This curated page is part of Sounds of Yesteryear Vol. 2, an initiative by the National Archives of Singapore (NAS) showcasing one newly digitized music record from NAS's audiovisual collection each week.
Return to the main landing page or view footnotes and references.
By the beginning of the 1950s, Singapore’s nightlife was back in full swing. Promotional advertisements from the era point to the Worlds amusement parks (New World, Great World, and Happy World) and their restaurants, stadiums, and joget platforms as vibrant hotbeds of mass entertainment.
Notably, the parks were the epicentre of the “singing café” craze; singing cafes, sometimes known as evening cafes or simply as cabarets, were a type of establishment specialising in cabaret-style performances. Cabaret—referring to entertainment featuring music, dance, and drama—had been introduced to Singapore as early as 1915 by touring performers Aileen and Doris Woods; but while these early performances mostly took place in upscale hotels, singing cafes were catered to the masses. The emergence of these establishments is frequently attributed to wartime necessity; cheap live performances were a desirable alternative to traditional media, which had come under tight control of occupying forces. Given the circumstances, these performances could not afford to be flashy—therefore, singers were mainly amateurs from Malaya.
The phenomenon reached the height of its popularity between 1949 and 1954—it was seen as a viable business, as loyal fans would return to an establishment over and over again to watch their favourite singer. These singers could command monthly salaries ranging from $1,200 to $1,500, and signed lucrative contracts with cafes and recording companies. Although the craze was short-lived—petering out by 1954—many performers transitioned seamlessly into the pop yeh-yeh era, weaving surf rock and psychedelic styles into their music.
This theme showcases shellac discs released in the early 1950s, featuring recordings by both celebrated and lesser-known café singers. Produced at the peak of the singing café hype, these recordings are documentary evidence of the early careers of many musical luminaries, and provide a glimpse into the glittering lights of Singapore’s entertainment landscape in the post-War years.
Previous releases
五块钱 / 身世飘零 Wu Kuai Qian / Shen Shi Piao Ling
Performer(s): Chen Mei Guang
His Master's Voice NAC-4
1952
The first post-war singing cafe was Ciro’s café (仙乐歌台) in Great World Park.[1] Ciro’s was helmed by Yang Pei Yun (杨佩云), a Singaporean from humble beginnings who entered the scene as a café waitress during the War. Yang rose to fame as Ciro’s star singer, eventually saving enough money to buy out the café.
While the local papers may have been preoccupied with talk of her love life and extravagant wardrobes, Yang’s contemporaries remember her as a dedicated, scrappy boss—playwright Guan Xin Yi recalled how she would personally ferry Ciro’s employees between work and home in a lorry every day, without fail.[2] Guan, along with many performers of the era, found their footing at Ciro’s—the café was known for its “Four Diamonds”, comprising Yang, Chen Mei Guang (陈美光), Bai Feng (白凤), and Lin Lan (林兰).
This record contains two recordings by Chen Mei Guang, under HMV’s NAC series. In their review of the series’ first six releases, columnist Fu Hsi writes, “Five Dollars” is a much requested song in the repertoire of Malayan Chinese singers. In this latest recording, [Chen] gives it the dramatic soprano interpretation and very effectively too.”
牧歌晚唱 / 郊游乐 Mu Ge Wan Chang / Jiao You Le
Performer(s): Wu Mei Ling
Horse Brand HRP-266
1955
Although singing cafes drew nightly crowds to the amusement parks, they were notorious for having remarkably short lifespans—it was not unheard of for such establishments to close after just a few months. This phenomenon can, in part, be attributed to the fiercely competitive environment caused by performers bouncing from café to café—after all, a café’s star singer was its main draw.[3]
Ciro’s was no exception—the café shuttered in March 1950, four years after opening. By then, the singing café craze had only just begun—the vacuum left by Ciro’s was quickly filled by the nearby Ye Hua Yuan café (夜花园歌台).
Ye Hua Yuan was run by Xiong Li Li (熊莉莉; also known by her nickname, “Wildcat”), a talented performer and entrepreneur with years of experience in performing dance troupes. Her right-hand man was singer Wu Mei Ling (巫美玲); the two met as colleagues at Ciro’s, and when news of the café’s imminent closure spread, Xiong persuaded Wu to assist with the new café.
Together, Xiong and Wu ran a highly successful operation, frequently selling out shows. Notably, Ye Hua Yuan is credited with introducing the practice of contracting Chinese singers from Hong Kong. Prior to this, no Hong Kong star had stepped foot into a café; sensing an opportunity, Xiong dispatched Wu to Hong Kong to scout for a suitable candidate.[4] The first singer to be signed was Qu Yun Yun in 1951; Xiong described her stint as a massive success: “When Qu Yun Yun performed, we charged three dollars for a cup of tea—even though this was double the usual price, we were bursting with customers every night.”[5]
This disc features two recordings by Wu Mei Ling, and was released by the Singaporean Horse Brand record label under its HRP series.
早安曲 Zao An Qu / 去吧心爱的人儿 Qu Ba Xin Ai De Ren Er
Performer(s): Zhuang Xue Fang
Parlophone DPE-5753
1953
By the tender age of 15, Zhuang Xue Fang (庄雪芳) had already begun touring Malaya with a performing troupe (ge wu tuan; 歌舞团). Growing up in Singapore, Zhuang frequently visited the pre-war An Le Ting café (安乐亭歌台) to watch performances, developing a love for the stage.[6]
In 1951, businessman Lin Tang Zi (林唐子) approached Zhuang with a proposition—he would fund a café out of his own pocket, if she joined as a performer; Zhuang eventually took him up on his offer. Lin approached cartoonist Ma Jun (马骏) to devise a name for the café, and the latter suggested “Shangri-la” , inspired by the 1946 song by Ouyang Fei Ying (欧阳飞莺).[7] He also scoped out the perfect location for this new café—the Sun Theatre in New World Park, which had since fallen into disrepair. By then, the park had already developed a close relationship with the getai scene, having been the site of Singapore’s first ever singing café, Da Ye Hui (大夜会歌台).
The Shangri-la café (香格里拉) was a resounding success, and Zhuang became an overnight star, earning her a 15-minute spot on Radio Malaya’s Sunday programme, and—most importantly—invitations to star in Amoy-dialect films. Zhuang’s eventual contributions to this niche in the film industry led the media to christen her “The Queen of Amoy Cinema”.
This disc features two pop recordings by Zhuang Xue Fang released under Parlophone’s DPE-5700 series, with Side A containing a Mandarin cover of the Malay song, Waktu Fajar.
Listen to Zhuang Xue Fang’s oral history interview to learn more about her life.
欢喜冤家 / 苏三不要哭 Huan Xi Yuan Jia / Su San Bu Yao Ku
Performer(s): Lu Ding; Xu Lian Mei
Flower Brand FB-4005
1952
The Shangri-la Café offered a variety of entertainment, beyond the standard musical performances.
The mastermind behind its wide selection was Lu Ding, an industry veteran who was not only a talented writer and director, but adept in many other modes of performance, such as crosstalk. Together with Feng Xiang and Bai Yan, he was part of the crop of Southern Chinese performing troupes who toured Southeast Asia in the immediate post-War years, introducing crosstalk to the region.[8]
Lu was part of Lin Tang Zi’s deal—the businessman had specifically requested for the multi-hyphenate to be a part of its roster.[9] Over the course of the café’s lifespan, Lu’s prolific contributions to plays, crosstalk shows, and musical performances earned him top billing in the café’s advertising. His run of Cao Yu’s Thunderstorm in January 1952—starring Zhuang Xue Fang, Wang Sha—became a hot topic in the press, as its performance reportedly sparked a fight.
While Lu’s musical appeal obviously differed from his female contemporaries, he nonetheless managed to carve out a niche for himself through parodies of Chinese pop standards.[10] This 1952 Flower Brand release contains two pop recordings, including a duet by performed by Lu Ding and Xu Lian Mei on Side A.
步步向上 / 打柴女郎 Step By Step Upwards / The Girl In The Woods
Performer(s): Zhang Xiao Feng
His Master's Voice NAC-3
1952
When the Fong Fong Revue first opened in New World Park in 1950, the odds appeared to be stacked against it. The café was owned by Mdm Da Fong, a former singer and dancer from Shanghai credited with introducing the hula dance to Singapore. After the war, she left performing behind, instead focusing her attention on running a successful singing café .[11]
Mdm Da Fong recalled how in the early days of the café, they had only a single stage with no equipment or seating; the café eventually rented chairs from the park. It stood in contrast to the formidable Shangri-la café, which was not only situated in an actual former theatre, but also had an indoor stage—stages in most other cafes were outdoors, leaving these businesses at the mercy of the weather . [12]
However, the café eventually became a worthy opponent to Shangri-la; its specialty was sourcing unknown singers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese diasporas, and propelling them to fame. One such singer was Zhang Xiao Feng, a teenage waitress from Malacca; Mdm Da Fong marketed her as “Southeast Asian Li Li Hua” (a popular Chinese actress) to great success—by 1952, she had become “one of the highest, if not the highest, paid singer in the Colony”, reported the Sunday Standard.
This disc from the His Master’s Voice NAC series contains two modern pop songs recorded by Zhang Xiao Feng—read a contemporaneous review of this record from the Singapore Free Press.
桃花依旧笑春风 / 还 Laughing Flower / Marie
Performer(s): Lim Lee
Parlophone DPE-5748
1953
The musical renaissance in the 1950s sparked a lively nightlife, and saw a flourishing of singing cafes. Cafes offered platforms for aspiring singers, but they were often criticised for not being as good as formally trained singers. Some attributed their success to the fact that “a café audience lacks the perception to distinguish between an “average” and a “very good” rendering”.
These perceptions drove some singers, such as Lim Lee (林丽), to set their sights beyond the walls of the amusement parks. Lim had become an orphan after losing her parents in the Second World War. As a teenager, she found employment as a ticket seller in Gay World Park, located in Kallang. By the beginning of the 1950s, she had already earned the reputation of the most “[technically] gifted of the café singers”, as she modelled her technique after operatic singers like Galli-Curci.
In 1952, Lim left for the UK to undergo training at the Royal Academy of Music, supported by the British Council. This announcement garnered significant attention from the public; her farewell performance in the Victoria Theatre completely sold out, and a lavish going-away party was thrown by Thomas Hemsley—then a notable figure in the local recording industry—at Gay World’s Tai Thong Restaurant.
Upon returning, her time in the UK was used as a selling point— “CHINESE RECORDS OF INTERNATIONAL APPEAL”, read one Hemsley advertisement for her Parlophone discs, “LIM LEE, the Singapore girl who has appeared on British Television and in the B.B.C.”
The advertisement promoted this very release, DPE-5748, which contains the tracks “Laughing Flower” and “Marie”, recorded by Lim Lee.