Hwa I-Poh

Singer from Ipoh who recorded in Singapore (1955).

RADIO PLANS BIG CHINESE SHOW – The Accent Will Be On Western Touch – “Radio Malaya’s Chinese Section is putting up a stage show – Musical New Look in Singapore this month. Mr. Tse Chusian, the supervisor of Chinese programmes, said the show would feature Mandarin music ‘played in a Western fashion.’ It will be held at Happy World Stadium on October 31. The complete Radio Malaya orchestra will accompany the artists. Mr. Tse said: ‘This show is the climax to our very successful radio programme of the same name that has been on the air in the past eight months…’” [The Singapore Free Press, October 4, 1954, 7]

MUSICAL ‘NEW LOOK’ WAS BIG SUCCESS – “Radio Malaya’s presentation of Musical New Look, a Chinese variety show, drew more than 7,000 people last night to the Singapore Happy World Stadium. The Radio Orchestra gave a top-rate performance… Seven popular Singapore singers took part. They sang 30 of the best Mandarin songs, folk and modern, specially written for Western orchestration. Those who sang were Misses Hua Ipoh, Kwang Yu Ling, Trudy Connor, Mona Fong, Linda Godd, Chang Chin and Mr. Cecil Chan. The two-and-a-half hour show climaxed a musical experiment tried by the Radio Orchestra during the past eight months. It was a presentation in ‘modern dress’ by a Western orchestra of Chinese melodies, some old, others composed by contemporary musicians. In his opening speech the Director of Broadcasting said the Musical New Look is the forerunner of many programmes designed to fuse the cultures of East and West into something which will be symbolic of a culture which we must do our utmost to foster in this country of ours.” [The Singapore Free Press, November 1, 1954, 7]

“The vocalists [on the newly released recordings under the Unique label] are three of Singapore’s best-known singers: Kwang Yu-Ling who broadcasts in Radio Malaya’s Chinese schools programmes; Hwa I-poh, one of the most promising of the younger singers; and a European girl, Trudy Connor. All sing in Mandarin. Yu-Ling and Hwa I-poh participated in the original Musical New Look radio programme. Yu-Ling is a well-established soprano with a smooth, warm voice and a fine feeling for the mood of her songs. Hwa I-poh (which means Flower of Ipoh because she was born in that town) is one of the most gifted of the younger Malayan Chinese singers. Her mother was a well-known singer in her day. English crooner Trudy Connor, who has been in Singapore for the past few years, soon after her arrival showed an interest in Chinese songs and her recordings are really unique because, to the best of my knowledge, it is the first time that a European singer has recorded in Mandarin. She cannot quite overcome a foreign accent but this makes her recordings even more interesting. Her pronunciation is otherwise excellent.” [Radio Weekly, December 18, 1955, 13]