Foodage: Rojak, Kacang Puteh, Green Spot, Music

1. On 'Foodage' Documentary November 2012: Thursdays Channel 5 at 9pm.

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"In the 60s, hawkers roamed the kampongs and the streets of urban Singapore. The children who grew up in this foodscape share their memories - the roving calls of these hawkers were music to their ears and fed their seemingly insatiable appetites. Their memories - both pungent and poignant - are set against a turbulent backdrop of merger and independence, lawlessness and unemployment and the Big Fire.



2. With The Silver Strings in 1965.

The food on offer in this episode includes Indian rojak, wanton mee, kaya bread, mee siam and tuckshop tidbits. 

The Singaporeans sharing their stories, include Jerome Lim, Peter Chan, Shak Kadir, Yeo Hong Eng, Andy Lim, Toh Paik Choo, James Seah, Lam Chun See, Aziza Ali, Dick Yip, Ong Yew Ghee, Ivy Lim-Singh, Geraldene Lowe-Ismail... Foodage Facebook." Some of those mentioned are in the pix.

3. Indian rojak used to ply the streets in Singapore.

The images were captured from Foodage TV Episode 2 (shown on OKTO Channel) where Andy Lim described how he waited outside the five-foot way of his home for Mr. Sultan's Indian rojak and the wonton mee pushcart man with his bamboo stick tick-tock call.



4. With Shirley Nair on Philips Records (now Universal Music Singapore).

He also recalled the pop 60s music explosion when Cliff Richard and the Shadows invaded Singapore with their twanging guitars and new Fender sounds. The heat generated by the music was so intense concert patrons had to buy ice-cold, bottled, soft drinks like Sinalco, Green Spot, Framroz, Red Lion and F n N drinks (image 4) to cool their hot and soaking bods.

5. Kacang puteh or fried peanuts with other tidbits.

Caught in this exciting music tsunami, Andy joined The Silver Strings (image 2) for two, short but exciting years where they performed at nightspots, lounges, restaurants, hotels, and the Vic and National theatres. When he left, Shirley Nair held the stage, the group contracted with Philips Singapore to become recording stars (image 3).

Back to the documentary, Andy discussed the close proximity of his home to the Queens' Cinema where he watched movies from the 50s and 60s and how the kacang puteh man stood outside the Cinema to sell his array of peanut goodies to the patrons.


As MC with The Velvetones: music first, food n drinks afterward.

All images from Okto Channel screen grabs: Foodage documentary produced by
SittingInPictures.  Thanks to producer Chang Soh Kiak.
Images 2,4,6 were provided by Andy Lim.

"Food n Singapore 60s Pop Music" airs @ 9pm, Thursdays, November 2012 on Channel 5 (StarHub at 102 and 155HD).