VG: I met soprano Janani Sridhar in March this year, when she presented SingBites, the song cycle she cocreated with Dr. Nicholas Ho at the Art Song Platform event, Art Song: A Global Force. I was immediately drawn by her energy and enthusiasm for creating a song cycle that celebrates her home country, and so I resolved to share the story of how the cycle came to be and to describe her fantastic performance. Here are some snippets from our conversation in June. I began with a simple question:
How did SingBites come to life?
JS: I met Dr. Yeon-Kyung Kim at the Collaborative Piano Institute in 2021, and we became good friends. Both of us are Asian musicians, and one day when we were talking about music that truly resonated with us, we came to the realization that when we performed pieces in our native languages, the music that flowed through us felt visceral and from our soul. It was from this realization that we decided to program our recital tour, “Songs of our Lands,” that shared our identities, and highlighted music from our homes: Korea, Singapore, and America, with a focus on composers of color.
Yeon-Kyung, who founded Glow Music, a non-profit organization focusing on community and the arts, came up with the idea to commission a new work to program on our recital. She reached out to Dr. Nicholas Ho, who is a fellow Singaporean like me, to compose the music, and I provided the lyrics to the cycle. When I think of home, and what brings life to the world around me in Singapore, it is the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of Singapore. It was these vibrant images and the sensory experience that I wanted to evoke. Nicholas did a beautiful job bringing my words to life.
VG: After listening to your presentation in March, I could not stop thinking about what I would choose to present as unique and memorable images of my home country, and about how to do justice to these visions that are most dear to me. How difficult was it for you to select images that reminded you most of your home and turn them into lyrics?
JS: Writing the poetry for SingBites was truly a joy-filled experience for me. As a born and bred Singaporean, I longed for the things that reminded me of home when I lived abroad: the spicy and fragrant foods, the sounds that make Singapore so uniquely Singapore, the places that call out to my soul, and of course the people, whose heartbeat and mine are synced to the same rhythm. When I sat down to put pen to paper, I knew that I wanted the poetry of the cycle to be a love song to Singapore. Like with any deep relationship, the feelings felt are complex and multi-layered, which you will find depicted in the text and music.
VG: The poetry you wrote is really evocative, the images and sounds literally pop in front of us from the paper, not to mention the enticing tastes of your national dish! Could you tell us more about the individual songs?
JS: The first song, Chicken Rice is an ode to our national dish. Every Singaporean claims to know which stall sells the best version of this delicacy. The fragrant rice, perfectly roasted chicken, and delightfully spicy sauce have a very special place in Singaporeans’ hearts.
Second in the cycle is the The Uwu Bird. This song speaks of my perspective of the call of the Asian Koel, a species of bird common in Singapore. Most people find its call annoying, but I love it, and find its cooing sweet and charming! Nicholas added a line to the song to voice the majority opinion of this bird’s call which I assigned to the pianist to say, to showcase the mixed feelings towards this cheeky bird.
VG: You emphasized that this was a collaborative project, can you tell us more about your creative partnership with Nicholas during the cycle creation?
JS: During the initial concept of SingBites, the plan was to have a three-movement cycle. During the creative process, Nicholas wanted to add an additional movement to the song cycle to add contrast in temperament to the flow of the whole work. He wrote a poem to depict the mood of what he wanted to portray and sent the score and recording of it. When I listened to the music, my immediate thought was that it reminded me of running to catch the bus as a schoolgirl during my teenage years. Singaporeans are well-acquainted with the feeling of being just a hair too late to get to the bus stop for their bus. Hence, the poetry for The Bus Stop was born.
VG: At the Art Song Platform event in March, you spoke in great detail and with so much affection about the cycle’s last song. Could you tell us more about the song and its imagery?
JS: The true heart of the song cycle lies in the finale, Singapore River. There is something truly nostalgic about the Singapore River to a Singaporean living overseas. It represents a story of change – a lifeline to generations of Singaporeans, the river contributed to the success of the modern city-state. The piece depicts the iconic Singapore River as well as beloved landmarks of Singapore, including the theaters where I performed when I was home.
During breaks when rehearsing for shows at the theaters I performed at, I used to walk by the river, basking in the salty smell, and finding comfort and joy in the sounds of the lapping waves. I found true respite in this. The text of this cycle is a reflection of my love for my home, and collaborating with Nicholas, a fellow Singaporean who has similar shared lived experiences, has been truly wonderful.
VG: Was SingBites your first foray into art song creation? Do you have any further plans?
JS: As an avid performer and champion of contemporary music, it has been a passion project of mine since 2019 to write original poetry and put together a collection of Singaporean art songs to be performed on a classical stage. BeforeSingBites, I had collaborated on a stand-alone art song, More, with composer Patrick Vu, and was hoping to find a Singaporean partner that I could work on creating distinctively Singaporean music with.
When I met Nicholas in 2022 through Yeon-Kyung, it was a truly joyful time to be able to collaborate with him, a fellow Singaporean, on pieces that are uniquely home-grown; he understood the poetry and text-painted the lyrics beautifully. It was a truly collaborative effort with all parties involved. Yes, we have more projects and collaborations planned – we will keep you updated!
VG: Thank you so much for your time, and for your beautiful cycle. Here is a performance, with the poems following below the video.
SingBites, by Janani Sridhar
Chicken Rice
“Aunty, roasted chicken rice, ta pao, please. / Extra chilli-xie xie ni!”
Dip, scoop, plop, there goes the scented rice. / Chop, slice, slip, goes the roasted bird.
Fold, wrap, snap, goes the rubber band!
Onward home, / Eagerly opening the humble paper package.
Steaming my face, / Before the gentle slosh of the fiery sauce.
Onto the rice, one sip of soup, / One fresh, crunchy cucumber,
One big, warm bite, of home, / Of home sweet home!
Uwu Bird
Dear little Uwu bird, / I hear you calling me:
“Oo-wu-oo, Oo-wu-oo,”
Morning, always morning, / Day, and also night.
Dressed in black, / With ruby red eyes.
They say you call, / You call for love.
Dear little Uwu bird, / Calling night and day.
Many find you tiresome / But your sweet little calls,
They make my day.
Fly on, fly, / Get closer, closer to me… or not!
“Oo-wu-oo, Oo-wu-oo!”
Hang tight, little birdie / I’ve got some love for you.
The Bus Stop
I’m running late for the bus again! / There I see it going, turning!
Running, running, always running / Please wait for me!
Stopped? He’s stopped! He stopped for me!
Wait! He’s going! / He’s taking off again!
I’m running, running, running, / Always running for the bus!
Singapore River
Walking by the river / Hearing sounds of softly lapping waves.
Taking in the salty smells, / And warm familiar air of home.
Victoria Concert Hall, / A few steps more…
Victoria Theatre, and / The Esplanade.
My darling Durian, / East meets West here.
With both the sounds of the world, / And food from our lands.
Joining hands, / Mixing sauces,
Blending sounds. / A melting pot,
My home, and home to all who come.
****
More (with composer Patrick Vu)
Why, hello there, / Blue-eyed stranger with your freckled nose.
Soft hair falling gently by your brows,
Tiny lines crept by your eyes.
Years in, / You still take my breath away.
More, every day.
Continuously startled by your kindness,
I sink deep, deeper, / into the warmth of your honeyed love.
Tracing your dotted skin / that tells tales of your life,
More, / I want to build more with you.
Blue-eyed wanderer, / No place feels more like home
Than in your arms.
My heart, my love, / My soul’s keeper.
Let’s have more, / More of us till the end of time.
