In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation.
Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook.
Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges.
Photo: screen grab from Singapore Prime Minister’s Office’s Web site
Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs in the past, Tung said, citing then-Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) using Taiwanese songs The Past Can Only Be Remembered (往事只能回味), I Am a Little Bird (我是一隻小小鳥) and the pop classic Tomorrow Will Be Better (明天會更好) at a rally in 2013.
Plenty of Taiwanese songs are played at weddings and other gatherings in Singapore, Tung added, such as The Moon Represents My Heart (月亮代表我的心) and When I Heard the Applause (掌聲響起).
Singapore hosted 99 major concerts in 2023, of which 20 were Taiwanese, the most of any other nation, Tung said.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan’s representative office in Singapore via CNA
Taiwanese stars Jay Chou (周杰倫), Mayday (五月天), A-mei (阿妹) and more have performed sellout shows in Singapore, he said.
Music transcends borders and brings people together, Tung said, adding that the popularity of Taiwanese songs in Singapore illustrates the cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Singapore.
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