Sing! China hits the right note for Beijing’s soft power in Singapore
As Singaporeans like Olinda Cho and Nathan Hartono celebrate success on the reality television show Sing! China, Beijing’s entertainment industry has its own victory to croon about – over Taipei
Singaporean Olinda Cho kept her eyes shut through most of her performance on popular reality singing competition Sing! China, and it was a good thing she did. When she stepped off stage and could finally observe the studio in Hangzhou, the scene stunned her.
“It wasn’t a studio,” said Cho, 37. “It was like an arena. The place was packed with people. Cameras were flying around the stage. I had never seen anything like this.”
She is no rookie singer, having made a name at home 14 years ago when she took part in Singapore Idol, a competition modelled after its American namesake. “Sing! China is Singapore Idol on steroids,” she told This Week In Asia from Shanghai.
WATCH: Olinda Cho on Sing! China
She is one of a small, but growing, band of Singapore residents who have done well in the contest, as the show’s popularity extends beyond Greater China. Their successes have in turn drawn more eyeballs from Singapore, luring the country’s Mandarin-speaking population amid stronger and slicker cultural and entertainment outreach from China.
Besides Cho, four others from Singapore have made it past the blind auditions of the event. Most were scouted by producers and gladly obliged, knowing success on the show could translate into commercial breakthroughs.
One of them, Joanna Dong, for instance, had sung, acted and hosted in Singapore but felt that she was struggling to enhance her popularity.
WATCH: Joanna Dong on Sing! China
“I’ve hustled pretty hard in Singapore and I don’t think I can increase my visibility any more,” said Dong, 35. “I’m not that young – this platform is my best chance to let more people know about me, which will hopefully help me remain competitive in the market.”
