I've always been curious about getai shows. Having never been to one before, my experiences of a getai show are limited to just passing them by and watching them from the safety of a double-decker bus on the way home from town.

A getai (pronounced as guh-tie) is a live stage performance, a song-and-dance spectacle commonly held during the Hungry Ghost Festival which, in Singapore, occurs between the months of August and September. The Hungry Ghost Festival itself is an ancient Chinese festival celebrated by Chinese in many countries. According to Chinese folklore, the "Gates of the Hell" are unlocked during these months, allowing souls of the dead to freely to roam the earth and Getai shows are conducted to “entertain” the roaming spirits.

Getai literally means “song-stage” in the Mandarin language -- hence the motley ensemble of singers, dancers and entertainers. Getai shows are normally held in the suburbs of the city, often in any empty field but sometimes in car parking spaces around the residential housing estates.

I was fortunate enough to have a good friend on hand to offer me some tips for my first getai visit at Chai Chee, a residential suburb located in the Eastern part of Singapore. Some tips were about avoiding things that were considered taboo.

Tip 1: The front row seats should be left unoccupied as they are reserved for the spirits.

Tip 2: Never use the word “gui” (it means ghosts in Mandarin). Instead, refer to them as “hao xiong di” or “good brothers. The getai emcee will make it a point to address the invisible “brothers” before the start of each performance, asking them to bless the singers for the night ahead.

Photo Caption: Sexy dancers are just one of the highlights at a getai show.

Upon reaching my destination, I was greeted with loud music, and incessant chatter from the audience. Coupled with the bright neon stage lights, it was indeed a spectacle of song, dance and spiritual reverence. I noticed a getai singer belting out tunes in Hokkien and Mandarin, turning heads onstage with their loud, kitschy costumes. The catchy pop tunes, I was told, were popular hits in Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Cantonese and Mandarin.

The singers’ performance are usually followed by a “stand-up comic” routine. Being Malay, I couldn’t really grasp the jokes that well but the comedians seemed to have perfect comedic timing and with small hints of slapstick.

Bright lights, loud music and a fun, energetic atmosphere aside, I spotted what appeared to be a big family dinner. But it was actually an auction of sorts, where people would bid for items they would deem to be prosperous, or of value. The auctioneer was a motormouth! Rattling non-stop at a hundred-words per second, he'd probably put more professional auctioneers to shame. Among the items up for bidding tonight were several over-sized bottles of cognac and whisky, and even bamboo plants, the latter believed to be the bringer of good luck and prosperity in a household.

Photo Caption: Dressed in a colourful outfit, a getai singer captures the crowd's attention.

Tonight’s event was also graced by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Marine Parade GRC (Kaki Bukit), Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who gamely shook hands with the attendees, and conversed with the uncles and aunties present. The guy genuinely seemed to be having a good time.

The getai event also highlighted how song and dance, and a good meal, can be appreciated by people of all races, as exemplified by the Indian lady dancing to tunes of the getai singers, a bunch of Malay men heartily dining with their Chinese friends, and also a tableful of Caucasian men having a good time at the auction.