Golden Horse Winner Tan Boon Wah: From ‘Your Name Engraved Herein’ Songsmith to Singer

After its Golden Horse win in 2020, Crowd Lu’s ‘Your Name Engraved Herein’ is still one of the most popular Mandopop hits on KKBOX in 2021. Singaporean songwriter Tan Boon Wah lets us in on a secret — he dreamt up the mesmerising melody while brushing his teeth.

“It’s not something glamorous, not something poetic. So I have to be honest with you. I came up with it when I was brushing my teeth when I was alone in the house. And that's when the song just dawned on me,” reveals Boon Wah.

What started out as an ordinary morning led to an extraordinary experience.

The chart-topping tune landed Boon Wah a Golden Horse Awards trophy, Singapore’s first Original Film Score award. He shares the honours with Malaysian songwriters, Keon Chia and Hooi Yuan Teng.

On his Golden Horse win, Boon Wah says: “I’m glad to have done something for the music scene here in Singapore.”

A Trip of Many Firsts

Boon Wah experienced many “firsts” on his way to receive the coveted trophy in Taipei last October.

He visited a hospital in Taiwan (for the COVID swab test), spoke in front of fans at a movie screening, went hungry for 10 hours, walked the red carpet, saw Crowd Lu in the flesh — all for the first time.

He vividly recalls D-Day, says: “It was my first time walking the red carpet. Everybody was dressed in their best light evening gown. It's like people that you wouldn’t normally see in your daily life. Everybody looked like a million dollar bucks. It was really a once in a lifetime experience for me.”

From Songsmith to Singer

The songwriting lawyer has composed 30 songs, some written for the biggest names in Mandopop, from heavenly king Andy Lau to Singapore’s pride Stephanie Sun.

In 2021, Boon Wah will be releasing three new songs. But this time, he will be taking on another role. He will be singing his own creations — another first.

“I explored the idea of releasing my own songs when I was younger. But I didn't really have the courage to do so,” he confesses.“I’m also already in my 40s, I’m not going to wait till I’m 50."

He recently recorded the first track which was made during his quarantine in Taipei.

He says: “As a songwriter, you know when to plug the emotions because you’re the one involved in the creative process. For this upcoming song. I’m the best person to sing it.”

Titled Everlasting (长长久久), Boon Wah drew inspiration from celebrity ex-couple Fan Bing Bing and Li Chen’s appearance on ‘Kangsi Coming’, the wildly popular talk show.

The duo was all lovey-dovey, a scene straight out of a 21st-century fairytale. In 2019, the couple announced their breakup.

Boon Wah says: “They epitomised what a loving couple should be, for eternity. But there was no happily ever after. I wanted to write a song to capture that.”

On the surface, the ballad may sound like a song for the heartbroken. But there’s a deeper message, Boon Wah is urging listeners to treasure the present.

Boon Wah says: “When they hear the song, they will cling on to what they have currently, and they won’t let go (so easily)."

Listen to Tan Boon Wah’s winning composition, ‘Your Name Engraved Herein’, on KKBOX.