In Search of Singaporeana

In a bustling world, maestro Jeremy Monteiro finds solace and connection through music's transcendent power.

- ZAT ASTHA

This story is not about my fascination and reverence for the King of Swing. Instead, my conversation with Monteiro turned out to be one of reflection. “I’ve had a few moments in my musical journey where I lost interest and fell out of love with music, Zat,” he shares. “I worked too hard and lost some of the sparkle.”

He brings up a time, 12 years ago in a hotel room in Penang, where he was scheduled to perform at the Penang Jazz Festival. “I was in my hotel room, gazing at the ocean and feeling grateful for the opportunities music had given me. The ability to travel, see beautiful sights, stay in luxurious hotels — these are experiences I couldn’t afford if it weren’t for music.”

It was like falling in love with music all over again — he even composed a tune to commemorate that feeling. “Some people speculated that Falling In Love Again was about a new romantic relationship, but in reality, it was about rediscovering my love for music,” Monteiro shares.

SINGAPORE JAZZ ASSOCIATION

I’m also here to speak to Monteiro about the Singapore Jazz Association (JASS), which he founded in September 2016 to promote jazz’s excellence, participation, and engagement in Singapore.