Although Singapore is opening up, live outdoor performances are still banned. Some buskers have turned to other jobs, while others insisted on acting-in any form they could take.

The annoying brothers composed of Jonathan Goh and Edwin Ong performed on Orchard Road before the pandemic. (Photo: Orchard Road Business Association)

Singapore: Street artist and circus performer Jonathan Wu felt frustrated when he was cycling on Orchard Road last Christmas. 

The crowd is there, and his "stage" is also there, but the 25-year-old told CNA that he did not use juggling and acrobatics to amaze shoppers, but delivered food.

Although people hoped things would return to normal earlier this year, the surge in COVID-19 cases has repeatedly dashed the hopes of performers like him.

It has been 18 months since Singapore’s “Circuit Breaker” in April last year, but Mr. Wu and other street performers have not yet been approved to perform on the street.

They are not stagnating-some are turning to virtual performances, some are on TV, and some are turning to other industries. At the same time, Mr. Wu established an association that represents the community and hopes to encourage other street performers to explore their art forms.

No matter what they choose, the young buskers interviewed by CNA said that the desire to perform live is still very strong. 

Mr. Cliff Lee, nicknamed "OFFTHECLIFF", remembers how he sang his own voice in his last street performance-he sang a song for more than four hours near the Dutch Boulevard Food Center.

"I feel like my life has broken down, it feels like my doomsday," he said when he heard that street performances must be stopped with live events. "But the music cannot be stopped because I think it is essential."

On March 29 last year, he played his first online street performance on Facebook, asking for tips through digital payments. 

Many buskers turned to online streaming during the initial stages of the breaker period, but most stopped later because the rewards were insignificant compared to before. 

Mr. Lee, 33, said that when people stay at home, he gets a large audience and reasonable income, but as the second phase starts in July 2020 and Singapore begins to gradually reopen, this situation is gradually diminishing.

He said that at one time his income was "almost zero."

He started teaching music again, and at his "lowest point", he also started writing songs. "I was very depressed during that time, so I started writing a song to encourage myself," he said.

For several months, he insisted on performing online every day, and still regularly broadcast live. Over time, he gained some followers online and started selling CDs on the advice of one of his fans-something he never thought would become feasible. He said that he has sold more than 1,000 CDs so far.

"Actually, you can reach all audiences you will never meet on the street," he reflected.

This is not the case with Mr. Lai Zijie (also known as the chunky street performer), who used to often perform outside Cathay Pacific.

"I did some online recordings, some online performances, but to be honest, I am not a big fan... There is no interaction, you are just playing in front of the camera," the 29-year-old said.

On the contrary, he entered a completely different field-to expand the car beauty business. 

Before COVID-19, Mr. Lai focused on performing in the streets, weddings or events. When the epidemic hit, he had to stop acting, and about 30 wedding performances were cancelled. 

He founded a car beauty company to guard against unpredictable street performances, but now he is happy that he did it.

"You dare not put all your eggs in one basket, and the business is very unstable, because you depend on the weather, if it is the rainy season, you may not have income," he said.

Currently, he spends much more time on business than on music. He laughed and said that the income is much more stable than that of street performers, but the level of "fun and enjoyment...cannot compete".

"When the music comes back. I will definitely pursue it... Auto beauty companies are also running. Of course I miss live performances."

After having to stop performing at Haji Lane for a year and a half, Mohamed Fairuz Abdul Rahim participated in the songwriting competition of the Malay TV channel Suria.

Projek Lagu received nearly 200 submissions. Mr. Fairuz and his friend, Suria star Wawan Husen (Wawan Husen) were among the 12 contestants who participated in the live broadcast.

The duo entered the final with four contestants in the 10 episodes on November 9th, but did not win the grand prize.

The song they competed in Cuba Lagi ("Try Again" in Malay) was written a few years ago, but it conveyed an exciting message at the time.

"Basically, it's about life, and even if COVID strikes, you shouldn't give up hope. So no matter where we are, we need to keep trying," said Mr. Fairruz, 33.

"Try and try, don't give up...this is the message behind this song."

For this busker who has worked in Haji Lane for ten years, losing that part of his life is a huge blow. In addition to some music production, he also works as a kitchen assistant.

Most importantly, he and other Haji Lane street performers are collaborating to produce an album that will be released next year. 

"We still need to move on and continue our lives. But street performance is a very important part of my life," he said. "I don't know what other people think of street performance... For me, it's really (my) passion.

"It's not only about money, it's also about the connection between the performer and the audience."

Jonathan Goh, a street performer in the acrobatic duo The Annoying Brothers, said that like other street performers, he chose another job to make ends meet. But he has also been busy preparing for the eventual restart of street performances.

As early as 2016, he created the Singapore street performers Facebook group. The group has grown from five or six people to more than 500 people today, but not all of them are street performers. 

There are about 300 street performers registered with the National Arts Council of Singapore, and one-half of them are under the age of 35.

Last year, Mr. Wu founded the Street Performers Association, which he described as "NTUC", or a street performer association.

As the co-chair of the association, he believes that virtual performances are unsustainable, especially behaviors like his. 

"The virtual space is now oversaturated," he said, noting that during the pandemic, even big stars hold concerts online. 

"You can't expect Ronaldo to play e-sports... Then why do you expect street performers to become anchors?" he asked.

"When you are in the same space, you will feel the adrenaline of the performer soaring."

He has now initiated a new project called Buskers' Lab with the funding of the National Arts Council to create a "safe experimental space" so that street performers can collaborate and create new and innovative behaviors.

"I can sing better, I can juggle better, but... what can we do to present it in a different way?" he said.

A post shared by Jonathan Goh (@tranceonfire)

He said that despite the COVID-19 restrictions, he is still promoting performances in outdoor spaces and is applying for approval to hold a performance when safety management measures are in place.

Although the National Arts Council organized some street performance pilots earlier, they have been suspended since the community cases began to increase around May this year and the first round of the second phase (strengthening of warnings) restrictions began.

This makes Mr. Wu and many other street performers very disappointed. They originally hoped to resume some form of outdoor entertainment after a year of no performances.

"Last year, everyone was waiting patiently... but this year, it was like someone was driving and was constantly applying the brakes."

He said that some street performers waited for everything to return to normal while doing part-time jobs, while other street performers completely withdrew from street performances. He said that some people had to dig deep into their savings.

He said that at the same time, he is taking this opportunity to "create dialogue" and bring the community closer.

"I think this is very important... If you have a segregated community, things are difficult to move forward."

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