Wanted! Aspiring young local music talents to collaborate with five of Singapore’s finest artists—Charlie Lim, Joanna Dong, Kelly Pan, Sezairi and Shabir
Temasek presents the second season of The Great Singapore Replay, with the support of Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music
The Great Singapore Replay (TGSR) is back for a second season. Presented by Temasek, the biennial TGSR is about discovery and collaboration — discovery of Singapore’s rich music heritage and the collaboration between established artists and the next generation of aspiring young local talents to create original ‘Made-in-Singapore’ songs.
Season Two offers 10 music talents the opportunity to be guided by Charlie Lim, Joanna Dong, Kelly Pan, Sezairi and Shabir in creating 10 new original songs. These songs will be inspired by mashups of distinct tunes from five iconic eras of Singapore’s history and five modern music genres.
Working with local music industry players, the selected talents will undergo a professional production experience, comprising song-writing workshops, song arrangement and recording. It will also include the marketing and creating of individual artists’ brand, and the launch of their songs on popular digital music streaming platforms.
“We were encouraged by how our Season One artists have developed since our inaugural programme in 2017. With the Bicentennial as backdrop, we are thrilled to present Season 2 as homage to 700 years of Singapore’s heritage and culture, expressed through the lens of contemporary music,” said Mr Robin Hu, Head of Sustainability and Stewardship Group at Temasek.
He added, “TGSR is a platform for aspiring music talents to gain exposure, grow their confidence and personal networks. The franchise aims to create pathways for our next generation of homegrown music talents to showcase their artistry while fortifying the vibrancy of Singapore’s music scene.”
The first season of TGSR in 2017 brought back popular Singapore classic hits from the 1960s to the early 2000s and allowed a new generation of emerging music talents to remake and re-imagine. TGSR alumni included Debbi Koh, Jasmine Sokko, JAWN, Joie Tan, Shak’thiya, Spacedays, The Betts, Theodora, Umar Sirhan and .gif. They collaborated with a line-up of established Singapore musicians such as Amanda Ling, Charlie Lim, Dru Chen, Eddino, Ginny Bloop, iNCH Chua, Joshua Tan, M1LDL1FE, Sara Wee and Vandetta.
For Shak’thiya, TGSR gave him the exponential exposure he needed. “I knew that music was more than a hobby. It has always been special to me. I’m constantly learning from others who are as passionate as I am. I was thrilled to be part of Season One because it meant I could co-create and learn from established artists, especially Charlie Lim. TGSR enriched my experience in the song production process in an authentic environment that imbued professionalism to my music passion."
The new TGSR season spans 16 weeks and features these elements:
Open Call (Now till 20 October 2019)
Ten music talents will be selected through an open call submission of music videos. Participation is open to all residents of Singapore and those selected will be notified by the end of October 2019.
The Open Call submission deadline is 20 October 2019, 11:59pm (Singapore time). For details, visit The Great Singapore Replay’s website.
Shape the Inspiration for our TGSR Artists (21 October to 10 November 2019)
‘Made-in-Singapore’ music takes on a new spin as members of the public will be invited to vote for their favourite mashup as inspiration source for the TGSR Season 2 original song creations. The public can choose from a combination of soundscapes representing five iconic eras from Singapore’s history and mash it up with five modern music genres of pop, urban, electronic, jazz and indie.
The public can vote for their favourite mashups at TGSR’s website or at roadshow locations.
Showcase Concert at Gardens by the Bay (18 January 2020)
Season 2 will culminate in a Showcase Concert to be held at Gardens by the Bay on 18 January 2020. Catch these aspiring young talents as they take to the stage to unveil their original TGSR songs to Singapore.
For more information, please refer to:
Annex A: TGSR Activities
Annex B: Bios of Charlie Lim, Joanna Dong, Kelly Pan, Sezairi and Shabir
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About The Great Singapore Replay (TGSR)
Presented by Temasek, TGSR enables the discovery of Singapore’s rich musical heritage and supports a diversity of local music talents — making it a unique community building effort. The biennial programme nurtures and inspires emerging young music talents in Singapore by collaborating with established artists and the wider music industry in creating original Made-in-Singapore songs. Follow us at thegreatsingaporereplay.sg
About Temasek
Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$313 billion as at 31 March 2019. Our Temasek Charter roles as an investor, institution and steward shape our investment stance, ethos and philosophy, to do well, do right and do good. We actively seek sustainable solutions to address present and future challenges, as we capture investment and other opportunities that help to bring about a better, smarter and more connected world. As a Trusted Steward, Temasek has gifted 19 philanthropic endowments that make possible outcome-focused programmes that enable individuals, families and communities to achieve sustainable improvements and progress in their lives. More at www.temasek.com.sg.
Media Contact
Victoria Lim/ Kally Chua/ Sarah Almodiel/ Huimei Simpkins
PRecious Communications
(65) 6303 0567
tgsr@preciouscomms.com
Karen Yap
Temasek
(65) 9672 8147
karenyap@temasek.com.sg
ANNEX A: TGSR Activities
Open Call (Now till 20 October 2019)
TGSR Season 2 Open Call Mechanics
To enter, simply follow these steps:
- Record a two- to three-minute video of yourself performing an original or cover song from any genre, in any language. All formats are welcome.
- Post the link to your video at TGSR’s Open Call page on our website (links can include uploaded streaming/drive links like YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, DropBox etc.) with your details as per our submission form, after agreeing to our Terms and Conditions. Do ensure your link settings are set to a shareable mode so we can view them.
- Be sure to get your entries in between 27 September and 20 October 2019 by 11:59pm (Singapore time).
All entries will be evaluated by a panel of music industry professionals.
Entries are open to all residents of Singapore and selected participants will be notified by the end of October to attend an eligibility interview scheduled on 26 October 2019.
Shape the Inspiration for Our TGSR Artists (21 October to 10 November 2019)
A TGSR boom box will also be making its way around various locations across Singapore and will provide an immersive DJ experience, allowing the public to mix and vote for mashups of five eras and genres. The locations will be available on TGSR website and social channels at a later date.
The most popular mashups voted by the public and the established artists will be the inspiration source for the aspiring talents in their song creation process before these are unveiled at the Showcase Concert on 18 January 2020.
Reveal of Music Talents and Results of Mashups (14 November 2019)
The final results of the mashups, selected music talents and the pairing with established artists will be announced in a press event on 14 November 2019.
The event will be graced by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament and community ambassador for Season Two of TGSR.
TGSR Webisodes (21 November 2019 to January 2020)
The 10 selected music talents will undergo a professional production experience. This is supported by Sony Music, the five established artists and other partners like Warrior Records and Zendyll Records. The progress of the music talents’ journey will be documented through five webisodes released on TGSR website and YouTube channel starting 21 November 2019.
Pop-Up Performances (Five weekends from 23 November 2019)
From 23 November 2019, Pop-up Performances will be held across Singapore at malls and community spaces to provide the music talents additional avenues to showcase their works to the public, and to prepare them for the Showcase Concert. The locations of the performances will be available on TGSR website and social channels at a later date.
Showcase Concert (18 January 2020)
The Showcase Concert will be held at Gardens by the Bay on 18 January 2020. More details to follow at thegreatsingaporereplay.sg.
ANNEX B: Bios of Mentors for TGSR Season Two
Charlie Lim
Singer, Songwriter
Charlie Lim is a singer-songwriter and producer based in Singapore.
Charlie’s debut record ‘TIME/SPACE’ made it to the number one spot on the Singapore iTunes charts. It was later awarded ‘Best Pop Album of the Year’ by The Straits Times. His recent album CHECK-HOOK released in 2018 also clinched Best Song of the Year by Apple Music for single Zero-Sum, garnering over 5 million streams to date.
He played a central role in writing and performing the theme song ‘We Are Singapore’ for the 2018 National Day Parade. He was also featured on Tatler Gen T Asia 2019 for playing a fundamental role in enriching Singapore’s music scene.
Charlie continues to produce music and contribute to the local scene and is growing to become one of Southeast Asia’s best voices in pop music.
Joanna Dong
Jazz vocalist, Actress, TV host
Joanna Dong is a jazz vocalist, musical theatre actress and TV host. Over the years, she has established herself as one of the most talented and sought-after jazz vocalists in Singapore, with a repertoire that spans a wide range of audiences. Joanna is bilingual and very passionate about sharing her love for jazz with Mandarin speaking audiences.
Joanna became the pride of Singapore after a stellar performance at ‘Sing! China’, coming in as a second runner-up under Jay Chou’s team in the popular Chinese singing competition. After her hugely successful two-day '我是真的' (So Here I Am) concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall, she followed up with '我是真的' (So Here I Am) EP digital release and Asia tour across seven different cities.
Joanna has also performed at other notable events such as Jeremy Monteiro’s Jazzy Christmas Concert, Jay Chou’s ‘The Invincible 2’ Concert World Tour, the 2018 National Day Parade, and the 2018 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.
Kelly Pan
Singer, Songwriter
Kelly became a household name after being crowned a winner in the female category at the inaugural ‘Project Superstar Competition’, beating over 10,000 applicants.
Kelly’s career has skyrocketed since then, releasing five albums throughout Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. At the 19th Singapore Hit Awards, she won the ‘Regional Outstanding Artiste Award’. She was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Regional Artiste and Vocalist Award’ at the 14th Global Chinese Music Awards, before being selected to be the official ambassador for the Global Chinese Music Awards 2015.
In 2017 she collaborated with Warner Denmark’s Christopher on the song ‘Heartbeat 心跳’, which raked in half a million views in less than one week of its release.
Sezairi
Pop and R&B Artist
Sezairi is a pop singer whose meteoric rise has left the nation in awe. Sezairi started singing at the tender age of five and hasn’t stopped since. He formed a band at the age of 14 and learned the guitar to complement his vocals.
It was 2009 when Sezairi got his big break, after winning the Singapore Idol series. Since then, he has released hits and chart toppers that remind people of his adeptness in his craft. His recent EP ‘Sezairi EP’ was completely written by him and co-produced by elite Indonesian producer Ari Renaldi.
Sezairi creates unique songs that are regularly well received by the public and continues to hone his craft, always looking for ways to make captivating music.
His achievements included:
- Number one spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart within a week of the release of his song ‘Fire to the Floor’. The song retained the spot for two weeks after.
- Number two spot on Spotify Singapore’s Viral 50 Chart within a week of his single release ‘70s’. This song even made its way to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. The single was also a hit on Indonesia’s iTunes and Spotify Viral 50 Chart, while garnering over 400,000 listeners on Spotify.
- Number one on Spotify Singapore and Malaysia Viral 50 Chart within a week of the release of his ballad ‘It’s You’, while it reached number three on Indonesia’s iTunes. Two million online listeners tuned in to listen to the song, which has since received a gold certification. The song’s music video appeared on the third spot in Apple Music’s ‘Best of 2018: Editors’ Picks’ Global Playlist, where it was recognised as one of the year’s most identifiable and noteworthy songs.
Shabir
Music Artist, Film Composer
Shabir started song writing and song composition when he was 12 years old. Starting out as a self-taught keyboardist, he went on to learn Hindustani classical music under the tutelage of violinist Sri Veereshwar Madhri and guitar from Steve Vatz.
He is a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer, music composer and performer. He is the winner of the inaugural singing competition Vasantham Star 2005. He was awarded the Singapore Youth Award, the highest national honour given to young achievers by the Singapore government in 2017. He was the first artist of Tamil and Indian descent to win the award.
Shabir remains one of the leading recording artists in Singapore with a strong fan following in the region, having released three albums to date 'Alaipayuthey', 'TraffiQ' and 'Swasam-Scents of Prose'.
Shabir's music is known to be an eclectic concoction of various genres and influences that includes pop, alternative rock, hip-hop and world music. Shabir's lyrical style consists of wordplay, metaphor and he often experiments with cadence. His voice culture is characterised by his distinct style that owes itself to his early influences such as Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Wyclef Jean and Bob Dylan.
Shabir achieved mainstream success in India as a composer, songwriter and singer in the highly competitive Indian film music industry in 2019 with back-to-back releases, with his songs crossing 70-million collective views on YouTube. To date, he has been signed to eight films as a composer, songwriter and singer, making him the first music artist from Singapore to achieve this feat.