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Mar 10
14
I Can Relate to This!

Were there snake charmers in Singapore?

Does anyone remember a time when snake charmers played their tunes in Singapore? I have only seen snake charmers in the movies, playing some sort of flute and with a hypnotic tune command snakes to pop out of their basket and dance a little dance. Derek writes about the snake charmers who used to play in front of Raffles Hotel.

snake_charmers2

Derek writes:

Back in the 1960s, I loved seeing all the snake charmers and magicians who performed their act at the Padang and in front of Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The photo shows three snake charmers, complete with flutes, baskets and cobras, at Mount Faber.

You can read about the snake charmers of Singapore here. Of course, snakes don’t actually hear the music of snake charmers - they’re deaf! Charmers usually charm the snakes by tapping on the floor - they respond to the vibrations.

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(9) Comments


Posted by: alex
Posted on: March 14th, 2010

Hello Nice post from you. I like this article post. I love read articles about singapore.

Posted by: francis
Posted on: March 15th, 2010

Only in Novemeber 2009, I met a snake charmer with his 2 assistants. They were making their way to performance at the courtyard infront of the Images of Singapore at Sentonsa Island. However, he had a brief exchange and he did mentioned that his children are not taking up the family tradition, so his 2 relatives(assistants) are helping and learning the rope. He also mentioned that he does also still make performance on mt faber and during invitations to events, funtions etc.

Posted by: noelbynature
Posted on: March 15th, 2010

wow! so you may have been talking to the last few snake charmers left in Singapore. on an off tangent note, that sounds like a great title for a movie or documentary: The Last Snake Charmer in Singapore. any takers?

Posted by: Sian
Posted on: March 15th, 2010

I can remember as a 10 year old being taken to see the gully gully men at The Gap on Sunday mornings and to have my photos taken with their snakes!

Posted by: snake charmer
Posted on: April 1st, 2010

hi thanx for all the comend i am the singapore snake charmer their are my uncle it's a very nice picture

Posted by: M
Posted on: April 21st, 2010

Nice comments. I seen charmer when I am young. nice story

Posted by: Pariuri sportive
Posted on: June 14th, 2010

Singapore has snake charmers, I am totally surprised.

Posted by: Gordon Fowler
Posted on: May 8th, 2011

If you would like to go to my Old Singapore gallery you will see a Snake Charmer at work outside the temple in South Bridge Road, taken in 1968, they used to move around the city and were often seen outside of the Raffles Hotel, I was trying to find out if they were still practising. Gordon

Posted by: Gordon Fowler
Posted on: May 8th, 2011

Please go to http://www.panoramio.com/user/5462617 and look in my Old Singapore gallery you will see a snake charmer at work.

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