in your heart or is something you’re not passionate about there’s no point in being in this profession!

Interview with Elaine 1. Art Jam: Ever since the first show back in December 2007, the Singapore Dance Theatre’s Swan Lake has been warmly received by both critics and audiences. What can we expect of this season and are there any notable changes or surprises in store? Elaine: I don’t think there is going to be much change to Swan Lake this

Elaine: We all started dancing from a young age. Dancing is very physical so you need to start training from young. A dance career is also very short compared to a ‘normal’ profession as dancers retire around their mid-30s, maybe 40 if they are lucky. They then go on to various careers after retiring from dancing. Many often take up teaching because there is just so much you can offer if you’ve been a professional dancer yourself. Some might take up something related and then there are those who will go into completely different professions! There is a very famous dancer who became a stockbroker after he retired. Personally, at the moment, I’m rather interested in physiotherapy for dancers! 3. Art Jam: What goes on in a typical day for a dancer?

Elaine: A dancer’s typical day would start off with a personalized form of warm up (everyone at this professional level has a certain way of warming up their own body- some require and prefer warming up for a longer duration of time and others, shorter) followed by a morning class at 10am for about 1.5 hours to improve and constantly train the body. A mixture of rehearsals come next depending on the repertoire we are rehearsing at the moment which finishes at 530. Then, it’s dinner and rest time. The routine then repeats itself the next day!

Shaw: The group waltz in Act I is particularly exhausting. It’s high-energy for an extended duration, without much of a break in the middle. I’ve been doing some extra running to try and get my stamina up, but the best thing is really just to run the dance until the body gets used to it. 2. Art Jam: What goes on in a typical day for a dancer?

4. Art Jam: Dance is a beautiful career, but not an easy one to pursue at the same time. What keeps you going? Elaine: That is a very difficult question! I would say that a combination of a lot of things keep me going! I obviously love the buzz you get performing on stage and the feeling you get when you’ve finished a performance knowing that everyone watching it had enjoyed themselves. However, the main ‘push factor’ for me is the fact that we are never as good as we should be. This gives me motivation. It can be very frustrating at times but also very motivating. The feeling of satisfaction and growth as an artist after each season and realising you’ve gained something valuable through the entire period of rehearsals and performances is also very rewarding. We always strive to be better at what we do and when you feel like you’re no longer where you were once upon a time but instead improved and better… you feel encouraged yet again!

Interview with Shaw Coleman 1. Art Jam: Have you experienced any difficultly with the roles you have in this production of Swan Lake? If so, how did you overcome them?

Shaw: We start our training class at 10:00am; usually most of us would have already warmed up for about half an hour or so. This is when we hone our technique and prepare our bodies for rehearsal. Class usually finishes around 11:30, and after a few minutes of break we go into our rehearsals. The rest of the day will largely depend on what’s being rehearsed. Some dancers will be involved in every rehearsal; others may have to wait a couple hours until they are needed. It can be nice to get a break, but it means having to warm yourself up again afterwards. I often go to the gym when I have a long break, for physical fitness and strength training. Rehearsals finish at 5:30pm, but many dancers will then teach in the evenings. I try to be in bed by 11:00pm so I’m rested enough to do it all again the next day.

3. Art Jam: You joined SDT recently back in August 2011. How has your experience been so far in Singapore? How does it compare to Ireland and the UK? Shaw: Since my wife and I found our feet here, we’ve really loved getting to know Singapore. I love the mix of cultures in Singapore, the fusion of eastern and western cultures and foods. I arrived just before the Mid-Autumn festival, and I was really excited to find a stage built on the lawn near my apartment with Chinese Opera being performed every night. I don’t understand a word, but I find Chinese opera and dance fascinating! That’s one of the major differences between Singapore and most European countries. In Europe, most people live most of the time in their homes. In Singapore, life is lived on the streets, in the malls, in the Kopitiam and over there people just go home to sleep. There’s this real community feel here, especially at the bottom of the HDB flats, it’s like a village, where everyone knows each other. At the same time, Singapore’s infrastructure is phenomenal! The public transport system here is the most efficient I’ve ever seen! 4. Art Jam: You have had a lot of experience in dance, having performed on stages across the world. What do you find most rewarding about dancing professionally? Shaw: I love being on stage. I love the challenge it brings, to give the best performance you can. I love the feeling when the audience is warm and on your side, when you can feel the connection with them, move them emotionally, make them cry or laugh. I love that with just painted canvas and coloured lights we can create another, more magical world, and tell the audience a story that will, hopefully, bring more beauty into their lives.

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CD Review

COLDPLAY -

Mylo Xyloto

Released 24 October 2011 Genre: Alternative rock, post-Britpop, electro rock Label: Parlophone Producer: Markus Dravs, Daniel Green, Rik Simpson, Brian Eno It has been no less than 3 years since we last heard from Coldplay. To be honest, the catchy tunes of Viva La Vida seem to have hit the airways not too long ago, but then again, 3 years without a new CD is something quite rare for bands these days. Under the tutorage of Brian Eno himself (produced music for acts like U2 and David Bowie), Coldplay continues in the direction of more experimental styles of music, shedding its rock roots for something that leans more towards pop. The high notes that fade into falsetto remains, as well as the echoing guitars, best exemplified by the two songs “Paradise” and “Every teardrop is a waterfall”. Dashed with a hint of dramatism, there is no doubt this is still Coldplay. The music seems formulaic at times yet refreshingly original in different tracks. The hidden gem in the CD has got to be the collaboration with Rihanna, a melancholic piece of electro-pop. We can’t say we approve of the collaboration, but the song is all kinds of awesome- it has all the markings of the “epic” kind of music Coldplay seem to favor; Castle, Kings, Princesses and rings. All in all the music is grand and optimistic. Chris Martin says the CD was inspired by the 1970s New York graffti and the Nazi resistance movement known as the White Rose, symbolic of youth embracing art. Would we recommend it? Definitely. In our books, this CD scores a solid 7.5 out of 10 and lives up to all the hype.

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Event Listings

NTU CAC Events Calendar 10th February

2012, Friday, 12:30pm, Nanyang Arts Festival Opening Ceremony, NTU Canopy K

19th February 2012, • Sunday, 7:00 pm, Chinese Orchestra, NTU Chinese Orchestra Annual Concert - Transient Reminiscences 2012, Singapore Conference Hall

10th March 2012,

Saturday, 8.00am, NTU Open House, NTU

February-March 2012 1st March 2012,

Thursday, 7.00pm, String Orchestra, Prism ’12, Esplanade Recital Studio

• Sunday, 7.30pm-9.30pm, Chinese Dance Club, Chinese Dance Concert 2012 - Inner Reflexion IV-俏·影, University Cultural Centre, National University of Singapore

3rd March 2012, Saturday, 7.00pm, Piano Ensemble, Eleganza Romanza, Alliance Francaise Theatre.

• Sunday, 1.00pm, Impresario Semi Finals, Garden Plaza, IMM

16th March 2012,

Friday, Afternoon, Nanyang Arts Festival Closing Ceremony, NTU

17th March 2012, Saturday, Dragon and Lion Dance, 8th Institutional Lion Dance Competition

25th March 2012, Sunday, Joint Dance Concert, NTU Nanyang Auditorium

18th March 2012,

Sunday, Impresario Finals, NTU Nanyang Auditorium

31st March 2012, • Saturday, Choir, Choir Concert, ACS Barker • Saturday, Harmonica Band, VIVACE XII, NTU Nanyang Auditorium

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EVENT LISTINGS EVENT DATE 23 Feb - 11 Mar 2012 Tue - Sun, 8.00PM Sat & Sun, 3.00PM DURATION Approx 2 hrs

Interval Approx 15 mins VENUE SOTA Drama Theatre (School Of The Arts – next to The Cathay Cineplex / Dhoby Ghaut MRT)

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee) Tue-Thurs & Sun - 8.00pm | Standard - S$54, S$49, S$44 Fri & Sat - 8.00pm, Sat & Sun - 3.00pm | Standard - S$59, S$54, S$49 Why do you vote? What issues influenced your vote? What does citizenship mean to you? In the electrifying months leading up to the watershed 2011 General Elections, and in the tumultuous months after, playwright Alfian Sa’at interviewed Singaporeans to discover their responses to these searching questions. Boldly putting aside concerns about secrecy, the interviewees opened their hearts to share what they honestly felt and what they truly believe. An ensemble of our most versatile actors, playing characters aged 17 to 70, takes on these Singaporean voices – in a playful and poignant piece of testimony theatre that proves how political views are not just the hot air of coffeeshop talk.

SWAN LAKE EVENT DATE 15-18 Mar 2012 Thu - Fri, 8pm , Sat, 1pm & 8pm Sun, 1pm & 7pm DURATION Approx 2 hrs 30 mins TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee) Standard - S$90, S$75, S$50, S$30

2 INTERVALS Approx 20 mins VENUE Esplanade Theatre

Premiered in December 2007, the Singapore Dance Theatre’s Swan Lake was warmly received by both critics and audiences, with Dance Europe calling it “a valiant effort” and an indication that the company is “capable of competently presenting one of the classics of the ballet repertory”. Swan Lake tells the story of Princess Odette being turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse and how the true love of Prince Siegfried breaks the curse. This re-staging will once again be helmed by the company’s Artistic Director Janek Schergen.

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D E AT H C A B F O R C U T I E Live in Singapore EVENT DATE 7 Mar 2012 Wed, 8.00pm

DURATION Approx 1 hr 30 mins

VENUE Fort Canning Park

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee) Standard - $98 At The Door - $110

Death Cab for Cutie made their Atlantic Records debut in 2005 with their fifth studio release, “PLANS.” The album proved the critically celebrated band’s commercial breakthrough, earning RIAA platinum-certification as well as spawning two gold-certified singles in “Soul Meets Body” and “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.” The latter track was honored with a Grammy nomination as “Best Pop Performance By Duo Or Group With Vocals,” with “PLANS” receiving the nod as “Best Alternative Album.” As if that weren’t enough, in 2006 DCFC released a DVD companion volume to “PLANS” entitled “DIRECTIONS,” which itself earned a Grammy Award nomination as “Best Longform Music Video.” Death Cab for Cutie is: Ben Gibbard (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Chris Walla guitars, keyboards), Nick Harmer ( bass) and Jason McGerr (drums)

EVENT DATE 24-28 Feb 2012 Fri- Sat & Mon-Tue, 8PM No show on Sun.

DURATION Approx 2 hrs 20 mins

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee) Standard - S$130, S$110, S$88, S$68, S$58, S$48, S$38, S$25 INTERVAL VENUE Approx 20 mins Esplanade Theatre Don Giovanni written by Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte is the most dramatic and flamboyant of their collaborations. A score bursting with musical invention, beautiful arias, charming duets and dramatic ensembles all offset by wit and comic irony which bring a unique brilliance to the drama. The Opera opens with a murder. During the course of the day the murderer, Don Giovanni, goes on to a wedding, several attempted seductions, a masquerade, a mugging and an encounter with an apparition whom he then invites to dinner. His luck finally runs out when the spectre of the man he murdered appears. Though offered heavenly redemption, Don Giovanni remains unrepentant until the flames of Hell consume him. If all this drama seems unrelenting, it is offset by the humorous and ironic comments of his servant Leporello. Is Don Giovanni a comic or serious opera or both? The most convincing answer was given by Alfred Einstein “... it is an “opera buffa” with “seria” roles ... a work of genius ... incomparable and enigmatic from the evening of its first performance to the present day”.

ISSUE28 Art Jam

Last Word

Yet another year has gone by! As we make our resolute resolutions only to find ourselves soon helplessly straying far from our well-intended plans, let us take a step back and marvel at how Murphy’s Law manages to manifest in our lives. After all, sometimes it seems that what can go wrong might just go wrong- a royal mess in fact, at times. Just think of all the bands out there, the countless has-beens, the one hit wonders, the bands and acts that at one time, looked poised to set a decade’s worth of pop culture trends only to fade into the dark black hole of absolute obscurity. Perhaps we will remember a name, a song and a misty mental image of how the singer looked like in his or her glory days, when the world stood up and listened, where he or she was pure gold. But alas! Nothing gold ever lasts. In this issue, we backtrack through the ages and take a look at some of these one hit wonders and ask the golden question: What happened to them? to hide his lack of enthusiasm. Really, perhaps the only reason why New Radicals aren’t around today was because Alexander didn’t want them to. They went out of fame by choice, and that’s not something every has-been can say. Alexander continued to make music, helping to compose the 2003 hit song by Carlos Santana and Michelle Branch, “Game of love” and more recently in 2010, the Boyzone single “Love is a hurricane”.

1. The New Radicals New Radicals were formed in Los Angeles, California in 1997 by Gregg Alexander, who had previously released two unsuccessful solo albums. After receiving an advance of $600,000, the band released their first and unfortunately, last album- “Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too”. The album was released on October 20, 1998, and was well received by music critics, who praised the record for its wide range of untypical influences for a modern pop-rock album, as well as rather strong worded critique against consumerism and modern American society in general. The song “You get what you give” exemplified his message. In fact, the entire song was his message. However, the most memorable song from this band has got to be “Someday we’ll know”, featured in many a teenage tearjerker TV show and notably, the movie “A walk to remember”, an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Two weeks after the song was released, the band broke up. Alexander was true to his words, he hated the life of a commercial musician producing for big record companies. He hated the hours, the company, the travelling, and the repetitive shows. He hated them so much so he started to wear a hat to performances

Art Jam ISSUE28

2. Los De Rio

Los De Rio gave the world the song “Marcarena”. We thank them for their brilliant contribution. That is all.

3. Baha Men Baha who? Baha Men! The Baha Men are an American group, which popularized a modernized style of Bahamian music called Junkanoo. Ok who are we kidding? No one has ever heard of Junkanoo or the Baha Men for that matter. They’re the kind of band that made a hit song that everyone knows about, the kind of band that made a tune so catchy we’re sure

you know the exact words of the chorus but you just simply can’t remember who sang it. Think about every movie you’ve seen so far involving salivating dogs, or

men behaving like dogs (The Hangover, 2009). Yep. The smash hit “Who let the dogs out” is the epitome of Bahamian music and has made appearances in nearly every movie to feature our furry canine companions. Thus, the creation of one of the greatest mysteries on our green Earth. Just WHO exactly let the dogs out?? There isn’t a lot of information about what happened to them but last we heard, they have been reduced to covering songs for Disney and all kinds of animated films such as Shrek. But that’s ok. The royalties from the song “Who let the dogs out” will probably make a very nice retirement nest-egg and we at Art Jam believe that this song will be used in films (containing dogs or men or a killer combination of both) till the world runs out of time or, well, dogs.

4. Carl Douglas Everybody was Kungfu fighting! Perhaps the last time you heard this song was in that movie with the cuddly Panda and his cute animal friends. Carl Douglas was a Jamaican born UK based singer and today he is known for one song and one song only. The fast beats and catchy lyrics makes one fall in love immediately with the single, only to soon realize that it would be near impossible for Carl Douglas himself to top it. We’re quite sure by now Carl refuses to have anything to do with the song other than the cheques he receives for its use in advertisements, TV, movies and the such. It proved to overshadow his entire career, so much so that he ended up covering his own song on two occasions and later releasing a re-recording in 1998, which was his only “other” song to chart (no. 8 in the UK charts). A true blue one hit wonder indeed.

For every band that made it through the ages, there are tons that did not. Talent alone does not make or break acts, time does. Enjoy the music, we say! After all, nothing gold, ever lasts. ISSUE28 Art Jam