“I’m just an ordinary DJ, no different from any other... I just want to spread my love for music to all partygoers, the sight of them dancing, jumping… and getting crazy to my songs makes me feel happy and gain more confidence each time,” said DJ Dash, 27 years old. DJ Dash, who used to be the resident DJ at Envy Dance Club, has also spinned at Wan and D’ Underground on nights that are dedicated to manyao music. Through spinning manyao and putting up his on mixes, DJ Dash has gained a wide fan base of about 1000 followers that look out for his appearances at clubs.
DJ Dash, who is now a well-known DJ that spins the Manyao genre, started off deejaying at the age of 25 He practiced mixing and playing various tunes in his free time. In just 2 years, he became a full fledged club DJ under his mentor, DJ Sparco.
Desmond made his debut at ‘Planet Paradise’, a local thai club, located at Liang Court Singapore beside Clarke Quay as a guest DJ, progressing to 2 other night clubs before helming the residency at ENVY Dance Club. He first started spinning Eurodance as his main genre, moving on to genres such as progressive & electro house, EDM, and bounce. He later on progressed to “manyao” which gave him his big break. Having an interest in music since young, and was inspired by DJ Sparco’s remixes on a website call mIRC (Internet Relay Chat) where users are able to chat and download songs at the age of 12. In 2009, Desmond started of as a bartender in the nightlife industry, searching high and low for a mentor that could guide him. In 2011, Desmond was introduced into DJ-ing by DJ Sparco, who was a club resident DJ at Club 228 then. DJ Sparco later became his mentor and taught him the ropes of deejaying.
"Manyao", also known as Mandapop translates to 'slow swaying' in Mandarin. The genre 'Manyao' is now booming through speakers or many clubs, especially Thai discos. Manyao does not only consist of mandarin songs, but a mix of EDM and Mandarin or Cantonese songs remixed together. This genre is rising in popularity in Singapore. Manyao also gives off nostalgia to partygoers with oldies remix, which targets 20-35 year olds. Manyao does not only attract the Chinese partygoers to start dancing and singing along with the music, but other races as well.
As manyao is rising in popularity in Singapore’s nightlife, it is played at various clubs and pubs, especially thai discos. Due to high demands, even English clubs such as Get Juiced and Club Wan hold manyao nights on Wednesday nights as well.
Thai discos, as compared to English clubs are more relaxed and laid-back. In English clubs, everyone is expected to follow the imposed dress code. However, for Thai discos, guests are able to wear anything they’re comfortable in. Partygoers in Thai discos usually sit down and relax while listening to Manyao, while in English clubs, people have no choice but to stand and crowd around to dance unless they are willing to spend up to S$1.5K to be entitled to a table.
Mako Wang, a fan of Deejay Dash’s music, prefers Thai disco clubs. “I used to favour English clubs a lot, but the culture is classy and fancy.” On the other hand, non-English clubs have a more toned down and laid-back atmosphere, where some feel they can relax better and enjoy the music. One such club is ENVY, where DJ Dash spins in. “Ever since I went to ENVY, I’ve been going back a lot for DJ Dash… My friends and I love and appreciate his music a lot,” said the 20-year-old, who also enjoys other club deejays like DJ BIG M, DJ Reiko and DJ Ghetto.
Many assume that club songs only appeal to teenagers who enjoy nightlife, but now even trendy clubs where middle-aged clubbers go to are playing Manyao. Thai discos are patronised by adults in order for them to relax and unwind with their colleagues and friends after a long day of work, and to enjoy their favourite music. Many club-goers find that grooving along to catchy Manyao tunes helps relieve stress from everyday life.
Although manyao is currently loved by many, some still believe that manyao is a genre of music meant for gangsters or “bengs”. However, that is not true. Even though it is mostly popular among youths, adults do enjoy manyao as well as it gives them a nostalgic feel since it consists of spin-offs of old time favourite tunes.
“Siam Dius (Thai clubs) plays a lot of nostalgic songs like 不再犹豫 (bu zai you yu), which is one of my favourite all time music. Nowadays, I cannot find clubs that I feel like I fit into as they are always playing hip songs for young people. However, siam dius (Thai clubs) play Manyao and that makes me feel like I’ve transformed into my young self again.” says James Tan, aged 28 years old.
James often visits Thai clubs with his co-workers to relax and have a drink. It is one of his favourite place as he enjoys the nostalgic and golden oldies played there. “At Siamdius (Thai clubs), I really feel like I can let loose and have fun. I can sing along loudly with my friends and colleagues. It is not just pure old chinese songs. I can simply turn on my radio and play old chinese songs and have a beer by myself at home. But Siamdius (Thai clubs) plays old songs that are remixed and up-beat, which makes me feel young at heart. “
Siamdius (Thai Clubs) are patronized by people of all ages, as long as they are above the legal age of course. Not only do DJs spin at thai clubs, there are also live performances by singers during the early hours, providing an atmosphere that can be enjoyed by both the young and the old.
Manyao also brings different groups of people together - groups of different races, ages, and countries. Unlike hit songs being played in clubs, Manyao remixes golden oldies (something old or long-established, especially a hit record or song that has remained popular or is enjoying a revival) and memorable slow songs with EDM, making them catchy and addictive.
“The Chinese songs used in DJ Dash’s mixes are songs that I used to listen to when I was young and it gives me a feeling of nostalgia with a little twist,” says Darren Ng, 18, a fan of DJ Dash.
Presently, many in the club scene industry knows DJ Dash and his music. It is amazing how in just a short span of 2 years, DJ Dash has built such a strong power and influence. How did he cause such an impact on Singaporean partygoers? He is pretty much one of the reasons why Manyao is so wildly played in Singapore. Many may think that deejaying is as straightforward as combining 2 different songs together. But deejaying also requires skills, experience and practice. Even though it seems easy, deejays take hours of practice in the studio. Despite the plenty of young and upcoming DJs in Singapore, DJ Dash has always managed to maintain his fame throughout these years.
Even though many have told Desmond that this would not be an easy path, he never gave up and continued pursuing his dream of becoming a DJ putting in a lot of hard work and effort. Each day was challenging, but he endured every challenge he faced alongside his mentor, DJ Sparco.
With his perseverance, he has made a name for himself today, gaining a wide fan base of about 1000 followers that look out for his mixes and appearances at clubs.
“I like the remixes between Chinese and English songs, they make everyone in the club want to sing along,” Mako observed. “There was once I went to Manyao Night with my father and brother and it was super lit because we were all singing along... It is amazing how Manyao can bring people of all ages together, and we bonded a lot.” says Mako, making a point on how Manyao is able to bring people together despite the generation gap.
DJ Dash also shares with us about deejaying as a career in the long run. “Pursuing this as a long-term career will need the DJ to produce his/her own music and broadcast it worldwide in order to stay in the industry which I think I’m still not ready for any say,” says Desmond.
DJ Dash attributes his success to being able to network and socialise with his customers. He adds in, “In order to gain fans and popularity, music is the main point to secure everything. Besides music, if the DJ does not show positive attitude and ethics, he/she wouldn’t succeed and have no supporters. I believe in always staying humble. You won’t know (if) the one you’re currently speaking to is your future boss.”
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