Music Space: Reggae Singapura

Music Space: Reggae Singapura
Featuring Bushmen
Saturday 15 October 2011, 7:30pm
The Substation Theatre
Admission: $18 available from the box office. Contact Mish’aal 6337 7800 / boxoffice@substation.org
This is an InHouse event 

It may sound strange to most that a reggae band would sprout from an eclectic scene dominated by the Top 40s and the international arena at large. But for the young members of Bushmen, theirs was a co-existence realised by a common aim when they started performing at the International School of Singapore in 1997.

Taking the assemble on the road, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Izaar, lead guitarist Restam, bass guitarist Hassan, keyboardist Hairul, drummer Sofy, and percussionist Rahman, performed live and direct to the masses at local pubs, clubs and restaurants. Harking back to an older generation of musicians who built up their followers by performing live, Bushmen’s popularity soared at venues such as the Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, The American School, Youth Park and LASALLE School of Arts.

The first steps towards success were embraced when the band placed second runner-up in Band Alert Contest organised by YAMAHA and MTV in 1998. The following year, the group signed a recording contract with Hunters Records and in March 2000 saw the release of Rise Up.

This mini album features five original compositions that are filled with lively hooks and grooves that draw the attention of local and international media and listeners. The track Don’t you worry was also featured in the local movie soundtrack Stories About Love. To date after the release of Rise Up, Bushmen has been invited to work and perform at countless prestigious venues and events.

About Music Space
Hommage à Kuo Pao Kun (1939-2002)
Curated by Jun Zubillaga-Pow

On 13 March 1991, The Substation was transformed into a platform for the sonic arts. This became an avenue for those who trekked the unknown and geared themselves up for risky ventures. Music Space was such an auricular experience, initiated by the very first artistic director of The Substation. Here, the ideals of borderless worlds among the classical, popular and experimental conflate within one spatial locus. This year, we musicians pay homage to Cultural Medallion recipient Kuo Pao Kun. The coming-together of musical genres for this series aim to revive the multicultural coherence of the Singaporean music scene.