By Jocelle Koh

The Esplanade in Singapore has been a huge driving force for diversifying the Mandopop tastes of Singaporean/Southeast Asian audiences through their annual Huayi festival, bringing Mandarin artists both established and newer to the fore and giving them a chance for their talents to shine.

This year, their in::music showcase collective brings a diverse collection of Mandarin pop artists from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and even Australia! 

In hour-long showcases, Asian-Australian R&B darling Julia Wu吳卓源 and indie pop songstress Yoyo Sham岑寧兒(of 追光者Lightrunners fame) are set to perform on the 23rd of February. Both bilingual artists; with Wu and Sham brought up in Australia and Canada respectively, one can expect particularly special interactions given their ability to speak both in Mandarin Chinese and in English.

On the 24th, Singapore’s very own homegrown folk-pop duo The Freshman插班生 will be holding their first concert in two years as they return from touring with Heavenly King Jacky Cheung 張學友 as backup vocalists. Taiwanese indie veterans Wonfu 旺福 will also be performing on the 24th, bringing their quirky indie-folk offerings and promising a night of humour and freewheeling imagination for fans both old and new. 

So spoilt for choice this February! Which act are you most interested in checking out?

Get tickets for the Huayi Festival from Esplanade’s Box Office or SISTIC outlets. Alternatively, one can also purchase tickets through their website www.esplanade.com/huayi . See you there!