DPM Lawrence Wong plays the sitar; PM Narendra Modi is impressed

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister-in-waiting Lawrence Wong’s musical skills are well-known, as he has posted clips of himself playing the guitar. He’s also been learning to play the sitar recently, showing his newfound skills right in time for Deepavali. The Deputy Prime Minister posted a video on Nov 12 of himself “Getting a quick intro to the beautiful tunes” of the instrument with his teacher, Mr Karthigayan.

On X (formerly Twitter), his video caught the attention of none other than Mr Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Mr Modi shared DPM Wong’s video, tagging and encouraging him with this message: "May your passion for the Sitar continue to grow and inspire others. Best wishes on this melodious endeavour. India's musical history is a symphony of diversity, echoing through rhythms that have evolved over millennia.”

https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1724275997561041023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1724275997561041023%7Ctwgr%5E65a89c563a72b23caef8d3e90522ff90ed052301%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheindependent.sg%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D560644action%3Dedit

Mr Wong answered back with, “Thank you, PM@narendramodi and happy Diwali!”

The DPM’s video has gone viral on X, getting over 1.2 million views. Delighted commenters have praised Mr Wong for taking on the sitar, with some noting the patience it takes to learn any musical instrument. But Mr Wong has also said that playing the guitar helps him unwind, and perhaps the hours he put in with the sitar were also similarly relaxing.

He serenaded the country’s educators with his rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” writing, “Happy Teachers' Day to all the amazing teachers out there!” on the eve of September 1, when the day is celebrated in Singapore.

https://www.tiktok.com/@lawrencewongst/video/7273471502383729928?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7301299672148362784

Last Christmas, a clip of the DPM jamming with the band Raw Earth & Friends playing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s classic “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” reached half a million views on TikTok.

https://www.tiktok.com/@lawrencewongst/video/7180526549769276674?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7301299672148362784

Over on Facebook, Mr Wong posted another video from the event, this time of him rocking out with the band while they played Chuck Berry’s “Johnny Be Good” and homegrown hit “Orang Singapura.” It was revealed on the video as well that the DPM started a tradition of giving guitars away at Christmas.

Mr Wong wrote, "Many of you know that I like to play the guitar to unwind. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to play frequently due to work and also the pandemic. Recently, I managed to take some time out to jam with a band — Raw Earth & Friends — and also a young friend, Christie. We played a number of classic tunes including a local song, Orang Singapura — if you didn’t know, this is by Zubir Said, composer of our National Anthem! I hope you like it. Wishing all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!"  /TISG

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