Peranakan Party-cipation

Peranakans @ Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

2010-08-16T23:34:00.006+08:00

It was with great pride and honour that The Main Wayang Company was part of the YOG Opening Ceremony. It was an opportunity to showcase the Peranakan culture to the world with the performance by our Youth group. We hope that this will interest and excite more people about our culture and perhaps spur more people to carry the Peranakan torch and keep the flame burning!

Peranakans on Parade @ Chingay 2010

2010-02-26T00:18:00.003+08:00

Here's wishing all our kawans & kakis 'S'lamat Taon Bahru, Panjang-panjang umor!' the Main Wayang Company kicked off the Tiger year by being part of Chingay 2010. We certainly hope you caught the performance on TV! We all had a great time performing and were so happy our kawans from Melaka came down to support us. we need to continue to promote the culture on a national level to continue the interest in the culture and get more support! Just a heads up that we will be involved in the opening ceremony for Youth Olympic Games. So any youths out there who may be interested to be part of this, please email us soon. Well we are off to Penang this weekend to support our Penang kawans in their Chap Goh Meh! So let's hear from you and let's make this year a spectacular year for the Peranakan culture! Huat ah!

Our Dream of A Peranakan Home

2009-08-31T23:01:00.002+08:00

The Main Wayang Company has been in existence since 2004, promoting the Peranakan Culture through events, theatre, food, performances,fashion and music. In these past few years, one can see the obvious developments and awareness of the Peranakan Culture in Singapore. It has become the 'IN' culture in Singapore. Of course, TMWC cannot take total credit for this 'renaissance' of our Baba Nyonya Culture here but it would not be wrong to say that it has contributed to this cultural development and perhaps was even a catalyst to push the culture to the prominence and awareness that it receives today.

So we ask ourselves these questions, "What do we do next?", "How do we develop the culture?" & "How do we sustain the interest in the culture?" One possible answer is...."Find a place where all Babas & Nyonyas can call home."

If TMWC had a place, a home...a residential unit or a shop house, that caters to the different social and cultural needs of Babas & Nyonyas today, it will surely be the watering hole for all to enjoy and continue this Peranakan celebration for many decades to come.

Ideas are aplenty! Within this home we could create a library of all Peranakan media including books, magazines, videos and music. Serve coffee, tea and Nyonya kuehs at our kopi corner to spend time with family and friends.

Organise song performances / karaoke sessions in the evenings and weekends for our kakis and kawans to unwind. Feature joget parties every Friday night for Babas & Nyonyas to hang loose and perhaps relive the good ol' dondang sayang sessions. Learn Nyonya cooking, Baba patois language, bead work and even to play cherki at organised classes. Organise youth and children activities, allowing them to discover and learn about their unique heritage. Perhaps create it to be a place where Singaporeans and tourists alike can visit to learn about this uniquely Singaporean culture. An event space where people can celebrate their birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and celebrations in Peranakan style. A place where all Peranakans would feel at home and always welcomed...the centre of all things Peranakan in Singapore.

However, one has to be realistic, rentals, much less the operations and renovations, of such a venue, will probably cost a tangan and a kaki; an amount far too much for an enthusiastic cultural company to afford. But this does not mean it will always remain a dream, especially with the knowledge that there are many Babas & Nyonyas who share this dream...this vision.

Perhaps you, or somebody whom you may know, who may be in the position to help make this Peranakan celebration happen. Someone who has the drive, the means, the experience, the connections or passion to create and develop this project. It will take a big effort from a group of passionate Babas & Nyonyas to make this happen however, we believe it can happen.

Could you possibly be this person, who can help make this Peranakan dream a reality?

Hip to be Peranakan?

2009-01-07T18:22:00.004+08:00

It seems to be hip to be Peranakan in Singapore these days especially after the airing of 'The Little Nyonya' which is supposedly the most watched drama series ever! You can see Peranakan elements sprouting everywhere; I even saw a bakery using models dressed up in kebayas for their ads. What does this say about our culture? Is this a good thing? Even at the expense of the culture being misrepresented or interpreted? All of a sudden every body claims to be Baba or Nyonya. How can we engage this renaissance of sorts and make it a permanent feature in Singapore and not just a passing fad? It's time to strike when the Nyonya is HOT!

Modern Baba Nyonya Matchmaking?

2008-11-24T00:02:00.002+08:00

In the course of the show production, Siapa Baba?, I was thinking of the concept of setting up a Baba Nyonya matchmaking service for Babas & Nyonyas to meet and perhaps, who knows, tie the knot. Very much like the sangkek um (matchmaker) of long ago, it will be a place where single Babas & Nyonyas can hook up. What do you think?

Siapa Baba?

2008-11-24T00:00:00.002+08:00

Hello all,
We just finished 3 shows of the Peranakan multimedia musical revue 'Siapa Baba?' at The Republic Cultural Centre. It was a big effort on our part to pur the show together and we must say it was worth the while. There were many happy people after the show and we received lots of praises. What do you think? Share your experience!

The Baba Language

2008-01-31T20:03:00.000+08:00

Many of us Babas & Nyonyas have not been using our Baba language as spoken by our grandparents and some, our parents. We do understand it, but not many speak it these days. Some, kusmangat!, don't even know a single word! Do you think it is important for Babas & Nyonyas to continue speaking the language? Should our younger generation Babas & Nyonyas pick it up? Do share your views and experiences?

Who is a Peranakan?

2007-08-14T13:02:00.000+08:00

As the years go by, there are lesser people who can claim to be 'true-blue' Peranakans. These days we hear a lot more 'half-Peranakan' or 'quarter-Peranakan'. What do u think makes a person a Peranakan? We would love to hear your view.

Hello from Main Wayang

2007-07-17T20:18:00.000+08:00

The Main Wayang Company (TMWC) decided to set up this blog for all Babas and Nyonyas and well-wishers of all ages to come together to discuss anything Peranakan under the sun. It's time for us all to get together and have a Party from your Party-cipation. So jangan malu-malu (don't shy) speak up and be heard.