The Stärker Group will be staging its inaugural Stärker Music Carnival on 1 October 2016 at Zhongshan Park. This initiative is supported by Cross Ratio Entertainment as its official music partner and DFW Creatives as its official social media partner. It will be headlined by the “Queen of Drama Theme Songs” Della Ding Dang, alongside local renowned singer-songwriters Tay Kewei, Charlie Lim and young upcoming acts like LEW and Disco Hue. The line up will also be supported by competing musicians from VOLT, an initiative by the Stärker Music arm of the Group in collaboration with Cross Ratio Entertainment and DFW Creatives, launched earlier this year to support and amplify previously unknown but talented singer-songwriters.
Expect a diverse mix of sounds and genres from pop to soul, jazz and mandopop. Stärker Music Carnival is a gathering of voices from all corners of the music world who will take to a common stage to entertain local fans.
Familiar Favourites
Returning to Singapore to perform, Della Ding Dang is no stranger to local audiences. The Chinese-born, Taiwan-based crooner debuted in 2007 and gained fame after she sang “I Love You” for Taiwanese drama Autumn Concerto. To date, she has recorded more than 20 theme songs for various television series. Moving and emotional, the lyrics and melodies of her ballads resonate with her fans, touching on the bittersweet themes of love and heartbreak. Her concerts are often described as mass karaoke sessions, where her fans join her in belting out their favourite songs.
The four local acts that will precede Della Ding Dang are LEW, Disco Hue, Charlie Lim and Tay Kewei. These Singaporean singer-songwriters need no introduction.
LEW writes about the raw and metaphorical ways that he feels about his experiences and, with the help of a guitar and his voice, transforms these ideas into beautiful, heartfelt songs. Disco Hue is a four-piece band that composes tunes off electronic hooks, infectious melodies and groovy bass lines.
Charlie Lim offers music that has a certain sense of cinematic gravitas that embarks on a sonic journey set against the rich narratives of life’s tales. Finally, Tay Kewei is an er-hu-playing “angel of harmony” whose albums have crossed national boundaries.
The Next Big Thing
Well- known songsters aside, prepare to be impressed by the four finalists from the weekly-held VOLT programme: Jean Tan, Marcus Makes Music, BJ & The Astronauts and Marian Carmel.
These local emerging talents performed at Stärker Music in Zhongshan Park between July and August, and were selected based on votes by music industry experts, and the number of Facebook Live views of their respective gigs on the VOLT stage.
They will battle it out at the Stärker Music Carnival for an attractive top prize valued at $6,000.
It encompasses a recording session, the production of a music video, a regular performance slot at Stärker Music, and $500 worth of vouchers from the Stärker Group. Three judges from the music industry – Edmund Chen, Audrey Lim and Kevin Mathews – will be present that day to pick the winner.
Jean Tan’s music has folk, indie and jazz influences, taking reference from artists like Eva Cassidy, Lianne La Havas and Joni Mitchell; Marcus Makes Music is a versatile performer who favours crooning sentimental ballads, 90’s classics and jazz standards; BJ & the Astronauts aspires to push for the creation and dissemination of Singapore original soul music; Marian Carmel is heavily influenced by acoustic- electronic tunes that resonate with that of Emily King, Kimbra, and Erykah Badu.
“Since VOLT started in April, we have identified many talented local musicians who were previously unknown, which is in line with the initiative’s aspiration of supporting this group of individuals. We always knew that eventually, we will organise the Stärker Music Carnival to provide this group of artists with an even bigger stage to perform on, alongside more established acts,” said Chen, who is also the spokesperson of Stärker Music.
