Kelvin Tan is one of the founding fathers of cutting-edge Made In Singapore music. The esteemed musician, singer-songwriter and writer has 140 albums to his name – but the prodigiousness of his output should not detract from the scale and sweep of its contents.
In 1998, he released his solo album, The Bluest Silence. It was his first transmission beyond his regular stint as the lead guitarist of pioneering rock group The Oddfellows and it was a deft and gorgeous showcase of his many interests: The literary gifts of T.S. Eliot, Samuel Beckett and W.B. Yeats, the storytelling verve of troubadours such as Nick Drake and Tim Buckley and the path-lighting experimentalism of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
At this iteration of the Singapore Writers Festival, which runs from November 2-11, Tan will play all nine tracks live for the first time ever, possibly including a few new songs. This will be followed by a short Q&A session.
Fear and Trembling: 20 Years of The Bluest Silence happens on Saturday, November 10, at The Arts House, Play Den, from 8-9.30pm. Tickets, $15, are available here.
