Birthdays are always accompanied by songs – what more the birthday of a country.
While we're all familiar with the official theme song for this year's National Day, we thought we'd take the time to honour the unofficial original tracks, tributes and medleys that have been put out to celebrate our nation's independence come August 9.
Below are five great National Day tributes and medleys that you should know of.
Music and Drama Company Alumni – ‘Singapore National Day Songs Medley 2019’
The Music and Drama Company Alumni reunites for a medley of iconic National Day songs, and right off the bat, the compilation track lets you know that they’re not playing around. Intricate musicianship and composition lead the charge in this medley, with slick blues implications and the vocal performances from many esteemed veterans within the company. While this isn’t an official NDP theme, it is a great representation of our local talents and music.
Voices of Singapore – ‘In One Voice – 2019 National Day Tribute’
Written and arranged by Darius Lim, and performed by Voices of Singapore Choral Society & Friends, ‘In One Voice’ is an original track that was released as a tribute to the Lion City. An orchestra backs the strong vocal performances of Freda Lim, Joyce Ang and co., resulting in one of the most heartfelt tracks to come out of our nation, with its theme of solidarity and unity being necessary now more than ever.
SGWonderwall – ‘Happy National Day: Rediscover Singapore on a Longboard’
A cover of the iconic ‘Chan Mali Chan’, this track breathes new life into an old classic. With its groovy baselines and soulful vocal performance, the track is given a modern-day spin, with lush R&B stylings that would connect with the younger generation. The video is also incredibly well-shot, with drones capturing the beauty of Singapore from above as a girl glides around on her longboard.
The Cold Cut Duo ft. Ben Hum & Natalie Tan – ‘Our Singapore NDP Songs (National Day Cover)’
The Cold Cut Duo, Ben Hum and Natalie Tan unite for one of the best National Day medleys in Singapore’s history. The four musicians band together to recreate 15 iconic National Day songs, and filmed its video at 12 locations across the country within 12 hours. While the music video is a remarkable feat, the true beauty of this piece is how well all the songs are tied together, with seamless transitions.
MADDspace ft Karena Yeo – ‘National Day Medley 2019’
The last medley in our list for this year, MADDspace and Karena Yeo pay homage to a slew of iconic National Day themes, with a twist, as child musicians join in for a cute little spin on the classics. The track, and video, do a great job of not only showing of the scenery of Singapore, but also the rising talents of tomorrow.
