Meet the multicultural music troupe bringing ‘birdsong’ to neighbourhoods across Singapore

Multi-ethnic troupe yIN Harmony was founded by flautist Qing Lun Tan in 2014.

Music can be found everywhere, and everybody discovers it in their own way.

“My parents used to bring me to a Hindu temple where they had thavil drummers,” says percussionist Paskaran Sreekaram, “whenever I got home I’d start banging on a Milo tin, until one day a relative told my parents there were music teachers I could study under.”

Meanwhile, Chinese flautist Qing Lun Tan only started learning music because his mother thought it could calm his (sometimes excessively) youthful energy. “I chose the flute because it was the cheapest instrument,” he says, “I never thought I’d still be playing it all these years later.”

Qing Lun and Paska, along with keyboardist and vocalist Ein Ein Lee, accordionist Megat Muhammad Firdaus Mohamed, and Indian flautist Dr. Ghanavenothan Retnam, are core members of the multi-ethnic band yIN Harmony, which was formed by Qing Lun in 2014.

yIN Harmony was created to celebrate Singapore’s rich, multicultural musical heritage — and soon, more Singaporeans will have a chance to hear them live.

yIN Harmony’s lineup features a rotating cast of leaders from Singapore’s various music communitieS.

Making the band

“Through performance and competitions, I have had the opportunity to learn from other musicians,” says Qing Lun, “when I first heard Dr. Ghana playing the bansuri (Indian flute) years ago, I was intrigued by how different the tone colour and playing style was from my Chinese flute. I summoned the courage to ask him, “how can I learn to play like you?”

That experience planted the seed for what yIN Harmony would eventually become.

Each member of yIN Harmony’s core quintet is adept at several instruments and plays in multiple bands. They bond over an insatiable appetite for learning music and are often joined by guest musicians, who add to what Ein Ein calls the band’s “uniquely Singaporean flavour.”

yIN Harmony filming a performance outdoors near Sultan Mosque in Kampong Gelam, as part of a virtual concert to bring its music to wider audiences.

Bringing people closer

This year, yIN Harmony will play at venues across Singapore under ArtsEverywhere@CDC, a new initiative that aims to bring the arts closer to local communities.

“I’m a co-curricular activities instructor. Sometimes when you study music and get graded it becomes hard to enjoy,” says Firdaus, “I think ArtsEverywhere@CDC is amazing because kids could randomly discover us in their neighbourhood and have their passions reignited.”

“And besides that, we’ll get to check out the food options in neighbourhoods we don’t normally visit,” Paska half-jokes.

From September to December, yIN Harmony will perform its interactive programme A Bird’s Journey, a series of bird-themed songs from different traditions. As with many of the band’s programmes, A Bird’s Journey provided members a platform to learn about each other's musical heritage.

Traditional costumes in a rainbow of bright colours are a yIN Harmony stage signature, mirroring the band’s musical diversity.

Breaking down barriers

“When we were creating A Bird’s Journey we went around the group and asked, “Tell me something interesting about birdsong from your culture,” Qing Lun says.

“We’re always trading references, then putting them together to make something new,” he continues, “There is no right or wrong to it, but we always hope people will like it and say, “Oh, this is what Singapore is really about.”

That said, the public’s response to yIN Harmony’s style has typically skewed enthusiastic.

“People love how refreshing it is when we, say, take a well-known Chinese song but replace the accordion with Dr. Ghana’s bansuri,” says Ein Ein.

yIN Harmony’s energetic performances frequently involve audience interaction and plenty of improvised solos.

Taking flight

In recent years yIN Harmony has traveled overseas to perform, which Paska says contributes to the bandmates’ continual self-improvement.

“We’re not the same band we were as when we started, because we’ve since visited many other countries and learned from their music,” says Paska, “When we were recently in Laos for example, we didn’t share a common language with the local musicians but found a way to interact with them through playing.”

When arranging original pieces, Ein Ein says “We like to start with a melody but leave open sections for everyone to improvise and shine. It’s fun to discover our individual sounds and get to know each other’s better.”

A willingness to experiment, make mistakes, laugh, and learn together are major factors in yIN Harmony’s success, says Firdaus. Despite some occasional mismatches in musical scales or playing styles, “The only difficult thing is getting us all in the same room because we’re so busy. But we always find a way.”

yIN Harmony most recently performed in Laos to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Laos.

Growing together

yIN Harmony is constantly attracting new collaborators and hopes to one day form a full, multiethnic orchestra.

No matter how big the band grows, “It's really all about friendship for me,” says Qing Lun, “We know each other so well by now but I always feel there is still more to learn from my bandmates.”

“They’ve pushed me a lot and played a big part and who I am today, I get emotional thinking about it,” says Firdaus.

The band hopes that audiences, too, will be transformed by their hybrid harmonies: “I hope everyone can come down to watch A Bird’s Journey and be inspired by how different cultures can come together in expressing the same idea.”

Visit ArtsEverywhere@CDC’s website to check out upcoming performances by yIN Harmony and other local artists.