Adding colour to CNY song
Group singing hit numbers in capella style now in big demand
PETALING JAYA: A group of friends who recorded a videoclip of themselves singing a Chinese New Year song in a capella style are now in demand.
The group, which called themselves ‘Colour of Voices’, uploaded the videoclip on the Internet, which had quickly gone viral.
The clip has garnered over 650,000 views on YouTube and Facebook, and tens of thousands likes and shares.
Many viewers praised the group’s pronunciation and infectious enthusiasm. With an alto, tenor, baritone, bass and a beatboxer for good measure, the video was well-received by the public.
The group, is made up of Asnal, Ikhwan, Joe (who does not appear in the video), Jaswan and Jeffrey.
Colour of Voices said that the medley was slightly difficult to learn at first.
“Chinese is not the mother tongue of most of our members, so we had difficulty learning the song in terms of the pronunciation. But, after lots of practise with Jeffrey and the help of our Chinese friends, we finally got it right,” he said.
The members said that making the video had been a memorable experience as they got to learn a new language as well as embracing a different culture.
The medley was arranged and produced by Jeffrey, who also founded Broo Productions.
“The medley is more than just a cover – we want to spread the message that we all live in a multiracial country with lots of diversity. Let’s try to understand and learn more about each other – and live together in harmony.
“Don’t let anyone break the beautiful bonds we have between us,” said Colour of Voices in a group interview recently.
“The video can be seen on different social media platforms, mainstream TV and radio, even politicians shared it! We appreciate all the support – Gong xi fa chai!,” they said in an e-mail interview.
According to the group, the first stage of making the video was figuring out what songs to include – classic numbers like he xin nian (new year blessings), xi qing xin nian le (celebrate the new year bliss) and gong xi fa cai (wishing you prosperity) were chosen, based on input from friends and popularity.
The five friends have been asked to perform at various events and open houses over the Chinese New Year week, although Jeffrey is “looking for opportunities to balik kampung within the busy schedule!,” they said.
Their next project is even more ambitious: an English-Malay medley tracking the evolution of local music, from greats such as P. Ramlee to Siti Nurhaliza and acts like Havoc.
“This is to show the diversity and versatility of our colourful local scene,” the group said.