SINGAPORE — There can be no disagreement that Singapore is known for its man-made tourist attractions, be it Jewel waterfall and garden at Changi Airport, Universal Studios, artificial beach at Sentosa, and more.
At Kampong Gelam, the Malay cultural and religious centre of the island republic, the Ramadan month sees another welcoming addition with the popular Sultan Mosque light show. Every evening from 7.45pm, every 15 minutes, till late on Friday to Sunday, visitors can enjoy an immersive 5.1 Surround Sound auditory experience that is worth six minutes of your life.
The man behind the evocative and exotic music is Mr Sha’aban Yahya. The 67-year-old Singaporean Malay told a small group of ASEAN reporters recently at Kampong Gelam that his composition was a mix of traditional Indonesian instruments, with Chinese and Malay percussion instruments, and more.
It’s done in a way that would have been impossible in Indonesia due to the restrictive rules governing the use of traditional instruments. The music and motif projected on the historic mosque. Visuals projected include date tree, olives, ketupat, and geometric patterns representative of Islamic arts.
This is the sixth year for the light show, which is part of the Ramadan Bazaar at Kampong Gelam (Gemilang Kampong Gelam 2025), where the mosque stood at the heart of the district.
There’s a lot of differences but we have integrated them well,” the unassuming Yahya, who spent 22 years said, referring to the Malay, Middle Eastern, and Indian flavours in the music and light show.
The piece is entitled The Ninth Month, which in the Islamic Calendar, is the holy month of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan, the composer stressed, is “not just [about] fasting but a time for revelation.” His evocative music, as you can hear and see in this video taken on the premier evening, attests to that.
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NOTE: The free light show runs every Friday to Sunday night at Sultan Mosque from now until March 25.
The writer would like to thank One Kampong Gelam for the kind invitation. Special thanks to Muse & Motif for organising the trip and ParkRoyal on Beach Road for the accommodation.
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