Title
Vinyl record of a Teochew opera performance
Year/Period
Undated
Region
Probably Singapore
Dimension
Object size: L: 31 cm,
x W: 31 cm
x W: 31 cm
Accession No.
2000-00888
Collection of
Credit Line
Gift of John Lee
Titled Mu Qian Bie, which when loosely translated means ‘bidding farewell at the tomb’, this opera performance depicts the moving story of Madam Zhao’s devotion and filial piety to her parents-in-law. Chinese opera, otherwise known by its Malay term ‘wayang’, which means ‘performance’, can be traced back to the 19th century with the arrival of Chinese immigrants to Singapore. Up to the 1930s, wayang was a popular performing art, both as a platform for religious worship, as well as a cheap form of entertainment. One reason for such popularity lies in the fact that many of the folk mythologies opera tales told empathised with the hardship that the common people went through.
