Getai, Kotai Or Gatai ?

Getai, Kotai or Gatai?
THE Hungry Ghost Month has been long over but scintillating gyrations of scantily-clad singers who performed on the makeshift stages are still being talked about in Malaysia and Singapore.
In Singapore, where they are called getai (singers’ stage in Hokkien) the shows were certainly the raunchiest to be seen in the republic.
Among the undisputed stars of this year’s shows were a pole dancer - teenager Zi Yee and Ya Ya, a Taiwanese singer billed as the “sexiest” getai act.
Seventeen-year-old Zi Yee, who resembles Taiwanese pop star Jolin Tsai drew drools as she twisted, spun and flipped herself around 3m pole in a sexy black and red costume.
According to The New Paper of Singapore, Zi Yee, who sat for her O-levels last year, earned between S$800 and S$1,000 (RM1,970 and RM2,470) for 20 minutes of pole-dancing - a big jump from singing gigs that pay S$120 to S$150 (RM296 to RM370) for the same time.
As for Ya Ya, she raised eyebrows and as well as sweat from her audience during her shows as she removed pieces of clothing between songs.
Beginning her acts in long frilly dresses, she would teasingly remove items of clothing in the build-up to the finale when she would strip down to a bikini top and bottom
As songs got more racy and vulgar and shows more risque, police had to step in to warn organisors to tone down and meet stipulated conditions for permits.
But the getai girls and their promoters had their supporters, even in academia.
Dr Philip Liu Hsiapong, an assistant professor in the Nanyang University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said stripping was “normal” for such shows in Taiwan.
Describing Singaporeans as “too conservative”, he said “we should look beyond how much the performers wear”.



As songs got more racy and vulgar and shows more risque, police had to step in to warn organisors to tone down and meet stipulated conditions for permits.
But the getai girls and their promoters had their supporters, even in academia.
Dr Philip Liu Hsiapong, an assistant professor in the Nanyang University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, said stripping was “normal” for such shows in Taiwan.
Describing Singaporeans as “too conservative”, he said “we should look beyond how much the performers wear”.