Sara Wee

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Sara Wee
Sara Wee.jpg
Born13 April 1986
EducationDiploma in Musical Technology, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music
Alma materLASALLE College of the Arts
Height163 cm (5 ft 4 in)
Spouse(s)Bani Hidir (m. 2018)

Sara Wee (born 13 April 1986) is a Singaporean musician. She is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the band, 53A[1] and a vocal coach. Outside of music, Sara is a certified yoga instructor. As of 18 May 2020, she has over 20,000 followers on Instagram.

Background

Education

Sara enrolled in LASALLE College of the Arts after secondary school.[2] She completed her Diploma in Musical Technology before pursuing a degree in Jazz Vocals at the college.[3][4] She graduated from LASALLE with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Music.[5][6]

Personal life

Marriage to Bani Hidir (2018 - present day)

Sara is married to Bani Hidir, a fellow musician and band member of 53A.[7][8] Bani proposed to Sara on 6 November 2018[9] and the couple held their solemnisation ceremony on 8 December 2018.[10][11]

Music career

Sara has been performing at live music events since 2004.[12] Growing up, she listened to The Beatles almost every day.[13] She is also inspired by artists like Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani and Shirley Manson.[14]

53A - Lead vocalist & rhythm guitarist (2003 - present day)

Sara (far right) and husband, Bani Hidir (second from left) are two-fifths of the band, 53A. Photo from Timbre.

53A was formed in 2003 with Sara as one of its founding members.[15][16] The band released their debut album, Settle The Kettle in 2010.[17][18] In 2016, 53A was invited to perform the National Day Parade (NDP) theme song, Tomorrow’s Here Today - a piece composed by Don Richmond.[19][20] As of 2020, the band performs twice a week at Timbre @ The Substation.[21][22][23]

National Day 2019 - Guest artist & performer

Sara pictured at the NDP 2019. Photo from Instagram.

In 2019, Sara was featured in the music video of Singapore’s National Day theme song, Our Singapore (2019).[24] She subsequently performed at the parade on 9 August 2019.[25]

Vocal coach

Over the years, Sara has been involved as a vocal trainer at several music institutions in Singapore. She has also been invited as a mentor for music programmes like Noise Singapore.[26][27] The table below lists some of Sara's career highlights as a vocal coach and mentor.

Year Institution/ Programme Position Refs.
2017 - present day I Theatre Vocal Director [28]
2015 - present day School of Music at LASALLE College of the Arts Part-time Lecturer [29]
2006 - present day Timbre Music Academy Strum and String Instructor [30]
2012 Noise Singapore Mentor [31]
2009 Singapore Idol Season Three Vocal Coach [32]

The Great Singapore Replay (2017) - Featured artist

In 2017, Sara was one of the Singaporean musicians featured in the first season of The Great Singapore Replay - a project led by the National Arts Council and Temasek Holdings to raise awareness about Singapore’s music history.[33][34] Sara collaborated with local artist Joie Tan to perform a rendition of Circling Square (1994) by Humpback Oak.[35]

Lost in Transit (2005) - Main cast

Sara pictured as Mia in Lost in Transit (2005). Photo from Singapore Musicals.

In 2005, Sara played the lead role (Mia) in the musical production Lost In Transit.[36][37] The musical debuted at The Arts House on 26 June 2005 as a part of the Five Foot Broadway festival and the Singapore Arts Festival.[38] Sara had also arranged the music for the production.[39]

Discography

Despite being in a band since 2003, Sara has also released original music as a solo artist on her YouTube channel. However, she is not active on the platform as of May 2020. Her last upload, a cover of Carnival by The Cardigans together with JAWN and Joie Tan, was posted in 2017.[40]

2018

Sara pictured in the music video for Hold My Hand (2018).

Sara wrote Hold My Hand as the theme song for The Enabling Festival in 2018.[41][42] The festival aimed to raise community awareness and support for dementia patients and their caregivers.[43]

Date Released Song Duration Single/ Album Release Refs.
5 October 2018 Hold My Hand 3:13 Single Release [44]

2009

Date Released Song Duration Single/ Album Release Refs.
7 August 2009 18th Century Love 3:56 Single Release [45]
18 June 2009 Anymore 3:55 [46]

2008

Date Released Song Duration Single/ Album Release Refs.
29 July 2008 Time 6:39 Single Release [47]
20 February 2008 Everything But Anything 5:00 [48]
15 February 2008 Put Me Down 4:56 [49]

Other endeavours

Fitness - Yoga instructor

Sara is a certified yoga instructor at The Yoga Mandala. Photo from Cheryl Tay.

Sara is a Yoga Alliance RYT200 certified yoga instructor at The Yoga Mandala in Telok Ayer.[50][51][52][53] She began practising yoga in June 2014 and decided to take up a twenty-day teacher training course by December that year.[54] In June 2018, Sara took on another 500-hour training course.[55]

Social media partnerships

The following table lists some of the brands that Sara has worked with over the years. As of 2020, Sara is listed as a NIKE ambassador.

Year Brand Refs.
2020 POCARI SWEAT [56]
Bioderma Singapore [57]
NIKE [58]
Love & Bravery [59][60]
2019 Ultimate Ears Singapore [61]
Circle DNA [62]
Browhaus Singapore [63]
Samsonite [64]
Uniqlo Singapore [65]
Philips Singapore [66]
2018 Sophia Studio [67]
Aldo Shoes Singapore [68]
Sony Singapore [69]
MAKE UP FOR EVER Singapore [70]
SK-II [71][72]
2017 Marina Square Singapore [73]
2016 ACUVUE [74]
Fuji Film [75]
Superdry Singapore [76]

References / Citations

  1. 53A”. timbre group. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  2. Timbre Music. “TMA Instructor Series - SARA”. YouTube. May 30, 2016. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  3. National Arts Council. “The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP)”. Noise Singapore 2012: New Mentors and Returning Mentors. 2012. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  4. LASALLE Singapore. “LASALLE Has It - Music: Sara Wee”. YouTube. September 28, 2015. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  5. Heng, Melissa. “Chilling out with the TV and laundry”. The Straits Times. January 5, 2017. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  6. LASALLE College of the Arts. “Sara Wee”. STAR ALUMNI. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  7. 53A”. timbre group. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  8. Raguraman, Anjali. “Meet 53A, the band behind this year’s National Day song”. The Straits Times. June 26, 2016. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  9. saraweeruyu. Instagram. November 6, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp1xrOlB2Sh/?igshid=1o6xea1nk6t4t
  10. Sara Wee. “About”. Facebook. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  11. saraweeruyu. Instagram. December 17, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BrfU2Cph7E3/?igshid=ec4cxsfs7gy7
  12. National Arts Council. “The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP)”. Noise Singapore 2012: New Mentors and Returning Mentors. 2012. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  13. Wee, Sara. “Sara Wee: Buro. Singapore Festive Playlist #182”. BURO. November 15, 2018. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  14. Tan, Pakkee. “INSPIRING STORIES: SARA WEE LETS HER PASSION LEAD THE WAY”. Harper's Bazaar. May 4, 2017. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  15. Ho, Mabel. “#wcw: Sara Wee”. askmen. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  16. Heng, Melissa. “Chilling out with the TV and laundry”. The Straits Times. January 5, 2017. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  17. LASALLE College of the Arts. “Sara Wee”. STAR ALUMNI. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  18. 53A”. timbre group. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  19. The Straits Times. “National Day Song 2016: Tomorrow’s Here Today, performed by 53A”. YouTube. June 19, 2016. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  20. Raguraman, Anjali. “Meet 53A, the band behind this year’s National Day song”. The Straits Times. June 26, 2016. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  21. 53A. “About”. Facebook. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  22. Wee, Sara. “Sara Wee: Buro. Singapore Festive Playlist #182”. BURO.. November 15, 2018. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  23. Lim, Elena. “27 Female Lead Singers in Singapore Bands And Where To Catch Them Live”. ZULA. March 6, 2017. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  24. Hear65. “Our Singapore: Spot the musicians in 2019’s epic National Day music video”. bandwagon. May 22, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  25. saraweeruyu. Instagram. August 16, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OJBGtASeA/?igshid=k05cg34v9zyz
  26. National Arts Council. “The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP)”. Noise Singapore 2012: New Mentors and Returning Mentors. 2012. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  27. SARA WEE (MUSIC MATTERS ACADEMY)”. ALL THAT MATTERS. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  28. Heng, Melissa. “Chilling out with the TV and laundry”. The Straits Times. January 5, 2017. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  29. LASALLE College of the Arts. “Sara Wee”. STAR ALUMNI. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  30. Timbre Music. “TMA Instructor Series - SARA”. YouTube. May 30, 2016. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  31. All Hail the Queens: Celebrating the women of Singaporean music”. bandwagon. March 8, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  32. National Arts Council. “The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP)”. Noise Singapore 2012: New Mentors and Returning Mentors. 2012. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  33. Raguraman, Anjali. “The Great Singapore Replay: Musicians celebrate local pop music heritage”. The Straits Times. August 30, 2017. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  34. Mayo Martin. “From The Quests to The Oddfellows, classic Singaporean songs get introduced to a new generation”. Channel News Asia. June 1, 2017. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  35. Temasek Digital. “Circling Square (1994) - Joie Tan x Sara Wee”. YouTube. December 15, 2017. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  36. National Arts Council. “The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP)”. Noise Singapore 2012: New Mentors and Returning Mentors. 2012. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  37. Ang, Steven. “Lost In Transit”. Singapore Musicals. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  38. Ang, Steven. "Lost In Transit". Singapore Musicals. Accessed on 18 May 2020.
  39. Lyen, Ken. “Five Foot Broadway 2005”. Singapore Musicals. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  40. Sara Wee. “Carnival (Pluck Version) by The Cardigans (a cover by JAWN, Joie and Sara.)”. YouTube. August 17, 2017. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  41. Enable ASIA. Facebook. August 25, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=480052182396444&story_fbid=830372217364437
  42. Enable Asia. “"HOLD MY HAND” MTV featuring SARA WEE”. YouTube. October 9, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  43. "Enabling Festival 2018". National Design Centre. Accessed on 18 May 2020.
  44. Enable Asia. “"HOLD MY HAND” MTV featuring SARA WEE”. YouTube. October 9, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  45. Sara Wee. “18th Century Love - Sara Wee *original*”. YouTube. August 7, 2009. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  46. Sara Wee. “Anymore *original* - Sara Wee”. YouTube. June 18, 2009. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  47. Sara Wee. “*original* Time - Sara Wee”. YouTube. July 29, 2008. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  48. Sara Wee. “*original* Everything But Anything - Sara Wee”. YouTube. February 20, 2008. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  49. Sara Wee. “*original* Put Me Down - Sara Wee”. YouTube. February 15, 2008. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  50. Sara Wee”. GoTrainer. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  51. Heng, Melissa. “Chilling out with the TV and laundry”. The Straits Times. January 5, 2017. Accessed on 12 May 2020.
  52. Wee, Sara. “Sara Wee: Buro. Singapore Festive Playlist #182”. BURO.. November 15, 2018. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  53. Our Team”. The Yoga Mandala. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  54. Tay, Cheryl. “Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Sara Wee of 53A”. yahoo! news. February 16, 2015. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  55. saraweeruyu. Instagram. June 28, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BkjfcWsA1Nf/?igshid=yvcu9d5jle69
  56. saraweeruyu. Instagram. April 14, 2020. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-9meBiph0q/?igshid=18xvd0e2dmmzh
  57. saraweeruyu. Instagram. March 2, 2020. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9OAO6hp2Ql/?igshid=fz1ucu3qilnh
  58. saraweeruyu. Instagram. Accessed on 13 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/saraweeruyu/?hl=en
  59. saraweeruyu. Instagram. Accessed on 13 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/saraweeruyu/?hl=en
  60. Love & Bravery. “At Home With: Julia & Sara International Siblings Day Feature”. Lifestyle. April 10, 2020. Accessed on 14 May 2020.
  61. saraweeruyu. Instagram. October 3, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3J582wJefs/?igshid=1mce3dt2xsccv
  62. saraweeruyu. Instagram. August 7, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B03ELFgJkpn/?igshid=12w36ugd5367q
  63. saraweeruyu. Instagram. December 28, 2016. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOi_0nrDetE/?igshid=a0egycsd8ipl
  64. saraweeruyu. Instagram. February 22, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BuLEX_xBre4/?igshid=1w1ysc9v3pwdk
  65. saraweeruyu. Instagram. February 18, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BuAldfHBCoc/?igshid=ze22ibjlwje7
  66. saraweeruyu. Instagram. December 20, 2019. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6R7LeKpvwm/?igshid=v6qh6256rowd
  67. saraweeruyu. Instagram. September 26, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BoLNmFfBYoO/?igshid=ym5yim55mdae
  68. saraweeruyu. Instagram. September 3, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BnQDV2pne9U/?igshid=1k7d5wpuga1d9
  69. saraweeruyu. Instagram. July 20, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlcHlCWnVbq/?igshid=129m13llf0jxk
  70. saraweeruyu. Instagram. July 10, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlCXbh2nMlB/?igshid=103qd26s5wsm3
  71. saraweeruyu. Instagram. January 22, 2018. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeP85bcDUmO/?igshid=ef19btdggtjy
  72. Lieu, Ning. “Utt And Sara Wee Revealed As SK-II’s It Guy And It Girl”. Her World. March 22, 2013. Accessed on 13 May 2020.
  73. saraweeruyu. Instagram. October 6, 2017. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ5HzkADdzZ/?igshid=1pasmdh5k3pzz
  74. saraweeruyu. Instagram. November 22, 2016. Accessed on 14 may 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNGTMjWDwuG/?igshid=nc8vbodhhfey
  75. saraweeruyu. Instagram. November 23, 2016. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNI5TBejlpp/?igshid=l1h1bhu2700
  76. saraweeruyu. Instagram. May 14, 2016. Accessed on 14 May 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BFX5Zgara4L/?igshid=mtzvf8ep7dn9