NDP theme song looks to the future
Screencap: NDPeeps/YouTube
SINGAPORE — Three years ago, they uploaded a medley of covers of National Day Parade (NDP) songs online, to warm response by the local community, garnering almost 40,000 views.
But little did six-piece band 53A expect to be contributing to the NDP in a bigger way three years later, by performing this year’s NDP theme song, written by musician and songwriter Don Richmond — himself penning an NDP theme song for the first time.
The song, Tomorrow is Here Today, and its music video — shot in a single take — was released to the public on Sunday (June 19). The band will be performing the song to a 55,000-strong crowd at the National Stadium during the parade.
The band has performed at bars like Timbre @ The Substation and HIVE by Wala Wala since 2003, and released an album called Settle the Kettle in 2010. They also recorded the demo for Mr Richmond after he wrote the NDP theme song, but was surprised to be selected.
Said vocalist Sara Wee in an interview with TODAY: “I think the general Singaporean public doesn’t know us so it’s quite cool that they’re giving the underdogs an opportunity.”
The 30-year-old also added, “Of course you’re proud of the fact that you’ve achieved enough that you can be the person to sing the NDP song.”
On the experience of writing the NDP theme song, Mr Richmond, 39, noted that in previous years, the songs often paid tribute to older generations of Singaporeans toiling to build the country. This year, he wanted to convey the younger generation that the future was theirs to create.
“I think that’s a nice slogan to sum it all up because you don’t wait for tomorrow to happen, you work today so that tomorrow is great,” added Mr Richmond, who has worked with local musicians such as Taufik Batisah, Shigga Shay and 53A, and produced a theme song for the former Lions XII.
To make the song stick in people’s heads, Mr Richmond said he wrote the song to revolve around a vocal hook that had no lyrics, consisting of catchy “oohs” and “aahs”.
Mr Richmond also said he was honoured to be chosen, recalling how veteran musician and composer Dick Lee told him eight years ago during a gig that he should write a national day song for the country.
“I actually laughed and went ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get a chance to do it,’” Mr Richmond said. “It’s something very surreal. You don’t think you’d probably be one of those to write a national day song, but then it happens and I’m glad it happened.”
