Hope, humour and heart: National Day Parade 2022 is an ode to the Singapore spirit

The show’s third chapter then paid tribute to families – a cornerstone of Singapore’s fight against COVID-19. 

A video montage highlighted several families that grappled with different struggles during the last two years, from one which helped their father accept his prostate cancer diagnosis to another which scrapped a big wedding ceremony for an intimate home celebration. 

To complement the chapter’s essence of returning to one’s roots for support, singers Jacintha Abisheganaden, Rahimah Rahim, Shabir and Liu Ling Ling each sang old-school hits in English, Malay, Tamil and Mandarin. 

Titled Fight, the fourth chapter featured impassioned performances from Singaporean rapper Shigga Shay and musician Elaine Khoo. 

The rap, which mimicked a battle cry, had its fiery lyrics enhanced by the drums from the Soka Gakkai Singapore and martial artists from Martial House. Audience members were also encouraged to thump their heart drums from their NDP funpacks along with the catchy beat. 

Then the concluding segment of the film came on screen, tying together the lives of the individual characters and displaying an interconnectedness that formed the bedrock of Singapore’s resilience through the pandemic.