NDP 2019 to feature theme song with 27 artistes, heartland mobile column
SINGAPORE — A theme song featuring 27 Singaporean artistes past and present and a mobile column in five heartland sites are the key features of the 54th National Day Parade.
The song “Our Singapore” (2019), a remake of previous NDP songs “We Will Get There” (2002) and “Our Singapore” (2015), is sung by familiar faces such as Jacinta Abisheganadan, Stefanie Sun, Charlie Lim and Sheikh Haikel at the NDP, which will be held at the Padang.
The youngest performers are Caitlin Tan and Jordin Tan, both 11. The song’s music video, helmed by acclaimed director Royston Tan, features some 300 performers.
Speaking to reporters at the unveiling of the official NDP 2019 logo and theme (Our Singapore) on Wednesday (22 May), veteran NDP music director Dr Sydney Tan said the song was about “giving honour and homage to the old generation and those who walked before us”.
Given that the NDP 2018 theme song was also a remake, Dr Tan was asked why the executive committee had chosen to do the same this year. “I believe it’s horses for courses: what’s appropriate at a point of time,” said Dr Tan.
“The decision for this year was made based on, we wanted to get all these people across the generations. And we wanted lyrics curated, that when each individual from each generation sang...those words, you would feel something.”
The theme of gratitude and the appeal to nostalgia are in line with this year’s Bicentennial celebrations, which marks the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore.
NDP is traditionally held at the Padang every five years, with its last edition there in 2015. But NDP 2019 executive committee chair Brigadier-General Yew Chee Leung revealed that the Padang parade is being held a year earlier because of the Bicentennial celebrations.
2019 marks 50 years since the mobile column first made its appearance at the Padang.
BG Yew said that the theme of “Our Singapore” represents our “collective ownership of Singapore and the need for Singaporeans to stay as one united people. “NDP 2019 will celebrate our Singapore story from past to present, and highlight how Singaporeans today are living the dreams of our pioneers to inspire today’s generation to be the pioneers of our future.”
Meanwhile, a mobile column of armoured vehicles, featuring new assets such as the Armoured Fighting Vehicles, will cover five heartland sites on 10 August, the day after the NDP.
It will travel to Bishan, Geylang Serai, Jurong East, Punggol and Woodlands, where there will also be carnivals organised by the People’s Association. The one-day celebrations will culminate in fireworks displays at each of the five sites.
Other highlights include old favourites such as the Red Lions, as well as a prologue segment featuring floats representing key organisations such as Singapore General Hospital, The Straits Times, and POSB.
NDP 2019 is organised by Headquarters Armour, together with public and private sector agencies. It will involve about 15,000 participants.
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