RATA: new grounds, new sounds
An idea that has been brewing in my head since 2019 when Akileshwar Vm & Esplanade posed a challenge to me for a special showcase at the now ready Singtel Waterfront Theatre.
The world is a different place right now and we are definitely different beings since then. Most of us are still trying hard to navigate this familiar yet strange mental states in our daily lives.
It is with this uncertainty I seek the assistance of Cheryl Ong, Azrin Abdullah, Rizman Putra, Chew Wei Shan & Andy Chia to plunge into a sonic abyss with me to find some versions of our new selves, which eventually birthed RATA Orkestra. With Cui Yin being our eyes and ears from the outside, the explorations have led us to something and the journey in itself is very hard to put into words.
Can't wait to share this new world we have been building with more help from Brandon Tay, Akbar Syadiq, Adrian Tan, Rong Zhao.
29 - 31 Dec 2022 7:30P Singtel Waterfront Theatre Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
Tickets Here
Boasting an eclectic line-up of established musicians from diverse fields, RATA Orkestra makes its debut with RATA: new grounds, new sounds (RATA), a visceral audiovisual experience in the new Singtel Waterfront Theatre at Esplanade.
Named for the Malay word rata, meaning “flat” or “even’, RATA Orkestra is a project by Safuan Johari featuring Azrin Abdullah (oud), Andy Chia (dizi, didgeridoo, electronics), Cheryl Ong (percussion), Safuan Johari (electronics), Rizman Putra (vocals) and weish (vocals). This new ensemble aims to create new aural topographies by gathering diverse local and international musicians to experiment with collaborative compositions, break old boundaries and new grounds across the traditional, the experimental, and the popular, and create a transcultural ambient soundscape of harmonious interplays and poignant discordances.
A production two years in the making, RATA also features guest artist Nova Ruth (vocals) and multimedia designer Brandon Tay. Audience members will also move around the performance space, to experience and encounter the visuals and sounds from various corners.
RATA invites you to mark the end of the year and this season of change with an opportunity to discover something new and ground-breaking.
A programme of In New Light – A Season of Commissions, in celebration of Esplanade’s 20th anniversary.