This humble video was done in a fever dream during my Christmas break in Usher Hall, 2019. I was feeling a little homesick at the time - I had told my boyfriend through Discord video call that I missed joining karaoke sessions back in Kuching. In response, he tried cheering me up by sending several 'dangdut hits'. It was a hilarious throwback to my childhood, as I grew up with my Iban uncle who was really into dangdut. One such song was:
"Aku Anak Singkong".
It became an earworm that was stuck in my head, for an entire week! I couldn't stop humming the catchy tune even though it wasn't normally a song that I would listen to. To channel my increasing frustration, I sat down in front of my laptop, fired up Photoshop and began a process of animating a mini clip that was the earworm.
For readers who are not familiar with this dangdut song, "Aku Anak Singkong" is a lighthearted song outlining the differences between the lives of a man of humble origins and his lover from a very wealthy family. The song was released in the 1980s, so you would see a reference to disco somewhere in the lyrics.
Additionally for context, the literal translation of 'anak singkong' is 'cassava child'. Cassava is a common staple food and 'anak singkong' is usually used to describe a person of humble origins, and/or someone who grew up in a rural village.
Additionally for context, the literal translation of 'anak singkong' is 'cassava child'. Cassava is a common staple food and 'anak singkong' is usually used to describe a person of humble origins, and/or someone who grew up in a rural village.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy watching this silly video I made. It was all done in Photoshop, and it took me about a week to animate (which I thoroughly enjoyed as it finally got rid of the earworm).