Our National Anthem

[KARTer]

You guys want me to do a rock cover for our national anthem?

Carlos Santana style will do

[Darryn]

To better reflect the multi-cultures in sgp, the lyrics can always consist of the 4 main languages when the country first started with. This will show respect to the pioneers/founders and also the original residents on the island 200years ago.

 

That wouldn't neccessarily be a bad idea - although it would make the anthem exponentially more difficult to learn. At least Malay (at least to my ears) is not that hard to learn - Chinese I have trouble getting more tongue around correctly (those damn tones!) and wouldn't even want to attempt Tamil....

 

It would also raise an interesting question of the role of the "national" language if even you anthem is not sung in this language.

 

Note - for the New Zealand example, I learnt today that "God Save the Queen" is still a recognised national anthem. Surprise surprise. I have never heard it sung (in NZ) and have never sung it......

[KARTer]

Eventually immigrants from the subcontinent will be the majority population here. Might as well jump straight to that language as the anthem.

not too sure about that bro.... after they have made their money here, they either go home to enjoy it or migrate to better places...

[KARTer]

That wouldn't neccessarily be a bad idea - although it would make the anthem exponentially more difficult to learn. At least Malay (at least to my ears) is not that hard to learn - Chinese I have trouble getting more tongue around correctly (those damn tones!) and wouldn't even want to attempt Tamil....

 

It would also raise an interesting question of the role of the "national" language if even you anthem is not sung in this language.

 

Note - for the New Zealand example, I learnt today that "God Save the Queen" is still a recognised national anthem. Surprise surprise. I have never heard it sung (in NZ) and have never sung it......

OIC. Its true that not all the 4 official languages here are easy to learn

 

If the Americans can take English as the language for their anthem despite the fact that lots of them (or their forefathers) are immigrants, maybe we should also, for practical reasons?

[Scion]

perhaps beside doing the pledge, new citizens should also sing the national anthem on the day they receive their pink IC

[Darryn]

OIC. Its true that not all the 4 official languages here are easy to learn

 

If the Americans can take English as the language for their anthem despite the fact that lots of them (or their forefathers) are immigrants, maybe we should also, for practical reasons?

 

As an FYI - America doesn't have an "official" or a "national" language.

 

Also, the majority of the Early American settlers spoke English - so this is the language that developed by default.

 

Now huge numbers speak Spanish - so much so that some schools teach in it

[Darryn]

perhaps beside doing the pledge, new citizens should also sing the national anthem on the day they receive their pink IC

 

Last time I remember teaching the national anthem to a new citizen - because of something to do with her citizenship ceremony - I can't quite remember why.

 

 

I do remember she was a lovely lady with lots of kids....

[Acieed]

We tend to boast a lot about our multiculturalism, when in fact big countries like U.S. and China have more immigrants and ethic diversity than we do.

 

At one point, the U.S. as we know today only covers a few states on the East Coast. English was the dominant language there, and it's also what British administrators used and its what brings the paycheck. Many early European American settlers were actually Germans, Italians, Irish, but many were not very educated in the first place, many can't even spell their own European names. Many American last names as we know them today are similar-sounding misspelled European names - e.g. U.S. President Eisenhower would have been Eisenhauer.

 

The Mandarin language as we know today is a relatively modern language evolved over hundreds of years and probably has more foreign vocabulary than original Han Chinese. The farther it gets from the administrative capital(s), the less "mutated" it got and closer it is to "Han Chinese" from 2,000 years ago. We are more likely to communicate to our ancestors in Hokkien or Cantonese than Mandarin if time travel is possible. Japanese and Korean probably also contains more vocabulary from ancient Chinese, than modern Mandarin.

 

However, both countries have over time, accepts bits of different local and foreign cultures to create a common identity.

 

As an FYI - America doesn't have an "official" or a "national" language.

 

Also, the majority of the Early American settlers spoke English - so this is the language that developed by default.

 

Now huge numbers speak Spanish - so much so that some schools teach in it

 

[KARTer]

As an FYI - America doesn't have an "official" or a "national" language.

 

Also, the majority of the Early American settlers spoke English - so this is the language that developed by default.

 

Now huge numbers speak Spanish - so much so that some schools teach in it

I guess every nation is unique in this regard.

 

The pioneers in America spoke English (monther tongue), ours spoke their mother tongue in China/India etc. Therefore we end up having these languages plus English (courtesy of the GB colonial days) as well as the local language (Malay) as the 4 official languages.

 

If we use the 4 languages in the nat anthem, the difficulties in learning all 4 are obvious. As in reality and everyday life, English is widely used and accepted, why not just use it for the anthem? The reason is not the same as that in America, but valid nonetheless.

[Gendut]

Since change is the flavour of the times, one may want to consider changing the anthem annually.

 

This year Malay, then Javanese, Boyanese.

Then next year Mandarin, then Hokkien, then Cantonese, then Teochew, then Hailam, then Tamil, then Hindi, Malayalam, English. Repeat.

 

Those songs can even change all the time. In Malay no need to be Marikita all the time. It could be 'Balik Kampung' as the anthem in Malay some years. 'Di Tanjong Katong' in other years.

 

Wouldn't it make everybody happy? All 12 languages in a 12 year cycle following the 12 zodiacs. We may want to add Japanese when there is sufficient demand.

Edited September 1, 2011 by Gendut

[Darryn]

 

If we use the 4 languages in the nat anthem, the difficulties in learning all 4 are obvious. As in reality and everyday life, English is widely used and accepted, why not just use it for the anthem? The reason is not the same as that in America, but valid nonetheless.

 

As to whether or not english should be used is just an intellectual debate for me - I really don't have strong emotions either way.

 

My only thoughts are that to choose English over the National Language feels a little "weird"

 

Back home a very smalll proportion of the population speaks Maori, and even less well enough to actually translate the Maori version of the anthem, yet one verse from english and one from maori is sung to recognize our cultural heritage. This feels appropriate to me - even if I do need to get someone to teach me the maori version now. Give it another 20 or 30 years and most people will be able to sing the Maori version - BUT I must add, by and large New Zealanders and not "good" at knowing the anthem - it is not sung in school the way it is here.

[Darryn]

Since change is the flavour of the times, one may want to consider changing the anthem annually.

 

This year Malay, then Javanese, Boyanese.

Then next year Mandarin, then Hokkien, then Cantonese, then Teochew, then Hailam, then Tamil, then Hindi, Malayalam, English. Repeat.

 

Those songs can even change all the time. In Malay no need to be Marikita all the time. It could be 'Balik Kampung' as the anthem in Malay some years. 'Di Tanjong Katong' in other years.

 

Wouldn't it make everybody happy? All 12 languages in a 12 year cycle following the 12 zodiacs. We may want to add Japanese when there is sufficient demand.

 

Hee....kinda like the Australian (popular as opposed to official) anthem is Waltzing Matilda?

 

 

We used to sing..

 

Waltzing Matilda, who farking killed her, lying in the grass with a shovel up her arse...

[KARTer]

Since change is the flavour of the times, one may want to consider changing the anthem annually.

 

This year Malay, then Javanese, Boyanese.

Then next year Mandarin, then Hokkien, then Cantonese, then Teochew, then Hailam, then Tamil, then Hindi, Malayalam, English. Repeat.

 

Those songs can even change all the time. In Malay no need to be Marikita all the time. It could be 'Balik Kampung' as the anthem in Malay some years. 'Di Tanjong Katong' in other years.

 

Wouldn't it make everybody happy? All 12 languages in a 12 year cycle following the 12 zodiacs. We may want to add Japanese when there is sufficient demand.

Great idea!! For a start, it reflects the multi-cultures we have here.

 

Only hope some smart aleks dont come up with the idea that all 12 versions must be sung once a year on National Day.... too long

[Darryn]

Great idea!! For a start, it reflects the multi-cultures we have here.

 

Only hope some smart aleks dont come up with the idea that all 12 versions must be sung once a year on National Day.... too long

 

Nah - just sing all in one sentence...

 

Kinda like.....me and ahma balik kampong to visit cowfu and eat la la

[KARTer]

As to whether or not english should be used is just an intellectual debate for me - I really don't have strong emotions either way.

 

My only thoughts are that to choose English over the National Language feels a little "weird"

 

Back home a very smalll proportion of the population speaks Maori, and even less well enough to actually translate the Maori version of the anthem, yet one verse from english and one from maori is sung to recognize our cultural heritage. This feels appropriate to me - even if I do need to get someone to teach me the maori version now. Give it another 20 or 30 years and most people will be able to sing the Maori version - BUT I must add, by and large New Zealanders and not "good" at knowing the anthem - it is not sung in school the way it is here.

If our anthem has four languages, personally i will try learn them best i could. This will be my first choice: 4-language Anthem. Second choice: English (easy for all)

[KARTer]

Nah - just sing all in one sentence...

 

Kinda like.....me and ahma balik kampong to visit cowfu and eat la la

Like a fruit platter... or combo

[Gendut]

Great idea!! For a start, it reflects the multi-cultures we have here.

 

Only hope some smart aleks dont come up with the idea that all 12 versions must be sung once a year on National Day.... too long

 

 

So which language will you assign to the year of the SNAKE?

[KARTer]

So which language will you assign to the year of the SNAKE?

shhhhhhhhhhh.... too sensitive to say here, although i know the answer