Getai In The Spotlight: NO TO YA YA

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http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,212587,00.html?

Getai In The Spotlight
NO TO YA YA
Getai veterans blame young organisers for police reminders to tone down raunchy acts
By Maureen Koh

September 04, 2009

SEXY: A singer using her mouth to get a hongbao in a file picture.

SHE was billed as 'the sexiest getai star' and went on to prove it by stripping down to her sequinned bra top and bikini bottom.

Taiwanese singer Ya Ya wowed the crowd at a getai show at Jurong Fishery Port Road on Sunday night with her raunchy act.

But two weeks into the seventh month Hungry Ghosts Festival, some getai organisers and performers have been told to clean up their acts.

The police have stepped in to tell organisers to tone down the raunchiness or face the music.

In short, no striptease shows and no indecent attire allowed.

The New Paper is aware of at least two organisers who have received the police advice.

Unhappy

TOO BARE: Ya Ya seen stripped down to a bikini. TNP FILE PICTURES: PHYLLICIA WANG, JOHNATHAN CHOO

On Sunday night, Ya Ya, 30, was fully dressed in a blue sequinned number for the first song.

In between songs, she took off her blue feathered head-dress, corset and frilly skirt, revealing a short halter-neck dress that displayed much of her legs.

When she finally stripped to a matching blue bra and bikini bottom, she gyrated her torso to cheers and applause.

Though her performances here are apparently tame compared to similar shows in Taiwan, some veteran organisers told The New Paper yesterday that they were unhappy with the unwanted attention such gimmicks have drawn.

Two of the six organisers interviewed said they had received calls from the police reminding them of the getai show conditions.

While the two are taking the reminders seriously, three of the other four organisers insist they have always kept their shows clean.

Instead, they are pushing the blame on those they call 'young and upcoming organisers who understand little of the culture'.

One veteran organiser, who did not want to be named, said in Mandarin: 'Sometimes, these youngsters get carried away in their enthusiasm to raise the level of interest.'

The organiser, who has more than 20 shows lined up for the seventh month, said he was not surprised the authorities decided to step in.

He said: 'It was only a matter of time. I was just waiting. And yes, I expected the complaints to roll in.'

Mr Peter Loh, 58, owner of Whirltones Entertainment Enterprise, was one of the two organisers who received a call from the police reminding him that there should be 'no indecent exposure' by the artistes and that the shows must end by 10.30pm.

He said he welcomed the 'verbal warning'.

Said Mr Loh, who has been organising getai shows for more than 40 years: 'I feel it's a good thing because we should bear in mind that the seventh month celebration is actually still a cultural thing.

'Sometimes, people (the organisers) get carried away and they forget the right values of entertainment.'

Mr Loh said the level of boldness in each show depends on how much its organiser is willing to accept.

'Most veteran organisers - and by that, I mean those with more than 10 years of experience running the shows - will not condone such lewd acts,' he said.

Mr Loh added that it was only the foreign performers and the 'older ones' who are 'more daring'.

He said: 'The younger performers will not dare to do it.'

Another veteran organiser, who wanted to be known only as Mr RT, was upset that this 'new development' could work against the getai industry.

Mr RT, who has been running getai shows for more than 20 years, said: 'After all we've done to promote the industry and elevate the level of interest, this has to happen.

'It's bad enough that getai acts have always been labelled as too sexy or sleazy and attract only the chee ko peks (dirty old men) in the audience.

'If we really want to make this a Singapore event, then I think some organisers should really clean up their act. It's okay to tease a little but the question is, how far should one push the line?'

Mr Aaron Tan, 33, the owner of Lex(s) Entertainment which organised some of the shows featuring Ya Ya, admitted that he received a call from the police reminding him to watch out for improper attire.

He said he had engaged Ya Ya for 10 of his 32 shows during the festival, with her first performance only on the seventh day.

Earlier, she was performing for other organisers.

Mr Tan, who started out eight years ago as the youngest getai organiser here, said: 'I knew she was going to remove her layers of costumes one by one, but I didn't know to what extent.'

He said that she did not strip in her first two shows for him, and from what he had seen in earlier newspaper reports of her other shows, he did not sense anything amiss.

It was only when Ya Ya was down to her 'final two-piece costume' that 'alarm bells rang', said Mr Tan. 'On the spot, I told Ya Ya's agent to inform her that her costume was not acceptable and that she should not repeat this at my other shows.'

He brought this up again in a phone call after midnight to the agent, Mr William Chong, who confirmed this when contacted by The New Paper.

Mr Tan added: 'I was definitely not challenging the police.'

He felt that while the brouhaha was expected, it has been blown out of proportion.

While he respected the views and contributions of veteran organisers, Mr Tan was disheartened that the blame has shifted to him.

He said: 'Some of them complain that we try too hard to revolutionise getai - but they copy the winning formulas such as stage designs.

'And when something negative happens, they point their fingers at us. I guess it's a dirty job but someone's just got to do it.'



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No to vulgar songs

THE New Paper obtained a copy of the list of terms and conditions that getai organisers are expected to follow.

It includes these terms:


The event starts not earlier than 11am and ends not later than 10.30pm


Not more than two loudspeakers are used during the event


No vulgar or obscene gesture or remark is made by any performer


No vulgar or obscene song is performed


The performers are not indecently attired


There is no transvestite performance


The performers do not mingle with the audience during their performance or while dressed in their performance attire



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Get in line or get fined

GETAI organisers who break certain conditions can be liable to a fine of up to $10,000, said the police.

'Getai performances are exempted from licensing requirements if they meet the stipulated conditions under the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Exemptions) Order (Chapter 257 Order 1),' a police spokesman said.

'One of the exemption conditions requires that the performers are not indecently attired.

'Organisers have been advised by police to ensure adherence to the exemption conditions, failing which the organisers would be deemed to be providing Public Entertainment without a licence and could be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000, under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act.'

 

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Getai In The Spotlight
Ya Ya is 'now more popular than before'
Singer not upset over controversy as 'she wasn't sure of rules'
By Kwok Kar Peng

September 04, 2009

FLAMBOYANT: Ya Ya, seen fully-dressed a frilly outfit and feathered head-dress. TNP FILE PICTURE: PHYLLICIA WANG

THE performer at the centre of the getai storm is unfazed by the controversy surrounding her raunchy act.

In fact, Taiwanese performer Ya Ya is revelling in her new-found notoriety and popularity.

While some getai organisers have been reminded by the police to cut down on over-revealing costumes in their shows, Ya Ya has added more shows to her schedule during the festival. Her higher profile has even landed her an interview on local Chinese TV.

Ya Ya's agent, Mr William Chong, told The New Paper that the 30-year-old singer has been asked to perform at more shows.

But he declined to reveal how many shows have been added, saying that he restricts her to four performances a night to prevent her from getting too tired.

Ya Ya told The New Paper before the controversy that she had an average of three shows a night.

Mr Chong would rather focus on Ya Ya's increased popularity than the controversy.

He added that Ya Ya isn't upset over the controversy.

He, however, took issue with some reports that said Ya Ya took her clothes off as she sang.

He clarified that she removed the items of clothing at the side of the stage after the end of each song.

Ya Ya herself said that she isn't bothered by the brouhaha as this was her first time performing here and she wasn't sure of the rules.

She said her controversial bikini costume would be considered conservative in Taiwan, where many female singers perform in bikini tops and G-strings.

She thinks the rules are stricter here than in Taiwan because of Singapore's multi-racial society and culture.

Ya Ya and Mr Chong both said she had performed in her bikini costume three times in Singapore, all in industrial parks where the audiences were predominantly adults.

But some spectators were still uncomfortable.

Mr A H Ang, 34, a marketing executive, said: 'Unless there are bouncers blocking entry to children, then one cannot gauge that there are no children in the audience with just a glance.'

He added: 'I'll be concerned if there are kids watching her performance because we are still a conservative society. Without parents to guide them, the children might get the wrong idea that stripping is okay.'

Madam Yeo Siew Geok, 58, a housewife, felt that singers shouldn't dress so scantily.

She said: 'Maybe the culture in Taiwan is like that but I think it ruins our social morals. I will leave the getai show if I see her performing like this.'

Happy

Ya Ya insisted that she would not flash as much flesh if she was performing at HDB estates. The least she would wear was a sleeveless top and a short skirt, she said. While she has toned down her act since Monday night and now changes from only a long skirt to a short one, she does not regret stripping to her bikini outfit.

'It's all part of my act to remove parts of the outfit and show a different look with each song. I've also been encouraged by regular getai viewers, both uncles and aunties not to mind the reports.

'But my mother, who chaperones me in my shows, is happy that I won't have to reveal too much skin,' she said, adding that she only wears outfits approved by her mother. She said she'll be back next year.

'According to traditional Chinese culture, a singer has to perform for three consecutive years to show respect to the deities and spirits,' she said.

 

[Maverick01]

This kind of face...strip naked also sian...maybe appeal to chikopek only..

http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,212584,00.html?

Getai In The Spotlight
Ya Ya is 'now more popular than before'
Singer not upset over controversy as 'she wasn't sure of rules'
By Kwok Kar Peng

September 04, 2009

FLAMBOYANT: Ya Ya, seen fully-dressed a frilly outfit and feathered head-dress. TNP FILE PICTURE: PHYLLICIA WANG

THE performer at the centre of the getai storm is unfazed by the controversy surrounding her raunchy act.

In fact, Taiwanese performer Ya Ya is revelling in her new-found notoriety and popularity.

While some getai organisers have been reminded by the police to cut down on over-revealing costumes in their shows, Ya Ya has added more shows to her schedule during the festival. Her higher profile has even landed her an interview on local Chinese TV.

Ya Ya's agent, Mr William Chong, told The New Paper that the 30-year-old singer has been asked to perform at more shows.

But he declined to reveal how many shows have been added, saying that he restricts her to four performances a night to prevent her from getting too tired.

Ya Ya told The New Paper before the controversy that she had an average of three shows a night.

Mr Chong would rather focus on Ya Ya's increased popularity than the controversy.

He added that Ya Ya isn't upset over the controversy.

He, however, took issue with some reports that said Ya Ya took her clothes off as she sang.

He clarified that she removed the items of clothing at the side of the stage after the end of each song.

Ya Ya herself said that she isn't bothered by the brouhaha as this was her first time performing here and she wasn't sure of the rules.

She said her controversial bikini costume would be considered conservative in Taiwan, where many female singers perform in bikini tops and G-strings.

She thinks the rules are stricter here than in Taiwan because of Singapore's multi-racial society and culture.

Ya Ya and Mr Chong both said she had performed in her bikini costume three times in Singapore, all in industrial parks where the audiences were predominantly adults.

But some spectators were still uncomfortable.

Mr A H Ang, 34, a marketing executive, said: 'Unless there are bouncers blocking entry to children, then one cannot gauge that there are no children in the audience with just a glance.'

He added: 'I'll be concerned if there are kids watching her performance because we are still a conservative society. Without parents to guide them, the children might get the wrong idea that stripping is okay.'

Madam Yeo Siew Geok, 58, a housewife, felt that singers shouldn't dress so scantily.

She said: 'Maybe the culture in Taiwan is like that but I think it ruins our social morals. I will leave the getai show if I see her performing like this.'

Happy

Ya Ya insisted that she would not flash as much flesh if she was performing at HDB estates. The least she would wear was a sleeveless top and a short skirt, she said. While she has toned down her act since Monday night and now changes from only a long skirt to a short one, she does not regret stripping to her bikini outfit.

'It's all part of my act to remove parts of the outfit and show a different look with each song. I've also been encouraged by regular getai viewers, both uncles and aunties not to mind the reports.

'But my mother, who chaperones me in my shows, is happy that I won't have to reveal too much skin,' she said, adding that she only wears outfits approved by her mother. She said she'll be back next year.

'According to traditional Chinese culture, a singer has to perform for three consecutive years to show respect to the deities and spirits,' she said.