Singapore’s the October Cherries
In the realm of the boutique hotel, Singapore is a treasure. The country seems built for the boutique hotel lifestyle, highly individual, and elegantly designed, with an eye for tradition as well as innovation. Comfort and luxury are the rule without exception, and guests will find themselves living in an alternative world that is strikingly like paradise, and strikingly unlike any other place on earth.
Singapore is a very unique place. A small country unto itself, it is in close proximity to other Asian nations and cities, and its place on the water gives it a history that is well-connected to the rest of the world. It still maintains an identity that is fiercely individual, yet also complex in its connections with the world at large. In international circles, it is a trend-setter, and the youth culture here seems remarkably flexible in taking in old and new ideas and modifying them to make them uniquely Singapore. In terms of fashion and visual culture, it is easy to see the influences of the old and the new here, and it intertwines in playful and fascinating ways. Fans of surf-music influenced rock of the late sixties will find truly groovy counterparts to U.S. and Europe’s superstars. One band that has held a place in Singapore’s heart for a few decades is the October Cherries .
Their beginning as The Surfers brought them some initial success and popularity, but it wasn’t until they changed their name in 1968 that they began to feel some real momentum. Being part of a British colony, the Singapore band sang in the official language, English, and had some innovative and catchy hits like Cucucu Choo, Felicia (Flowers for your grave), Coffee Toffee Squares, and Will you love me. But piracy was not a friend to the October Cherries , and although copying brought them enough street cred to make them as popular as the Beatles, it did nothing for record sales. Their attempts to cross over into the European markets were stopped by racist practices from the record companies, and they formed their own label, Baal records. They have left quite a legacy, including induction into Singapore’s 60′s Pop Music Hall of Fame, but their sound still needs a proper recognition in the history of world music.
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