When east meets west

The Virginia International Tattoo's stage comes alive with a Singaporean blend of multi-ethnic music and dance for the first time.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Central Band may have been the only Asian band in this year's Tattoo line-up, but it did not disappoint in showcasing a colourful array of cultures through its performance.

The audience in Norfolk, Virginia, United States (US) was treated to 10 minutes of music, dance and military precision all working together in perfect harmony.

Said Mission Leader and Band Conductor Military Expert (ME) 5 Steven Tan: "We wanted to showcase our musical expertise, and also how three different entities like the Music and Drama Company (MDC), the SAF Band and the Military Police Command's Silent Precision Drill Squad can come together to produce a very well-coordinated performance for the audience. From this, we can show how professional and how excellent Singapore is to the audience."

This was the SAF Band's maiden performance at this year's Virginia International Tattoo, held from 27 to 30 Apr at the Scope Arena in Norfolk. The annual tattoo featured more than 1,000 performers.