Check In China The Star - VIEWS Friday September 19, 2014 A ‘potluck’ song made in Beijing youtu.be/AhwSHj0sYv8 BY THO XIN YI One for the album: The group of Malaysians in Beijing posing for the camera after lending their support on the music video for Together as One. v.youku/v_show/id_XNzgzMzQ4OTAw.html?x Like the group who all chipped in to make it, ‘Together as One’ is a colourful, personal testimony to unity and friendship. A GROUP of Malaysian Chinese residing in Beijing is extending the hand of friendship to locals through a song. Titled Together as One, the song in Mandarin was solely written and recorded by them to relay a message of mutual understanding, respect and tolerance. One of the masterminds behind the project, Will Fung, said the idea to produce the song came to him after the MH370 incident. “The Chinese nationals were generally friendly towards Malaysians, but we became the direct receiver of their hostility at the height of the plane’s disappearance,” Fung, a lawyer who has been living in Beijing for close to nine years, said. “Although interest in the incident has subsided six months after March 8, we can still feel the existence of a shadow in their hearts.” Fung was convinced that a song would help to extend the goodwill of Malaysians and boost friendship between the people as both countries celebrate 40 years of diplomatic ties this year. “We had wanted to lie low during the sensitive period because of our identity as Malaysians, but now it is time for us to declare to the world at large that together, we can overcome all challenges,” he said. His proposal was well received by some fellow Malaysians who volunteered to contribute their efforts to make it a reality. Most of them do not have professional backgrounds in music production but each went ahead to try his best. Jane Ng and Lee Xue Hwee penned the song lyrics, based on the group’s collective ideas. It highlighted the roots shared by descendants of the Chinese and called for consideration and mutual support among all. Ng said Malaysian Chinese continue to practice the traditions passed down by their forefathers. “For instance, we have reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year and we visit our ancestors’ graves on Qing Ming,” the housewife and part-time finance, human resources and administration manager, 37, said. “Our culture has become part of the colourful, multiethnic society in Malaysia.” A Beijing-based Malaysian musician, DJ Wee, composed the melody, and the song was later recorded and produced at Wesley Tan’s Wav Music & Entertainment. Ten Malaysians, including Giselle Chia, an artiste signed under Wav, sang the song. Wee’s advice to them during the recording session was to let their feelings flow and sing with sincerity. Tan chipped in: “Their pronunciation is uniquely Malaysian. While imperfections can be tweaked in the computer, their feelings cannot be digitally dubbed into the song.” The shooting of the music video was done in a typical Malaysian style – a carnival-like potluck with lots of home-cooked dishes contributed by Malaysians in Beijing. The kids were also roped in to sing a short, modified version of Rasa Sayang. Fung stressed that the production of the song stemmed from patriotism in the hearts of the Malaysians in Beijing. “We are Malaysian Chinese. We love Malaysia as we uphold our Chinese values. This is the small part we can do as a Malaysian community in China in the face of a national tragedy.” The rest in the team echoed Fung’s view. Lee Bin Hau said, “We are fortunate to have the chance to work in one of the world’s fastest growing economies, but we never forget our Malaysian roots. “When people ask me where I come from and why I can speak fluent Mandarin, I am always proud to say that I am from multicultural Malaysia, and I am a Malaysian Chinese.” During the launching ceremony of the song on Tuesday night – two months after Fung first initiated the idea – Tan told the crowd that Together as One moved him to tears when he listened to it for the first time. He added that the team spirit displayed by the group in executing the project was exactly like the unity mentioned in the song. youtu.be/AhwSHj0sYv8 Rodney Looi, a Malaysian who has been living in Beijing for two years, said they were celebrating not just the launch of the song, but the desire for peace and unity. “We will not sit quietly and watch the world get torn apart. We will and we can make a difference, no matter how small,” he said.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 03:58:29 +0000
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