After two years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the getai is back in providing the public with some musical entertainment.
However, a woman attending a getai in Bedok was frustrated that she couldn’t understand some of the songs being played, so she walked up to the stage and grabbed the microphone from the singer’s hand.
A singer named “Xianhong” from China’s Jiangxi province was giving her performance during a three-hour show at a getai near Bedok South Market and Food Centre on Wednesday (Aug 3) when the incident happened.
According to Chinese language newspaper Shin Min Daily News, Xianhong was about to sing her second song when a middle-aged woman approached her on the stage, shouting at her to stop.
The stage intruder also tried grabbing the microphone from Xianhong and managed to hold on to the mic’s head at one point before yanking it entirely from the singer’s hand.
Footage of the incident was also posted on Facebook page Singapore Getai 新加坡歌台, which covers getai performances in Singapore.
The scene stopped the entire show while host Li Peifen called for security.
Li and Xianhong eventually persuaded the woman to get off the stage. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Xianhong joked that Li was to blame for the show-stopping intrusion.
The two women then proceeded to sing the next song in a duet.
Xianhong told the media that this was a first in her career. She admitted not comprehending what made the woman so frustrated, although the singer noted that the woman was intoxicated.
The woman also explained to Shin Min Daily News why she acted that way.
She said she couldn’t understand some of the songs, so she went to the organiser and requested some Hokkien songs. However, her request was rejected.
Things escalated to the point of her entering the stage when a Chinese performer began singing.
The organiser also confirmed that the woman had been drinking.
The woman has since apologised for what happened, noting her actions were inappropriate and impulsive.
The matter has been resolved peacefully, the event organiser added./TISG
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