Song, dance and poetry in first cultural show for migrant workers
SINGAPORE – Tucked away on the third floor of a building along Syed Alwi Road, some 400 migrant workers in Singapore gathered on Sunday (Jan 07) for an evening of song, dance and poetry.
Migrant workers from countries like Bangladesh, Philippines and Indonesia put on performances to foster friendship amongst different cultures. Domestic helpers put up a fashion show wearing traditional costumes. Photo: Nuria Ling/TODAY
SINGAPORE – Tucked away on the third floor of a building along Syed Alwi Road, some 400 migrant workers in Singapore gathered on Sunday (Jan 07) for an evening of song, dance and poetry.
Believed to be the first cultural show for migrant workers of various nationalities, co-organiser and construction site supervisor Rubel Arnab said that, as the workers are usually more involved with their own communities, he wishes to see more “cultural bonding” among the different nationalities.
“I also want to show Singaporeans that migrant workers have talent too,” added the 30-year-old Bangladesh national.
At Sunday’s show, migrant workers from Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Philippines and India attended the six-hour long programme. The guests-of-honour at the event included Ms Jacqueline Loh, the chief executive of non-governmental organisation Aidha; Mr Shivaji Das, founder of Migrant Worker Poetry Competition; and TWC2 executive committee member Debbie Fordyce.
The show kicked off with the migrant workers modelling the traditional costumes from the different countries. This was followed by a series of song and dance performances, poetry readings and a skit on keeping Singapore safe from religious extremism.
Among the performers on Sunday was Ms Fitri Diyah, 25, who left Indonesia close to two years ago to work as a domestic helper here. A keen learner, she spends her Sundays taking English classes to brush up on the language.
While she was nervous about reading to an audience, Ms Fitri said she was also excited to read a poem she wrote about an afternoon along Orchard Road, where people from all walks of life gather in high spirits before returning to the same place next week.
Construction supervisor Ibrahim Patwary attended the event on Sunday after learning about it through Facebook. When he is not working on Sundays, the 34-year-old would visit Little India with his friends to have a meal or send money back home in Bangladesh.
“I’m just happy to be here and watching (the performances),” he added.
Some Singaporeans were also spotted in the audience. Undergraduate Michelle Sim, 21, learnt about the event through another organiser of a poetry competition here.
The event is a good opportunity for migrant workers from different nationalities to come together in fellowship, she added.