A Vairamuthu song – Thanjavuru Mannu Eduthu, was played at the state funeral service of SR Nathan, Singapore’s longest-serving president last week. According to lyricist Vairamuthu, the Porkaalam song was SR Nathan’s favourite.
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“He once told me that of all my songs, particularly this number, evoked inexpressible feeling. He could never locate the birth place of his ancestors in Tamil Nadu and he would take solace that it could be one of the places that finds reference in the song,” said Mr. Vairamuthu.
Vairamuthu also revealed that he received a lot of calls from Singapore immediately after the song was played. “The Chinese and Malay people were keen on figuring out its meaning and the Tamils who were present on the occasion had translated the lines for them.”
Watch the song here.
Vairamuthu also thanked the Singapore government for playing a Tamil song before an international community. Speaking to to ToI, he said, “While SR Nathan’s demise is a source of sorrow, in this hour of grief, our only solace is that he was bid farewell with Tamil. The song has got a recognition that I did not imagine it will get while I was writing it.”
“Every nation has its story of gravity-defying ascent to high office. In the United States, Abraham Lincoln went from a log cabin to the White House. British people know of the story of Dick Whittington, a menial kitchen worker who rose to be Lord Mayor of London. Singapore now has the SR Nathan story.”