A Flower Opening At Dawn In Singapore
It was a sunny muggy morning, Aya Sekine, well recognized as most swinging, passionate and eclectic Jazz pianist in the region, brought us to her neighborhood, a quiet and hidden district just around the corner from the bustling Orchard Road, where an overnight closed-road runway has appeared most recently with over 150 models to showcase big fashion brands during a fashion festival. In March, Singapore was filled with cultural festivals.
One of the best annual music events in South East Asia, Mosaic Music Festival was also held at Esplanade- Theatres On The Bay, which is Singapore’s national performance arts venue and a non-profit organization. Aya has been invited since its very first year in 2005 and this year she lead her Straight Ahead Quartet including celebrated bassist Christy Smith. Under a slow electric fan, mixed languages spoken in the air as our morning BGM, we had a local Malaysian breakfast Mee Siam, spicy rice vermicelli in curry. Shortly after, in a cafe across the street, we were having a cup of delightfully brewed organic coffee and gluten/wheat-free pancakes with strawberries, bananas and organic raw honey with a scoop of vegan ice-cream.
“Singapore is literally Rojak [a traditional fruit and vegetable salad dish you mix and serve yourself.]” Aya gave us a wink slyly.
Born in Japan, Aya spent half of her childhood in Singapore. She moved to further her study of Jazz piano and improvisation at Berklee College of Music. After spending eight years in New York City, she returned to her second home Singapore with an invitation as the resident pianist of a popular Jazz club around that time. Since then, she has been generating a powerful magnetic field in the live music landscape of Singapore through her performances in various important venues such as INK Club Bar at Fairmont Hotel, Club L’Opera, bar at The Sultan Hotel and especially at Blu Jaz Café where she opened up their music scene through her music project Ayaschool since 2006.
“Blu Jaz Café was the very first place in Singapore where I found Janis Joplin played at that time. I popped in and met Aileen, the owner. After a short while, we had a little meeting and got good vibes immediately enough to go and buy a new drum set the very next day! That’s how it started.”
Aya insists to make a different selection of musicians each time. Even during the sessions, she is opened to welcome potential and motivated young talents. We often witnessed rather interesting mix of audience such as well dressed hotel guests, music lovers, young musicians even students with their instruments gathering all together, getting into the whole ambience, which would rarely happens in big cities these days.“Ayaschool is like an experimental cuisine, making something special out from whatever is in the fridge. So it could be mix of Jazz, Hip hop, Soul, Funk Rock, Brazilian music… We never know how it is going to be, sometimes a great success, sometimes a total disaster… like real life!”
“People tend to compare and complain that we’re rather short of music resources and talents etc… perhaps there’s something to that. But it’s totally nonsense if we start to compare the music scenes here and those in New York City for example. We’re now at the very stage of sowing seeds, nothing is established yet.” A sudden squall came and Aya was radiating her simple, humble, energetic spirit. “I don’t take it as immaturity. Rather ‘Yet’ is good because I believe it’s a great advantage, a great potential and freedom to let something born out of a very simple point.”
AYA SEKINE’S MUST-SEE-PLACES IN SINGAPORE
Real Food (cafe, grocer, books)
“Who are we? We are indie. Real Food is self-run by a team of passionate and stubborn individuals who believe we are what we eat.” 110 Killiney Road Singapore 239549 T: +65 67379516
Blu Jaz Cafe (cafe, live music)
11 Bali Lane Singapore 189848 Tel: +65 62923800
Ayaschool on Saturdays.
Mystic Masseur Hama-san (massage therapy)
The owner’s “Magic-Hands” never stop inspiring people to fly over from overseas only for the purpose of receiving his therapy based on Shiatsu. His treatments cannot be fixed in a certain sort of menu. Simple and spontaneous, he feels and sees through his clients emotions real time and figures out which body work is in need. #01-89 Lucky Plaza 304 Orchard Road Singapore 238863 Tel: +65 62355911
