S’porean man pranks mother by dramatically rearranging local folk song

Singaporean man reimagines popular folk song while his mother sings along

Just last week, Singapore celebrated Racial Harmony Day in the spirit of multiculturalism and diversity.

De Zhong, a 34-year-old Singaporean, wanted to share the moment with his mother. But no one, not least his mum, could have predicted what he had up his sleeve.

Duetting a beloved, local folk song with his mother

In a video shared on TikTok last Tuesday (21 July), De Zhong and his mother sat down in front of the piano as he played “Rasa Sayang”, a traditional Malay folk song.

De Zhong told MS News how the idea of playing the song together with his mum came about: ” I was emceeing a corporate racial harmony day event and heard the song and got reminded of it! It’s been an old favourite of mine though.”

He first began by singing and playing along on the piano, evoking the joyful melodies that many Singaporeans have probably sung during Racial Harmony Day.

However, as his mother started to sing, things took a serious turn.

The happy song suddenly turned dark and dramatic

De Zhong’s accompaniment went from the happy tones of major chord progressions to dark, heavy minor chords.

The mood turned serious as his mother continued to sing, although in visible confusion.

De Zhong does not let up at all, continuing the song and even instructing his mother on how to sing the next part.

His playing gets more erratic and wild, even throwing his head back and forth in sync with the music.

Nearing the end of the song, De Zhong slows down the tempo and asks his mother to sing the chorus once more as he gradually ends the song.

After the song is over, he asks his mother in Mandarin: “Did it sound good? Sounds good, right?”

His mother shrugged as she replied: “I don’t know.”

De Zhong shared with MS News that his mother resigned to her fate after the prank.

This is not his mother’s first rodeo

A quick look across De Zhong’s TikTok page would show that he often involves his mother in his content.

“I like to sing and play the piano, make videos and prank my mum,” he shared with MS News.

De Zhong mentioned that his mother had taught piano in her younger years, and was also a former church elderly choir conductor.

“People seem to get a lot of joy out of it, and I love seeing people happy and entertained,” he said.

In other videos, De Zhong has gotten his mother to dance with him, partake in TikTok acting challenges and much more.

Netizens provide their take on his version

Although his mother was not a huge fan of this version, De Zhong’s unique rendition has garnered attention online.

As of writing, the video has over 430,000 views and over 600 comments.

Many came up with different titles for De Zhong’s edition of Rasa Sayang, including “Rasa Sayang of doom and despair”.

Many netizens couldn’t help but giggle at his mother’s expressive reactions.

A few of them also showed appreciation for De Zhong’s piano skills. Speaking to MS News, De Zhong shared that he has been playing the piano since he was three, completing his Grade 8 certificate in his early teens.

Though De Zhong may not have won his mother over with the unique rendition of the song, he has definitely won hearts on the internet.

Also read: Foreign TikToker gets ‘lost’ in S’pore, stumbles upon roads named Horne Rd & Sandwich Rd

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Featured image adapted from @deprinceofzhong on TikTok.