In the early 1990s, two Singlish groups came onto the scene [way ahead of its time] thinking they could change the world by getting Singaporeans to learn to laugh at themselves! One was the Kopi Kat Klan, and the other was us – The Wahlau Gang! Working alongside “muar” were fellow “musketeers” Clement Chow [yes, “Count on me Singapore” Clement] and Khew Sin Sun, the musical magician!
Our first album, entitled “WAH-LAU cannot like that wan meh?” sold close to 10,000 copies [that’s what we were told, but frankly I think it’s slightly less lah!] Kudos must go to Jimmy Wee, the then-MD of Pony Canyon Records, for according us the break.
The Proverbial Singaporean Expression Wah-Lau!
It can be screamed out. It can be spoken under your breath. It is one of the most adaptable and expressive local phrases which hard-core Singaporeans use to convey a wide spectrum of expressions. From agony to ecstacy; jealousy to disbelief; surprise to disgust. It does not discriminate against any social class, sex or race. You are bound to have used it at some point or another – some use it everyday, some use it in every sentence! Everyone from politicians to prostitutes; businessmen to bus drivers; hoteliers to hawkers!
You can use “Wah-Lau” whenever you like, and whereever you like! Examples include – when you hear that your mother-in-law is coming over to your place for the tenth time this week; when your favourite football team gets thrashed; when you miss hitting first prize in the Big Sweep by one number!
“Wah-Lau” is rumoured to be slowly replacing the traditional “Yam Seng” at Chinese wedding dinners. Especially if it’ happens to be a shot-gun marriage or when no one can believe how the couple can ever be compatible together!
The enviable “Wah-Lau” has also been stylised in the way it is expressed. The designer variant is usually accompanied with a stylish twang at the end – as in “Wah-Liau”. The O-biang version takes this a step further by adding in a colloquial suffix – as in “Wah-Liah-Eh”!
But, of course, nothing beats the “origina-wan” – the way it was uttered by our Singlish forefathers! Mr Kiasu King illustrates this best when after lining up overnight outside Cathay cinema to buy tickets to see the latest red-hot “R” rated movie and being told when his turn came that the tickets were sold out, screamed in his distinctly crass and obnoxious voice that can be heard from Jurong through to Changi Village, the bery bery origina . . . “Wah-Laaaaaarrrrrrnnnnnnn-ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”! Followed by #@!$%&#@$%?%$#@&%$ !!!
RADIO GILA
Our second album was “Radio Gila”, a send-up of a fictitious radio station where everything goes wrong! From bleeps, bloops and blunders, through to Aunt Agony segments dishing out crappy advice; from ah-beng 4-D reports through to irritating station IDs; from news in “crocodile” briefs through to “Horror-scopes”; from dialect hits through to irreverent advertisements!
You Wan, You Wan?
“If you like dis type of music ah, I let you download for FREE ok? I know you all ‘gian’ for anything that’s FREE right? So give you lah! Hope you “chio-ka-peng” [laugh incessantly]!
The songs are in WinRAR format therefore, you need to download WinRAR. After it is installed, just open the Cannot Like That Wan Meh?, Radio Gila or The Dreaded Return Of The Wahlau Gang and the computer will automatically open up WinRAR. After WinRAR opens, just extract the song folder anywhere you would like the songs to be stored. .
Cannot Like That Wan Meh
Listen here:
https://soundcloud.com/wahlaugang
1.The Ten Thousand Dollar Question
2.Sophisticated Baby
3.Wah Lau Joke 1
4.Wah Lau Joke 2
5.Briefs [No, not undies!]
6.Hancho Pinyin
7.The Pickup
8.Kiasu King
9.The Life Incident
10.Computerology
11.Wah Lau Joke 3
12.Mabuhay Sunday
13.Wah Lau Joke 4
14.It’s OK Lah!
15.Wah Lau Cheer
Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/wahlaugang
1.Aunt Agony
2.Anyhow Also Can Ad
3.Closing
4.Coffin Ad
5.Horrorscope
6.Horse Racing Commentary _ 4-D Res
7.La Bumper
8.Medical Talkback
9.Mondays To Sundays
10.My One So Long
11.News In Briefs #1
12.News In Briefs #2
13.News In Briefs #3
14.News In Briefs #4
15.News In Briefs #5
16.Obese Release Me
17.Obese Release Me (Unedited Version)
18.Opening & Station ID
19.Ornee You
20.Rump Shaker
21.Sattion ID
22.Sports Roundup
23.Today In History
24.Traffic Report
25.Unchained Melody
26.Weather Report #1
27.Weather Report #2
28.Wrapping Up
29._Ti Or-Or_ (Blooper Version)
30.Ti Or-Or_ (Sky Black, Black)
31.6 Fairies Deodorant Ad
The Dreaded Return Of The Wahlau Gang
Listen here:
https://soundcloud.com/wahlaugang
1.Mondays To Sundays
2.A Real Fine Song
3.COE Solo
4.Eh! Don’t Bluff
5.Computerology
6.Chan Mali Chan
7.Briefs
8.Unchained Melody
9.La Bumper
Geoff Tan 