SINGAPORE — He’s been labelled the “father of xinyao” but, interestingly enough, legendary musician Zhang Fan will only be making his first appearance in a xinyao concert in March next year.

The show, called Our Xin Yao Concert, will boast more than 100 Singaporean performers from ages 10 to 60, including familiar names like Roy Loi (Li Fei Hui), Cai Li Lian, Huang Jing Fu, Pan Ying, Chriz Tong and Cavin Soh. The show, which will be produced by veteran singer-songwriter Jiu Jian, is said to be one of the largest xinyao concerts ever held, and will focus on the legacy of the genre.

Zhang quipped that he’s never performed at a concert simply because he’s never been invited to one before. He said he agreed to sing at Our Xin Yao Concert because he wished to introduce Singaporeans to early iterations of xinyao music — songs that were written more than 35 years ago during his days in university.

“I think xinyao has a bright future,” the 60-year-old told TODAY. “It’s not a bad thing to classify xinyao as part of our national heritage, but it does give the impression that xinyao belongs to the past. And I don’t think it should be so.”

He continued: “Xinyao is S-Pop (Singaporean Pop), and S-Pop will not die. Many young people in Singapore are now writing their own material, and we should promote their music.”

Mandopop singer Chriz Tong added that she was “humbled” to be representing the current generation of the xinyao family.

“Xin Yao is something I grew up with, and I never thought that one day I would be a part of it,” Tong said. “I think as Singaporeans, because we are really small, our music industry is not as vibrant as (it is in) other countries. Still, I can see that there is a group of people who have been pushing it, and who have been very passionate about it from the ‘70s till now. With this concert, I hope we can inspire more people to continue.”

Our Xin Yao Concert will be held on March 8, 2015 at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Level 6. Tickets from S$38 to S$98 at SISTIC.