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Hell…
What A Night>>> |
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In her late 40s, Ru Ping is certainly a familiar face even if her name doesn't ring a bell. Starting out as a presenter, singer and actress in the then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), she became interested in this business in 1986. "It [getai singing] was out of interest. My 2 children had all grown up, they are now in their late 20s living abroad. Now having more time, I sing occasionally and emcee most of the time," she said. The importance of emcees in a getai cannot be overstated. Theirs is the important task of introducing and bantering with singers after a couple of songs. This is why they have the luxury of staying in one venue while most getai singers "pao tai", that is run from one stage to another around our island. "You've got to have broad general knowledge and know a little bit of everything. Every singer is different, [so] it can be tough to act as if we are long-time friends on stage and introduce them. Sometimes, singers cannot come on time, and we've got to end up entertaining the crowd. To be a successful getai emcee, you must be a multi-lingual presenter, a singer who can sing a variety of songs and a person who can tell jokes," she explained. The
interview stopped abruptly as she was called to go on stage. Time
to introduce two simply-dressed young ladies. (Click
to view video clip) The
getai singer
Her name is Ye Wen Wen aka Feng Fei Fei. From her 80s dressing and her wide-brimmed hat, it was obvious that she was trying to impersonate the famous Taiwanese singer in the early 80s, the queen of hats, Feng Fei Fei. "I've got several hats and all my costumes are bought by my godpa," Ye said in Mandarin. Refusing to reveal her real age, she only hinted to be in her early 30s. Though she had been singing full-time for 12 years, the self-proclaimed "Macpherson Princess" considers herself a newcomer in the getai scene. "We, the newcomers, must work hard to earn a living. I came to queue for a slot to sing at 2.30pm and I got the fourth place. Imagine waiting for an entire afternoon just to sing," she lamented. French Road was her first stop. She had a few more to make, to Circuit Road, Macpherson Road and Jalan Klinik. A singer like her would make about $60 to $80 per stopover. That night she would have combed down the central, eastern and western part of the island, earning about $240 to $320. Such is the life a getai singer. Back to the Emcee: On singers, police and security
"There're basically two types of getai singers, the ones with good voices and those with good figures who usually flaunt them on stage." As Ru Ping went on, my eyes were drawn to the songstress on stage. Clad in a bikini-like costume with a netted shawl around her, the China-born singer couldn't catch her key for the entire song but still managed to captivate the mostly elderly male crowd around her. One look around me, I figured out the reason behind the success of the industry: getai had managed to target a huge pool of supporters that television had missed - the older dialect-speaking folk who love live-stage performances. "I like to listen to the songs and dance. The costumes are very nice," said 56-year-old Lim Hock Lam in Mandarin, who stood among the throng that had gathered. However, others did not share his interest. "I don't like it at all. Sometimes, all these look like a striptease dance and sometimes they tell dirty jokes," said Cheng Shiyun, a 22-year-old undergraduate who passed the stage on her way home. Ru Ping had no comment on people who fail to appreciate her brand of entertainment, as all have "their own freedom". "Just as long as we don't receive major complaints and police do not come for checks, there should be no problem." Ironically the presence of policemen might make things safer for performers as well, earlier, a drunkard was disturbing Ye at the makeshift backstage at the adjoining HDB void deck. Ru Ping shrugged away such scenes as normal, noting that the harassers are usually harmless. But if things do get worse, she is the one who must handle it. The
"One-Night Only"
"This is my only show tonight. I don't usually do much; singing for getai is just my interest." Sean was scheduled to be singer number five. No need for him to queue early for a turn to sing. He revealed that "popularity sells" and he earns 3 times as much for a performance as newcomers. When not involved in getai performances, Sean hosts events and has just completed a holiday resort project. More lucrative gigs would include 7th month shows at venues in Malaysia, earning Sean a 4-figure sum for just a night's work.
Staying
in shape "Enough sleep, water and careful use of your vocals are secrets to stay in tip-top condition," said Sean. "No spicy food, [enough] water and sleep are what I must have to stay fit for the month. Imagine singing and talking for 29 nights, you need good stamina," Ru Ping added, sharing her trade secret. Nothing unusual, unlike Cantonese-ballads getai singer, Zhang Yu who had downed 1 big bottle of Guinness and 2 large bottles of Tiger Beer before going onstage. All we could hear later on was muttering and slurred sentences, the poor emcee had to get him to quickly finish singing before pushing him off-stage. Leaner
times "Every night, about $800 goes into lighting and sound. We have to pay about $500 for copyright each night. That leave us with little to invite more singers," explained Ru Ping. Recently, some getai organisers voiced their dismay over the issue of copyright fees to the Composers and Authors of Society Ltd (Compass). Ru Ping suggested the committee review its laws to come up with a "more reasonable price". The
Aftermath
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