Singing praises of Singlish

Once frowned upon, Singlish got its moment in the sun at Friday's National Day Parade.

Ubiquituous Singlish words such as "lah", "lor" and "meh" were featured in the playful ditty, the La La La Song.

It was so catchy that the audience sang right along with singer and songwriter Shimona Kee, who partnered NDP creative director Selena Tan in penning the song.

"We wanted to showcase Singlish because it is an integral part of our culture," Ms Kee, 33, said.

"It makes us feel at home - 'lah' is always the first Singlish word that foreigners learn, so it deserves a special feature."

The song describes familiar situations, such as how Singaporeans spot fellow countrymen abroad by their Singlish.

"You know that feeling right? We have a Singlish radar," Ms Kee said.

The ukulele-toting singer also performed the Social Media Song, which reflects the modern Singaporean condition of being "glued to handphone screens".

After all, the self-confessed social media addict is a YouTube star, known for her guitar covers and originals such as Little Things.

Still, performing for an audience of 26,000 was nothing like singing in front of a camera in the bedroom.

"It was nerve-wracking at first... but when the lights come on, you just go out there and have fun."

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