Your S’pore Story: ‘Turning 70 does not mean sitting at home and waiting for your time’
This busking duo is proving that passion has no age limit, inspiring seniors to stay active and connected through music
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Still hitting the high notes in their golden years, Mr Davidson Teo and Ms Gillian Goh use music to remind others that age is no barrier to passion.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
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For long-time friends Mr Davidson Teo, 66, and Ms Gillian Goh, 70, music has always been more than just entertainment – it is a way to connect, inspire and give back.
As Silver Hype, the duo busks across Singapore, singing in different languages to reach a diverse audience, particularly seniors
Watch their video here.
Their performances have not only gained them a loyal following but have also encouraged many retirees like themselves to stay active and engaged. A viral TikTok video even introduced them to a younger crowd, proving that passion has no age limit.
Here, Mr Teo and Ms Goh share how their journey as buskers has shaped their later years and why they will keep singing for as long as they can.
With a 500-song repertoire and performances in five languages, Silver Hype brings joy to Singapore’s heartlands.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
“Once, an old man pushing his wife in a wheelchair stopped to listen to us, and he got teary-eyed. We were not sure what he was going through, but we asked him to reach out if he needed support. Being seniors ourselves and singing in five languages – English, Malay, Mandarin, Hokkien and Cantonese – means we know how to connect with those from the older generation.
We have always had a passion for singing and were actively performing in charity shows and company events even before retirement. After retiring, we decided to pursue our passion for busking.
But with Silver Hype, our purpose is greater than entertainment – we want to encourage retired seniors to go out more and find hobbies so that they are engaged with their community and hence, less prone to illnesses.
Busking isn’t as easy as just showing up with a guitar and singing. If you want to connect with your audience, you have to put your heart and soul into the performance. This means we have to rehearse until we get it right. Our repertoire also has to constantly expand so that we can keep up with the times and be able to take song requests. We started with 200 songs, and now we have about 500.
About three years ago, a video of us performing went viral on TikTok. Since then, we have been fortunate to receive a lot of attention from the media and even the younger generation. It makes us glad to hear from younger people who say they are encouraging their parents to be more active because of us.
We also often remind those who have a passion for music not to give up on it because they might rediscover a joy in it later in life – like how we have. Turning 70 does not mean sitting at home and waiting for your time.
One of our most memorable performances was one at Kreta Ayer Community Club, where we invited over 400 seniors to enjoy a concert. In the future, we hope we can hold a full-fledged concert and donate the proceeds from ticket sales to charity.
Even today, some have the impression that buskers are beggars. But we don’t care because we love singing. If we enjoy it, and we can bring joy to people at the same time – why not? We hope to still be bringing this joy to our listeners even in our 80s!”
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