Recap
- After the war
- Decolonization (an ongoing process)
- Borders of modern nation-states drawn by colonial powers
- Region, Anglo-Dutch agreement 1824
Our territories were given to us by the at that time, current imperial powers.
- National borders are regulated
- The end of freedom of movement across the globe especially nation states virtually end..
- its lumps together different people groups, language, religions, classes..
- Confining them within borders
Demographic in Decolonization
Population increase in Singapore 1960 to 1990
Chinese 77%, Malay 14.8%, Indian 7.0%, others 1.0%
Citizen 89.8%, Non Citizen 10.2%
In the singaporean context,
these difference caused violent conflicts
- Hock Lee Bus riots
- Maria Hertogh case
National leaders had to bear in mind and seek to counter and overcome such sources of conflict -> Fault lines
It is always race and religion that can lead to some sort of public fault line.
Currently class is another fort line, "This is what inequality looks like" - book by yyt
There are many religions in this country and everyone is entitled to it. We are then suppose to tolerate these religious believes.
National Songs that exhort political and communal stability and promise economic progress.
Between 2007 to 2010, there was a 25 percent population growth thus there are alot of complains of lack of jobs and lack of housing.
In the wake of 9/11, religion have become a bigger reason of worry.
There was a drop in citizen in population.
The government had to pivot and re-pivot within relatively short periods of time. Building a nation with active fault lines is not easy since singapore is only 50 years old as well. We need to come up with multiple plans to tackle all the problems.
There are many ways to track these adjustment and national song can be one of them.
Music and Society
Music can be use to forge an identity.
Recent milestone anniversary: The reformation
Born of the french revolution, during the time of war
Pertain to a political identity.
The watch words of this song is Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
6 Sep 1958, reopening of the victoria Memorial Hall
Search for a song to commemorate the opening
Written by Zubir said (1907-1987)
Lyrics in Malay since it is the most spoken language during that time
Hokkien and Malay are the most spoken.
1.8% spoke english
0.1% is mandarin
48% for Malay
The song speaks of uniting of people and helping with other.
The invocation to help each other to progress and bring singapore success
There are some parts of the song that will remove for the original song.
Story:
The new PAP gov is looking for nationalistically theme symbols (anthem, flag and crest)
They use the song/anthem
Decision was to use a slightly altered form of Majulah Singapura.
There was no reason given by the government
According to Zubir, he said that the government felt that it was too long.
Cut outs:
Rise and unite together
Law abiding and helping one another
so that we progress together
We live in peace and tranquility
Working together towards happiness
=> Let us progress towards happiness together
The first song emphasis me and you.
The second song is we and the state.
- Believe that the 8 bars are taken out due to neutralism musically
The song become much more state centric as opposed to being people and state referencing.
- There are difference
- Are the difference significant
- A politically unconnected first generation migrant
- Composes 1958
- Alters it in 1959
- Not many people noticed
- The altered version seems somewhat prescient /prophetic
- Statist success with the people or citizens in the background
Question: " We become what we sing?"
SoundScapes
National music implies music in which a nation's emotions and passion are expressed
Exhibiting characteristic peculiarities
Singapore national songs express the idea of how multiple communities constitute the nation
Hope to foster a national identity for those who are not the same race, class and religion
Populist strategy that caters not only to high brow groups
More often pop songs and guitar
After 1998 sung by local musicians
TO convince singapore to develop a love for the nation, a sense of patriotism and a "willingness to support the ruling elite (kong)" - SMU
Anderson: To build an imagine community
A nation is a socially constructed community, a grouping imagine by people who may not have face to face communication or contact with one another but who perceive themselves as part of that larger groupIn SG, a policy of integration, not assimilation
Ethnic and cultural identity to be nurtured alongside a larger/prior commitment to nation
Multiplicity of identities..
A song is a field of interaction of sound events that give a chance to express negotiation of meaning.
A music video will also change the way we see. The visual dimension of the visual aspect.
[Music as a site of social knowledge construction]
Count on me, Singapore (Old Singapore National Day)
- Mid 80s
- Influential people singing
- Its not happen yet
- There is a possibility that we can make something better
- To build something better for everyone
- To achieve something
- Count on each other to give the best
- For everyone to do their part and stand together
- to show the world what we can achieve
Home - kit chan (1998)
- 10 years later
- Show scenes
- Emotional
- My singapore
- Use the river to identify singapore
- Stress about home
- A place of dreams
- A place where you have other people
My island home
- Home is the trope
- Use Island to identify Singapore
- Everything
- Singapore will not forget
- A land of peace
- Stress on dreams
- Be a part of every citizen
- "Where ever i might be" -> People have start moving out?
- Personification of singapore
- There is no word singapore
- There is now a mature relationship
- There is a visual that there you might be away but your still part of singapore
Tomorrow's here today (2016)
- Promoting taking risk
- Focus more on youth and how youth step out in global era
- We are together
- Talking about dreams
- Take the world by the hand -> think of the world as deeply integrated with singapore
This is a reflection of globalisation.
Decolonisation and Globalisation
If globalisation takes root, it may mark a significant compromise or even the end of the nation-state
We will perhaps add another identity to ourselves which is a global citizen.
If the nation- state meets its end, then for country such as singapore .. a half century experiment/experience ends.
The idea of nation-state is just a blip in human history.
If globalisation takes root in a firm way, we will be able to move within different country without any passport.
"I am citizen of the planet.. I am entitled by my birth to the treasures of the earth. No one must be denied these" - SimonThe nation-state and decolonisation overcome by the dominant tendency of most of our human past which is the freedom of movement.
Term paper (director) announcement:
- People interpretation of this space past
- How has it been told
- Why is it told
- Are we satisfied
- Any suggestion
- Are these suggestion do able given the respective context
- Capacity to offer a humanistics response/expression of your subjectivity
- Reason, emotion, narrativity
- Use this opportunity to enter into a conversation with you
- What are our blinders
Class, race, religion, nation, civilization, gender
- Personal
Pride, Fear, Indifference (dont give a damn), ignorance
These shapes the things we think about the world.
A humanities module is to let us have a glimpse of myself
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