Explainer: Clearing the confusion over the national anthem — what’s changed and what’s still the same?

SINGAPORE — Some Singaporeans were confused when two versions of Majulah Singapura were released on Tuesday (Dec 3) to commemorate the national anthem’s 60th anniversary.

One was a fresh recording by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) which was played in public on the steps of the National Gallery Singapore and over the radio.

The other was a music video released on social media based on Singapore's rock legend Ramli Sarip’s performance at the National Day Parade (NDP) this year.

However, both versions being released on the same day led some to wrongly believe that the version sung by Mr Ramli has replaced the official anthem.

TODAY looks at how the two versions released on Tuesday differ from each other.

BUT FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND ON THE ANTHEM

Majulah Singapura — which translates from Malay as “Onward Singapore” — was composed by the late composer Zubir Said in 1958 as an official song for the city council at the time.

It was later adapted and introduced as Singapore’s national anthem a year later.

The last time there was a change to the national anthem was in 2001. At the time, the anthem was recorded in a new arrangement — from G major to a lower key of F major — so that it would be easier for Singaporeans to sing.

The arrangement was by classical music composer and cultural medallion recipient Phoon Yew Tien and the anthem was recorded by the SSO at the Victoria Concert Hall in 2000.

WHAT’S NEW WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM?

In August this year, the SSO did another recording of the official version of the national anthem, this time at Esplanade Concert Hall.

The new recording has better sound quality to let Singaporeans appreciate the nuances in the music arrangement, especially in larger venues and in modern sound systems.

The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said that there are also more young people singing in the recording, as opposed to the 2001 version. It is also five seconds shorter than the previous one.

Other than these differences, the official version of the national anthem retains the same arrangement as the version released in 2001. There are also no changes to the lyrics.

WHY RECORD THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AGAIN?

In response to queries by TODAY on why a new recording was commissioned, MCCY said on Wednesday (Dec 4) that it was done to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s state symbols, which include the national flag and the state crest.

The ministry added that acoustics and recording technology have advanced significantly since the last time the anthem was recorded. As such, the SSO was commissioned to re-record the anthem.

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The ministry said that it hopes the new recording will “renew Singaporeans’ spirit and commitment to move onward as one united people (and) to bring happiness and success for future generations of Singaporeans”.

WHAT ABOUT RAMLI SARIP’S VERSION OF THE ANTHEM?

At the same time, the video of Mr Ramli singing the anthem that is making its rounds on social media is a ground-up initiative by the veteran rocker and other creative producers.

The video is based on the version he performed at the NDP this year.

It features him performing alongside 24 other Singaporeans such as rapper Danial Bawthan, also known by his stage name Wheelsmith, and Ms Tang Pui Wah, Singapore’s first female Olympian.

The music video was initiated by Mr Benjamin Tan, the show producer of this year’s NDP, while the music is arranged by Dr Sydney Tan, who was also the music director for this year’s NDP.

The video is partly funded by MCCY through the Our SG Fund, which funds non-government community initiatives.

WHY RELEASE THE VIDEO?

Mr Tan, the creative producer, told TODAY that he was inspired to start the project after being moved by Mr Ramli’s performance at the NDP.

“As a young Singaporean, the anthem was really something that I just sang in the morning in school. I did not really know what it meant, other than it was a national symbol.”

Mr Tan, 30, said that Mr Ramli’s “goosebumps version” at NDP got him to take a closer look at the lyrics and understand its relevance in today’s context.

He said that the team decided shortly after the parade to create a music video of the anthem so that the version sung by Mr Ramli could be remembered properly.

HOW IS RAMLI’S VERSION DIFFERENT FROM THE OFFICIAL VERSION?

Like the version performed at this year’s NDP, the anthem features Mr Ramli’s soulful, stirring voice.

A video of him singing the anthem during an NDP rehearsal this year made its rounds on social media. It attracted mixed responses, with some online users lauding his version as soul-stirring and others describing it as gloomy.

Mr Tan said that while the lyrics of the anthem are retained, the music arrangement “strips (the anthem) down to its essence”.

“The idea is to make us sit up and look at the lyrics. There is less instrumentation in this version compared to SSO’s version.”

Compared to the version that Mr Ramli sung at this year’s NDP, the music arrangement in the music video also features traditional ethnic music instruments such as the erhu and tabla to make the anthem “more Singaporean”.

WHERE WILL THE TWO VERSIONS BE PLAYED?

The official version of the national anthem by SSO will be played on the airwaves here.

Mr Tan told TODAY that his team’s version, which is only released online, is “not the kind to be played at sporting events”.

“It is one for the people. We want to reach out to their hearts and get them to think a little more about what our anthem means today.”

On Singaporeans confusing Mr Ramli’s rendition of the anthem with the re-recorded version by SSO, Mr Tan said that the intent of getting people to listen to his team’s version of the anthem and to pay closer attention to the lyrics “got lost” as a result of the confusion.

However, he said that it also shows that people care about the anthem.

“It was heartening to see Singaporeans defending the anthem when they thought that the Ramli rendition was going to become the new official national anthem; many felt that it wasn’t uplifting and triumphant for an anthem,” he said.

“Our approach to this rendition was done in stark contrast from the original, with a simplified, heartfelt and soulful arrangement. We hope that Singaporeans will be able to rediscover the anthem and take a closer look at the powerful wisdom behind the simple lyrics.”