The 2019 edition of the annual Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), formerly known as Singapore Arts Festival (SAF), opened last Thursday. And while there are fewer posters in public or non-arts spaces, there are plenty of new faces among the audience, and that’s thanks in part to festival director Gaurav Kripalani’s curation, which seems to live up to the promise that there’s something for everyone.

At the Victoria Theatre, Japanese theatre director Tadashi Suzuki made a rare visit to Singapore, and indeed Southeast Asia, for the staging of his “Dionysus”, an adaptation of ancient Greek tragedian Euripedes’ “The Bacchae”. Three years in the making, the production was put out by veteran Indonesian producer Restu Imansari Kusumaningrum and her team at Bali Purnati Foundation. She was also behind Robert Wilson’s “I La Galigo” 15 years ago and gave a talk on intercultural projects at the Festival House on Monday when she revealed that 16 Indonesian performers underwent the Suzuki method of actor training workshops for two years before starting their work with the Japanese director.

Soon to be seen at the Theatre Olympics 2019 in Japan, “Dionysus”, with dialogue in Bahasa Indonesia dialects, Mandarin and Japanese reflecting the multinational cast’s mother tongues and with most of the audience relying on the English surtitles, last Saturday afternoon was highly anticipated. The Japanese master of intercultural theatre didn’t let us down and watching his production, live, is always a special treat for any theatre-goer. Suzuki himself also worked with Indonesian costume designer Auguste Soesastro and the result was immaculate. The same can be said for the work of music composer Takada Midori who worked with musicians from many parts of Indonesia. That led some of us to wonder if the production would have been more unique – and less like other Suzuki productions – had the Indonesian actors been allowed to share their diverse backgrounds with the Japanese master.

Peter and the Wolf

Singaporean multi-disciplinary artist Ho Tzu Nyen, a new co-curator of Asian Art Biennale in Taiwan, has been presenting his “Critical Dictionary of Southeast Asia” through different forms of arts around the world. The latest was a stage performance “The Mysterious Lai Teck” at the School of the Arts (SOTA) Drama Theatre. The title character was the leader of the Malayan Communist Party in the 1940s who was suspected to have worked as a spy for France, Britain and Japan, and was rumoured to have been killed in Thailand. If this were a Hollywood film, it might have been a fun international thriller. Instead, Ho keenly put his audience in the mix of fact and fiction, aurally and visually, with the help of lighting, projections and a humanoid. The experience was like attending a lecture, and after a while you wondered whether the professor really knew what he was talking about. At the end you felt like the professor wasn’t even there and we’d only been listening to his voice.

The Mysterious Lai Teck

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Silo Theatre brought “Peter and the Wolf” to the KC Arts Centre in Robertson Quay. A challenge for makers of children theatre productions these days is not only to keep the accompanying adults equally entertained, if not amazed, but also to keep the full attention of media-savvy kids, even for 50 minutes.

Silo Theatre was up to the task here and having a local narrator onstage – it was Kripalani himself last Sunday morning – was a smart trick and a nice treat. The deft mix of stringed puppets and live animation, shot and projected onto the large screen above, as well as the contemporary rearrangement of Sergei Prokofiev’s classical score, performed live, made this show immensely fresh and relatable.

The long queue of kids, holding their parents’ hands, who wanted to get up close to the puppets and performers after the show was also a good sign for the future audience of this international arts festival now that many of them have enjoyed their first SIFA experience.

The writer’s trip was fully supported by SIFA. Special thanks to Huntington Communications’ Juliana Tan for all kind assistance.

More this weekend and next

– SIFA 2019 continues until June 2. A few highlights this weekend are Shiro Takatani’s “ST/LL”, with music by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who’ll give a talk this evening prior to his soldout concert “Fragments” on Tuesday; and the world premiere of Huzir Sulaiman’s “Displaced Persons’ Welcome Dinner”. Three Thai theatre critics will also join Asian Arts Media Roundtable (AAMR), a SIFA’s affiliate programme.

– For more details and ticket reservations go to http://www.Sifa.sg.

Music, dance and exhibitions are all set to light up the nation from tomorrow as the week-long arts and culture extravaganza celebrating the coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn gets underway in Bangkok and the 76 other provinces of the country.

“This festival will be an assembly of national artists and performers from many different types of arts,” said Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat, during the recent press conference at the small hall of the Thailand Cultural Centre.

In Bangkok, the festival is being held at Sanam Luang, the royal field at the heart of old city, and will feature a main stage in the middle of the ceremonial ground and two minor stages on the side fronting on to the Supreme Court and Thammasat University.

The opening ceremony in Bangkok will kick off at 6.30pm on the main stage with blessing dances under the title “Asirawat Thuay Rat Nom Chom Rachan”. That will be followed by a khon drama involving more than 600 performers.

The masked dance is based on a story of the Ramakien, Thailand’s national epic derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana and is being staged under the name “Phra Baramee Ming Fah Ramavatar”.

“Ramavatar” picks up at the beginning of the story in heaven when the demon Nonthuk, who has been abused by the angels, is granted the powerful diamond index finger from Phra Isuan (Shiva). He uses the finger to kill masses of angels as he claims his revenge. Phra Isuan assigns Phra Narai to kill Nonthuk and so Nonthuk is reborn as the 10-faced and 20-handed giant Tosakant on Earth. Phra Narai is reborn as Phra Ram with a mission to take down all the demons including Totsakant. The conflict starts when Totsakant abducts Nang Sida (Sita), Phra Ram’s wife. Phra Ram then sets off on a journey to the Kingdom of Lanka, along the way meeting the monkey chief Hanuman who helps him rescue Sida. The “Ramavatar” ends at the point when Phra Ram arrives in Lanka before a series of wars begin.

The khon performance features three sequels: “Sathonlamas Chalerm Raj Chakri” (“Royal Land Procession to Honour the Chakri Dynasty”) by the Sala Chalermkrung Foundation, “Leh Asuree Muang Longka” (“Trickery of Longka Giant”) by the Foundation of the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, Thailand, and “Borom Rajaphisek Phra Ram” (“Coronation of Phra Ram”) by Office of Performing Arts, Fine Arts Department, and Bunditpatanasilpa Institute. In the latter tale, Pra Ram is the son of the king Thotsarot of Ayutthaya and the incarnation of Phra Narai.

Wednesday’s grand opening will be shown live on Channel 9 MCOT HD, National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) and Thai Global Network (TGN) for viewers in more than 170 countries and starts at 5.30pm local time.

“It will be magnificent on the 80-metre stage,” says Ministry of Culture Permanent Secretary Kritsayapong Siri. “For the grand opening, we are providing a special area at the front of the stage for the disabled and the elderly along with parking at the Government Lottery Office. For the remainder of the festival, the parking lot will be at the north end of Sanam Luang.”

Cambodia

The festival’s programming includes a concert by the Ruamjaiphak Symphony Orchestra, which will perform “Tosama Rachan Khwanla” on Thursday, a luk thung (Thai countryfolk) performance on Friday, the “Symphony of Rattanakosin” on Saturday, the musical “Phasan Jai Phak Thawai Ong Rachan” on Sunday performed by Sinjai Plengpanich, Thanavat “Pope” Wattanaputi and Ranee “Bella” Campen, an international dance festival on May 27 performed by troupes from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam and, to wrap things up, a procession from the four regions of the country offering floral offerings in honour of HM the King and drum performances on May 28.

India

The two small stages will be used for folk music and arts performances including lamtad, pleng choi, pleng esaew, Lakhon Chatree, Nang Yai Wat Khanon, and traditional Thai puppet shows by Joe Louis, Baan Tookkatoon Hoonkrabok, Pramothai Shadow Show and Sema Thai Marionette.

South Korea

Upcountry the shows will focus on folk arts, culture and traditions, portraying the identity of each of the provinces, says Pornpoj Penpas, deputy permanent secretary of the Culture Ministry. Chiang Mai’s events run from Wednesday to May 28 between 5 and 11pm at Lanna Folklife Museum and Three Kings Monument. The main shows for the Central region are being held in the multipurpose yard of Prachuab Khiri Khan City Hall from Wednesday to Friday between 5.30 and until 9.30pm while the Northeast bash is at Thung Si Mueang in Ubon Ratchathani from Wednesday until May 28 from 6.30 to 9.30pm. Folks down south should head to the Tinnasulanon Stadium in Songkhla from Wednesday to May 26 between 7pm to 11pm, and the lawn of Phuket City Hall until May 28 from 5.30 to 9pm.

Myanmar

Another major highlight is the light, sound and water screen show, entitled “The Glorious Grace of His Majesty” and which celebrates the Royal Coronation of King Rama X, which will see more than 10,000 lights in form of spectacular flowers and trees spread over Sanam Luang. The lights will be switched on from 7pm onwards with the show itself running from 9.30 to 11pm.

“It is the first time we have having a water screen show in Thailand,” says Sermkhun Kunawong, the founder and chief executive of CMO event organising company. “It has been growing in popularity around the world and recently featured at the Tokyo Midtown.

The Philippines

“It will make for beautiful scenery in front of Grand Palace. The light flowers will morph into several colours, while the water screen will be 15 metres high. We will also create two light tunnels, each four to five metres long for people to take pictures and selfies.

“The coronation is an important event in our history and it should remain in our minds.”

Shoot for the stars

– Find out more by calling the Culture Hotline 1765 or visit http://www.MCulture.go.th.

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY for sportsmen and women as well as gym rats, the new Audio-Technica Ath-Sport7TW wireless in-ear headphones are sweat and weather resistant and can be rinsed after workouts. Moreover, they come with four interchangeable sizes (XS, S, M, L) of ergonomic Freebit ear fins to give you a custom – and comfortable – fit designed to stay in place during physical activity.

The phones have good sound quality, reproduced by 5.8mm dynamic drivers, a frequency response of 20 to 25,000 Hz and a high sensitivity of 91dB and impedance of 14 ohms.

The package comes with four sizes of eartips – XS, S, M, and L – and an M size of Comply foam eartips. If you select the size that perfectly fits your ear canals, the music quality will be optimised.

I found during the test that the earbuds reproduced good music sounds with clarity and outstanding highs and mids as well as good bass. I listened to rock music for hours and the earbuds didn’t slip out once during my workout.

The Sport7TW have a microphone built-in so that you can use them as a wireless headset for your smartphone.

For additional safety when using outdoors, particularly in areas with heavy traffic, the headphones include a switchable hear-through function that allows you to keep track of ambient noise. You can select three levels of hear-through from low to middle and high or you can turn it off. When the hear-through mode is turned on, the volume of the music is automatically reduced to enhance the surrounding sound.

Each of the earpieces has a touch sensor for controlling the operations, such as answering phone calls, playing music and adjusting volume. You can also access the Audio-Technica Connect app on your smartphone to quickly and easily adjust headphone settings.

For example, you can use the app to turn the hear-through on or off. When it is turned on, you can use the app to adjust the level of ambient sounds that you can hear. The app can be used to select between AAC and SBC audio codecs.

The app also displays level of battery of the wireless ear buds. When fully charged, the earbuds have up to 3.5 hours of battery life. The portable charging cradle has a built-in power bank that lets you charge the earpieces

four more times, extending the Sport7TW’s life by 14 more hours.

That means with the charging case, you have a total battery life of 17.5 hours.

The use of the touch sensors to control the earphones quickly becomes second nature.

While playing music, you touch the sensor on the right side once to play or pause the music, twice to skip to the next track or three times to play the previous track. Or you can hold it for about two seconds to activate your connected smartphone’s speech recognition feature, such as Siri on iOS device.

You can also touch the sensor on the left side once to increase the volume or twice to turn it down.

If a call comes in, touch the right earpiece’s sensor to answer the phone call hold it for two seconds to reject the call. During a call, you can touch the right sensor and hold for about two seconds to end it.

You can also use the app to switch the functions of the right side and left side of the touch sensors.

The earbuds are light so they are comfortable to wear for long hours especially when you use the right size of eartips. Each side of the earpiece weighs just 6.4 grammes while the charging cradle weighs about 64 grammes.

The ATH-SPORT7TW supports Bluetooth 5.0. I had no problem connecting it to my smartphone. It was ready for pairing once I removed the earpieces from the charging cradle.

The ATH-SPORT7TW is distributed by RTB Technology for Bt7,690 and available in black and grey. You can buy it at Mankong Gadget, Pro Plug In, Soundproof, Indy Gadget, Soundaholic, AV Value, Power Mall or online including at Lazada, Mercular, ToHome and Shoppee.

KEY SPECS

Driver:  5.8mm dynamic

Frequency Response: 20  25,000 Hz

Sensitivity: 91 dB/mW

Impedance: 14 ohms

Battery: Headphones: DC 3.7V lithiumion battery; Battery case: DC 3.7V lithium polymer battery

Battery Life: approximately 3.5 hours plus an additional 14 hours with charging case

Charging time: Headphones: Approx 2 hours; Charging case: Approx 3 hours

Weight: Headphones (Both L and R): Approx. 6.4 g / Charging case: Approx. 64 g

Microphone Type: MEMS type

Microphone Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional

Microphone Frequency Response: 100  8,000 Hz

Microphone Sensitivity: 42 dB(1V/Pa,at1kHz)

Charging Time: Headphones: Approx. 2 hours

Charging case: Approx. 3 hours

Bluetooth: Version 5

Support Codec: AAC, SBC

Compatible Bluetooth Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP

RF output: 4.74 mW EIRP

Maximum communication range: Line of sight  approx. 10 m (33′)

Frequency band: 2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz

Modulation method: FHSS

Accessories include: USB charging cable (30 cm USB Type A / Micro USB Type B), Eartips (XS, S, M, L), Ear fins (XS, S, M, L), Comply foam eartips (M)

A NEW mid-range smartphone that’s fast and sleek and comes with good-quality triple rear cameras, the Samsung Galaxy A70 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon SM6150 octa-core processor with dual cores running at 2.0GHz and six other cores at 1.7GHz. It has 8 gigabytes of working memory or RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a micro SD card by up to 512 GB.

The A70 runs on the Android 9.0 operating system. During the test, I found it was fast and its menus and touchscreen were responsive. Applications also ran fast on the A70.

Music lovers will appreciate the A70’s ability to play High-Resolution Audio files of FLAC 24bit/192kHz format. I tried playing a Hi-Res audio file on A70 with Audio-Technica ATH-ANC700BT and was delighted with the detail and powerful bass.

The A70 also has fast Internet connection. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network. Applications were quickly downloaded and my snapshots were backed up to my Google Photos cloud storage in no time.

I used Ookla Speedtest app to measure the connection speed and found that it got a top download speed of 122 Mbps and top upload speed of 39.2 Mbps.

The A70 comes with a large and beautiful 6.7-inch Super Amoled Infinity U-Display with 1080×2400 pixels. The display in 20:9 aspect ratio is good for viewing photos and video clips. During the test, I watched HD movies streamed from TrueID TV app and iflix app and can confirm that pictures were sharp and clear.

The A70 has a good quality triple rear camera comprising a 32-megapixel main camera with f/1.7 aperture lens, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera and a 5MP depth camera.

The depth camera provides the data for the main camera when used for the bokeh or blurred background effect.

It lets you adjust the depth of field before and after you nail the shot and knocks out unwanted background noise from your images to make them look more professional.

The 123-degree ultra wide camera lets you capture beautiful panorama scenes at the same angles as the human eye. It’s easy to switch from wide to ultra wide camera too –simply tap on the icons of two and three flowers, representing wide and ultra wide respectively.

The main camera has a high resolution of 32 megapixels with Scene Optimiser to help you capture best shots in auto mode, which is called “Photo” mode. Under the “Photo” mode, the Scene Optimiser recognises what you are trying to capture and using artificial intelligence to enhance the shots. The A70’s main camera will allow you to get optimum levels of brightness saturation by adjusting shooting parameters in accordance with recognised scenes or objects.

For example, the Scene Optimiser can recognise 20 scene modes, including Food, Person, Flowers, Indoor, Dog, Scenery, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Mountain, Beaches, Sunset, Watersides, and Night view.

The main camera also has a Flaw Detection function that catches blinks, blurs and backlighting and lets you know so you can try and shoot again.

The A70 also has good quality front camera with 32 MP resolution. The front camera also comes with Selfie focus mode that allows you to adjust background depth and blur the background so that your portraits will be more outstanding.

Good security is another feature buyers will appreciate, with an on-screen fingerprint reader that allows you to unlock your phone securely. It also has Secure Folder feature, which is a powerful security solution that lets you create private and encrypted space to store content such as photos, documents and voice recording files.

During the test, I found the fingerprint reader worked fast and efficiently for unlocking the phone.

The Galaxy A70 comes equipped with a 4,500mAh battery and I could comfortably survive a day after one charge. And its 25W Super Fast Charging technology gets you fully powered and ready to go without being tied down.

Samsung Galaxy A70 has a suggested retail price of Bt15,990.

Key specs:

Network: 4G LTE, 3G UMTS, 2G GSM

OS: Android 9.0 (Pie)

CPU: Qualcomm SM6150 Octa Core, (Dual 2.0GHz + Hexa 1.7GHz)

Memory: 8 GB RAM

Storage: 128 GB Internal Storage, expandable with micro SD slot (up to 512 GB)

Display: 6.7inch FHD+ (1080×2400) Super AMOLED InfinityU Display

Rear cameras: Main: 32MP, F1.7; Ultra Wide: 8MP, F2.2 (123 degree); Depth: 5MP, F2.2

Front    camera: 32MP, F2.0

SIM Card: Dual SIM (2 slot plus micro SD card slot)

Biometric Authentications: OnScreen Fingerprint, Facial Recognition

Connectivity: USB TypeC, ANT+, NFC, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0

Location: GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo

Sensors: Accelerometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor

Color    : Black, Blue, Coral, White

Battery: 4,500 mAh Super Fast Charging

Dimensions: 164.3 x 76.7 x 7.9mm

Weight: 183g

Once used mainly for classic designs, Thai fabrics and especially silk have been increasingly finding their way into street fashion generating income for the communities that produce them while also popularising little-known patterns.

This month, for the inaugural edition of the “Taproot Thai Textiles” programme, seven types of Thai fabrics from seven communities across the country are being showcased at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).

Initiated by designer, Wisharawish Akarasantisook, founder of the brand Wisharawish, the programme is receiving the support of the Culture Ministry’s Department of Cultural Promotion and Srinakharinwirot University. The collection, dubbed “Complex Simplicity”, aims to underline the importance of local wisdom and culture while showing off the artistry of the weaving communities. Three of these are based in Khon Kaen province, namely Mudmee silk from Khumsukkho Group, Mai Tam Mi Group in Baan Hua Fai, and natural dyed cotton from Jutatip Factory. They appear alongside traditional checked fabric from Impani Pa Kao Ma in Ratchaburi province, silk denim from Ruen Mai Bai Mon in Surin, thin natural cotton from Cotton Farm in Chiang Mai, and Batik de Nara from Pattani.

With the popularity of Thai fabrics increasing on both the domestic and international fashion stages, the Taproot Thai Textiles programme aims to develop learning resources and cultural communities, including promoting local artists and networks with expertise in the field of Thai weaving as well as bringing cultural capital to Thai fabrics to create value added while continuously pushing the limits.

Wisharawish has always worked with Thai fabrics in creating fashionable outfits tailored to the modern lifestyle. Since 2011, when he set up his own brand, Wisharawish has focused on supporting local textile producers and is constantly travelling to rural areas to encourage existing producers and discover new ones. Through these visits, he has developed his approach and successfully reintroduced these cultural heritages to the world.

As suggested by the name, the “Complex Simplicity” collection makes the point that Thai fabrics can be quite complex in the production process yet simple to access and wear with confidence.

“I tend to stick to plain and well-tailored shirts and outer garments like blazers, trench coats and jackets because they are easy to wear and look good for both work and play. It is great to see that urban people are putting more effort into wearing Thai fabrics than ever before because they realise the importance of preserving Thai textiles and enjoy the sensation of wearing a piece of our culture. It’s not necessary to dress up all in silk. Mixing and matching silk and cotton is both stylish and comfortable,” notes Wisharawish, who likes to play with the repetition of forms and geometric shapes.

Wisharawish collaborated with the department and the university to select the seven producers that best represent Thai cultural wisdom.

Acknowledging that Baan Rai’s Pa Kao Ma is already well known nationally, Ekasit Komolkittipong of Impani Pa Kao Ma, who inherited the business from his family, says that one of the biggest problems he has is that the checked fabric is so much part of everyday life, it tends to be considered as cheap. That makes it hard to set a reasonable price and give it the same value as other fabrics.

“Impani’s fabric has been extensively developed. I’ve tried to weave with different yarns. Now we have successfully infused filagen, an innovative functional fibre that uses nanotechnology to integrate collagen peptide into the textile that makes the pa kao ma soft to the touch. We are grateful to Wisharawish for his creative designs that allow us to keep the signature check but make the fabric look more modern in the ways the colours are matched,” he says.

“Listening is probably the important process. I like to work in the areas where these local artisans and weavers are at their best and then help by inserting new and different ideas. For example, for batik, they traditionally tend to use small patterns that have a marine theme. I said we should do bigger prints and on silk satin because it is more photogenic. We took this collection to showcase in Japan and received quite significant orders to produce kimonos, which is great. We also have orders from France to make the fabric into resort wear. The natural dyed cotton from Khumsukkho is also interesting. The producer uses only plants and flowers to create ink for dying fabrics and the resulting colours are beautiful. We call the fabric from Surin silk-denim but it’s actually pure 100-per-cent silk woven in denim style so the look is very fresh and contemporary and extremely easy to look after. It can be machine washed without problem,” Wisharawish adds.

“Thanks to the support for Taproot Thai Textiles Programme 2019, we will be able to continue our work. There are a lot more Thai fabrics yet to be explored, and I hope to draw up new dimensions for the textiles within this industry.”

Textiles on tap

– Learn more about this rich cultural heritage through a series of activities being organised as part of the Taproot Thai Textiles programme.

– Tuesday (May 21), 3pm: Wisharawish’s latest collection “Complex Simplicity” will be displayed in a fashion show on Bangkok Art and Culture Centre’s ninth floor.

– May 23–24: A seminar on the Cultural Wisdom Heritage of Thai fabrics takes place at the Four Wings Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 26.

– May 23–26: Exhibition of costumes made with original fabrics under the Taproot Thai Textiles programme 2019 can be seen at Beacon Zone 34, CentralWorld.

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