A Ukulele Performance for VIPs

The Council for Third Age sent me a CD recently.It has pictures of our Ukulele performance before our distinguished guests headed by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Our performance was featured in the evening's Prime Time News and I managed to capture a few screen shots with my digital camera.
The picture below is from my cameara.
The rest of these photos were sent to me by the C3A ( Thank You C3A dear darlings! ).

[Photo: From my TV screen, Mediacorps primetime news]

Soon after our introduction, and just before we began our first song item.

I engaged our VIPs and guests giving a brief background of our selections and setting the "mood" in readiness.

Darren was a surprise. He was steady and quite relaxed considering this was only the 2nd time that he had appeared on the large stage with me for a public performance. The 1st time was last year at the launch of the Active Ageing Carnival at Suntec City. During my ukulele performance with R Chee a friend of mine, I saw Darren and his parents among the crowd and invited him on stage. I had extra ukuleles and giving him one asked if he would like to join us impromptu. He was game and daring enough to accept despite not knowing what songs we were doing. But I had taught him a little more than the other kids I've coached as he showed a keener interest back then.

Click Here to read about that including some pictures of Darren and us at that event at Suntec City in 2009.

Someone asked me there, " How long have you been playing the Ukulele? "

When I said, " I started a long time ago...before Singapore became fully independent in 1965 ..",

the response was , "Wow! before I was even born !"

Well, Darren if he keeps playing would be a step ahead of me. He started when I taught him and his schoolmates in Primary 5 ( 10 years old then).
He was also a member of the scout troop to whom I've specially taught long-forgotten scout and campfire songs as mentioned in my previous post.

I went out of my way to do this voluntarily for a couple of years as that's simply the best way to impart heritage, knowledge, history about the legacy of the past to young and eager minds.

So, Darren is not the only beneficiary. There are many others including their most appreciative parents.

For this performance, Darren was using his simple Mahalo soprano Ukulele.

I had just bought my latest Ukulele...a handmade Maestro Concert Ukulele ( UC 20) made entirely from solid Mahogany wood. The listed price is $ 399 at City Music at Peace Centre.

Unk Dicko got a discount as a card member of Maestro Ukulele Singapore.

The sound quality from this particular ukulele is superb with a rich and well-balanced tone. It comes with superior Aquila Nylgut Strings..model 14.

It is excellent for playing songs or tunes that require a little more plucking mixed with intricate

strumming...like some of the 'keroncong' type melodies or even some advanced Christmas numbers.
I'm very happy with my buy. I expect the tone to be even better in a few short years.

Listeners told me they simply "love" the sounds of this ukulele.

"Would you like to have it?" I asked someone.

His classic reply, " I prefer to have your fingers ! "



This was where we were seated at during Lunch..Table 4.

Unk Dicko Entertaining SM Goh and MPs..part 2.

When we arrived at the Qian Xi Restaurant at Tanjong Pagar Complex amidst a very tight security cordon, we were met by the organisers who showed us to our seats at Table 4. Both 13 year old Darren Goh and I were special invited guests. We had our names pasted on the tables. SM Goh was at Table 1, the VIP table nearby us with some of the other MPs of his GRC.
Lunch was a yummy Chinese style dishes served by individual tables. I observed that most of the other performers in the 2 hour plus programme were there just as performers. They were not involved in the lunch. So, I must thank the organisers for being invited as guests for Lunch too!

[ All photos from Unk Dicko's Archives ]

Just after 1 pm or so, when most of the items were over and people had a full stomach, the emcee announced, " And now we have for you something special.... a guitar performance by Mr Dick Yip who was the Active Ager and Infocomm Champion Award Winner of 2008.! "

Darren and I walked to centre stage and as we adjusted the mic and music stand, I introduced ourselves properly to SM Goh Chok Tong, his fellow MPs and all guests.

The 1st thing I did was to quickly correct the mistake by the emcee...who said " guitar performance". Just goes to show that he the emcee ( a veteran ) does not know the difference between the 2 instruments...sigh!

Soon as we were about set and ready, I spoke directly to our honourable SM Goh saying,

" I have picked a selection of songs of which a few are campfire songs of long ago...maybe at least 50 odd years ago. I can guarantee that most of you present will hear it for the first time today. Hopefully, some of the songs we are playing and singing will rekindle some sweet scouting memories for SM who was also a scout. By the way sir, Darren is a scout and I have been scout and scoutmaster for a long time. Sit back and relax and do join in to sing or clap along. "

Keeping to my promise...the first number we did was a very old campfire song called

" Ah Chong Sok". As expected that song got everyone's attention immediately. The rather noisy din of moments ago made by the 800 strong crowd was now replaced by a very strange atmosphere...only our ukulele and singing!

Everyone was listening ! Unbelievable.

When we ended, I asked SM Goh if he could remember or recall that song. He smiled and shook his head. See what I meant...that song has not been sung for over 5 decades! Very few today know that song even exists.

"Would you like to hear it again?" I asked. And the response was "yes".

So we played it again. And more could catch the lyrics this time. Many left their tables to go closer to the stage with their cameras, video cams and Tv crew was there too to film. This did not happen for all the earlier items...!

In case you the readers want the lyrics, here they are:

Ah Chong Sok

Ah Chong Sok is a cut-throat hawker,

Chee cheong fun hey chee cheong fun

He says his goods are not very costly
Chee cheong fun heh chee cheong fun

He marries a wife who's a sor lo kwai

Whose father's name is Tai Tow Kwai

And they all live together in Yap Poon Kai

Chee cheong fun heh chee cheong fun.

That song went down very well with the crowd.

Our 2nd number was that one time popular " Down By The Sea"..a campfire round, again almost half a century ago. I have been invited to many campfires over the last 40 odd years and in not a single one had I heard this song being sung. The scouts have "lost" it completely over the years.

Our 3rd song was that old funny song, "The 2nd Storey Window".

We played it in a rather more catchy, upbeat manner.

That got many people tickled by the lyrics.

To show we were capable of playing and singing different kinds of music, I included a calypso

number...that eternal evergreen "Yellowbird".

That got many people singing, humming, tapping including the VIP table! Well done Table 1!

For ukulele players, try to master the calypso strumming patterns ( there are a few ). It would add variety to your normal strumming style.

Our 5th song was a definite HIT ! I can judge by the way the crowd looked and reacted.

What was the song? No not the modern techno songs...none of that!

It was a beautiful, very traditional old English sea shanty...." Drunken Sailor".

My version..well is my version, with some foot stomping on the wooden floorboard of the stage.

The combined effect of the ukulele, our singing in "cockney" and feet stomping made this a top draw. Many were clapping away.


After that first 5 songs, I announced that we'd be doing our final 2 songs as a medley.

And that... these 2 songs have all the more special meaning and significance as we were right there that day....Gelang Si Paku Gelang and Di Tanjong Katong.

As both these songs have been incorporated into our Sing Singapore segments over the years, many of those present could sing along with us.

The VIP table were now singing away merrily to the sweet sounds coming from our 2 ukuleles!

I thanked one and all for listening to us and they applauded warmly and heartily. I think they all knew it was something very unusual they had witnessed that day.

For Darren my young ukulele student beside me, it would be a day he would treasure for a lifetime.

Table 4 - had 2 special guests, Unk Dicko and Darren Goh

SM Goh and his fellow MPs singing one last song

Unk Dicko was privileged to have helped Marine Parade GRC and 800 seniors make Grandparents Day celebrations an especially enjoyable and memorable one.

Thanks also to C3A whom I've always had a close association with.

Unk Dicko entertains SM Goh and company

Singapore News

Channel News Asia
800 seniors gather to celebrate Grandparents' Day

Posted: 21 November 2010, 1915 hrs

By Dylan Loh

800 seniors gather to celebrate Grandparents' Day

[ Photo: CNA news online ]

[ Photo: CNA news online ]

[ Photo: CNA news online ]

SINGAPORE :

Some 800 senior citizens gathered on Sunday to celebrate Grandparents' Day.It is the culmination of a two-month long active ageing campaign held in the South East District.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong graced the occasion with grassroots leaders and met the area's residents.

The celebrations also had other performances from various community groups.

CNA /ls

[ Media Corp Primetime News - from my TV screen ]

[ Media Corp Prime Time news - from my TV screen ]

Last Sunday, Nov 21 2010, there was a big event organised by the South East District in conjunction with the on-going Active Ageing campaign ( Active Ageing Roadshow ). It was held at the upmarket Qian Xi Restaurant at Tanjong Katong Complex. This is a big restaurant that can hold more than a thousand people.

More than 800 seniors from the Marine Parade GRC were gathered there to celebrate Grandparents' Day. All the MPs and advisors involved were present.

The Guest of Honour was Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

A sumptious 10 course Lunch was served.

An elaborate entertainment Programme had been prepared well in advance by the organisers which lasted over 2 hours. There were many dance items, karaoke 'type' solo and duet singing,

skits, a drumming act, most songs were either in Mandarin or dialect, interviews with 2 winners of " Mr and Mrs Active Agers of the GRC ", and a lucky draw.

One major highlight was Unk Dicko's 'live' UKULELE Performance. It was slated for just before the Final Lucky draw....to hold the crowd's interest.

'Live' Ukulele public performance is rare in Singapore.

I had received this special invitation to give a Ukulele performance more than a month ago.

The request was to showcase my unique Ukulele music and style, preferably with a young kid whom I've taught the ukulele to.

For this, I handpicked 13 year old Darren Goh now in Sec 1, one of the hundreds of kids I have coached about 3 years ago. Fortunately, he is still playing the ukulele when I contacted him through his father.

To polish his technique and skill, I gave him 5 solid one on one in-depth session on strumming, plucking and other more advanced methods.

We also worked through the songs I selected...7 in all, for tone, tempo and emphasis.

Our hardwork and effort was rewarded.

As soon as I began to warm up the crowd and SM Goh and company, by light strumming and introduction of ourselves and songs , while Darren got our music scores ready, many whipped out their cameras, camcorders and that included the official TV media...and approached the front of the stage to have better shots...sensing that they were about to see and hear something that was far different to what had gone before them.

Part 2 to follow soon.....