Photo: A-Mei performing at a gay parade in Taipei in 2007; AFP / Patrick Lin
Taiwanese mega popstar A-mei was stopped from performing one of her songs, which has LGBT related lyrics, in Singapore earlier this month.
The award winning diva was apparently told she could not perform the song, ‘Rainbow,’ moments before her she took to the stage at the Spring Wave Music and Art Festival at Gardens by the Bay on 7 June, according to local and Chinese reports.
The singer, who was hailed as the most popular singer in Asia by Billboard magazine in the late 1990s, was said to be confused by the censorship because she had performed it previously in Singapore.
Last year, while performing the song at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, she also waved a rainbow coloured flag, which is a symbol of LGBT rights.
A-mei has long been a vocal advocate of LGBT rights. Besides being one of the first celebrities to sign a petition supporting a same-sex marriage bill in Taiwan and holding a free concert in support of the bill, the pop diva is also an ambassador for Taipei’s pride parade.
A member of the LGBT community Singaporean Eunice Lim said she was both shocked and disappointed by the censorship.
“If you listen to the song, it's actually soothing, gentle, and loving. Whoever prohibited her from singing the song is sending a strong statement that the event has no tolerance for freedom to love here,” Lim said. “What kind of music and art festival is it without freedom of love and expression?”
But there were mixed reactions online from Singaporeans over the incident.
An online commentator, Jacent Ong wrote: “It's good that whatever authority in spore prevent it. We must be very careful in what we hear, it may be just a love song but the lyrics and tune can seriously caused a young child/a lost soul to think otherwise.”
“Just a mild hint at homosexuality and they went balistic. Man, just a song not an act. How can we ever progress into a first world era?” asked Samuel Chin.
While Singapore is well known for being strict, it also has a reputation of being a hip and dynamic modern city-state. Singapore also has a vibrant gay nightlife scene with some gay and lesbian pubs located downtown.
But homosexual sex is illegal in Singapore. The long standing legislation has hardly ever been enforced but in recent times there have been stronger calls from an increasing group of rights activists as well as other Singaporeans for the law to be repealed.
However, there is strong pressure from some sections of society, including Christian organisations lobbying the government not to relent and relax laws on homosexuality.
An annual event called The Pink Dot which is a rally for LGBT rights is fast gaining traction in Singapore. In 2010, some 4,000 people attended the rally but last year, over 10,000 people attended the event with major companies like Google lending their support via sponsorship.
This year’s event will be held on June 28. Popular singer Stephanie Sun, Singapore’s biggest pop music export, is among those supporting the cause and the event.
Photo: A-Mei performing at a gay parade in Taipei in 2007; AFP / Patrick Lin
Taiwanese mega popstar A-mei was stopped from performing one of her songs, which has LGBT related lyrics, in Singapore earlier this month.
The award winning diva was apparently told she could not perform the song, ‘Rainbow,’ moments before her she took to the stage at the Spring Wave Music and Art Festival at Gardens by the Bay on 7 June, according to local and Chinese reports.
The singer, who was hailed as the most popular singer in Asia by Billboard magazine in the late 1990s, was said to be confused by the censorship because she had performed it previously in Singapore.
Last year, while performing the song at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, she also waved a rainbow coloured flag, which is a symbol of LGBT rights.
A-mei has long been a vocal advocate of LGBT rights. Besides being one of the first celebrities to sign a petition supporting a same-sex marriage bill in Taiwan and holding a free concert in support of the bill, the pop diva is also an ambassador for Taipei’s pride parade.
A member of the LGBT community Singaporean Eunice Lim said she was both shocked and disappointed by the censorship.
“If you listen to the song, it's actually soothing, gentle, and loving. Whoever prohibited her from singing the song is sending a strong statement that the event has no tolerance for freedom to love here,” Lim said. “What kind of music and art festival is it without freedom of love and expression?”
But there were mixed reactions online from Singaporeans over the incident.
An online commentator, Jacent Ong wrote: “It's good that whatever authority in spore prevent it. We must be very careful in what we hear, it may be just a love song but the lyrics and tune can seriously caused a young child/a lost soul to think otherwise.”
“Just a mild hint at homosexuality and they went balistic. Man, just a song not an act. How can we ever progress into a first world era?” asked Samuel Chin.
While Singapore is well known for being strict, it also has a reputation of being a hip and dynamic modern city-state. Singapore also has a vibrant gay nightlife scene with some gay and lesbian pubs located downtown.
But homosexual sex is illegal in Singapore. The long standing legislation has hardly ever been enforced but in recent times there have been stronger calls from an increasing group of rights activists as well as other Singaporeans for the law to be repealed.
However, there is strong pressure from some sections of society, including Christian organisations lobbying the government not to relent and relax laws on homosexuality.
An annual event called The Pink Dot which is a rally for LGBT rights is fast gaining traction in Singapore. In 2010, some 4,000 people attended the rally but last year, over 10,000 people attended the event with major companies like Google lending their support via sponsorship.
This year’s event will be held on June 28. Popular singer Stephanie Sun, Singapore’s biggest pop music export, is among those supporting the cause and the event.