intro

what is getai?
what is so interesting about getai performances being livestreamed during the age of covid-19?

Jocelyn Tan (b. 1994)

introduction_getaikitsch, 2022
Video montage feat. original + found footage

example 4. thanks to varying camera angles, online audiences could see religious altars set up next to the performance stage, and emcees would remind viewers that they were able to pay online and having religious offerings made on their behalf. banter between emcees occasionally joked about how deities and religious figures were coping with new developments in society. CHOY CHOY CHOY they really not scared kena strike by lightning...

bonus. and of course - who can forget THE iconic movie based on getai? wah i tell you, this is a classic. i think it's somewhere on vimeo. don't say is i say one.

want to explore further? say no more:

example 2. getai is sometimes conducted alongside other fringe activities, such as dinners, fundraising auctions (proceeds are usually for temples and all that sort). but people always kaypoh one, standing around to watch, regardless of whether they are actually part of these events. actually, come to think of it: quite a warm feeling of community there la.

example 1. getai = "song stage", a free-for-all stage performance featuring singing, dancing, comedic (sometimes x-rated) banter. so pre-COVID, this was how it looked like. something to remember is that getai started off as a secular performance, but due its soaring popularity, it replaced Chinese wayang as the mainstay performance of the Hungry Ghost Festival. nowadays its name is synonymous with the Festival itself. the ghost come out once a year also quite sian la to be honest so got all this exciting stuff to see also not bad for them la hor?

example 5. even ministers of parliament hopped onto the bandwagon, using the platform to promote COVID-related health advisories to the older generation. here, they're literally changing the lyrics of classic Chinese songs into phrases like, "don't forget to get vaccinated" + "your health is not a joke". xiao cringe la but what is getai if not cringe right.

example 6. today, getai is healing and outdoor performances are back!! but organisers have realised the power of the livestream and now, one can equally enjoy getai in-person and online. one big difference: check out the first row of empty chairs at 9:13! those are meant for the spirits of the underworld, who roam the earth during the Hungry Ghost Festival. 2 years sia, even ghosts wait until neck long already.

example 3. when COVID-19 restrictions in Singapore meant that outdoor performances were not allowed across the country, organisers took to producing performances in-studio and livestreaming them. lo and behold: e-getai! honestly very smart la hor, liddat also can.