To cap off his visit to Malaysia, Duterte sings 'Wind
Beneath My Wings' for Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak who, in
turn, performs 'The Young Ones' for Duterte at a dinner he hosted
for the visiting Philippine leader.
During his trip to Malaysia, it seems President Rodrigo Duterte
got along well with Prime Minister Najib Razak on more than just
official matters: the two leaders appear to share a love for
singing.
On Duterte's last night in Malaysia on Thursday, November 10,
the two leaders took to the stage to perform a song for each
other.
Enthusiastic clapping accompanied Duterte as he walked onstage
in the middle of a hall in Seri Perdana, the Prime Minister's
official residence, where Najib was hosting a dinner for him.
Duterte then gave his rendition of the ballad, "Wind Beneath My
Wings." Like his karaoke sessions in his favorite Davao City bar
After Dark, Duterte sang solo with minimal gestures while reading
from a lyrics book.
Najib's performance was livelier. The Malaysian leader, flanked
by two other men, sang the more upbeat song, "The Young Ones" by
Cliff Richards, complete with some hip swaying.
After Najib's performance, Duterte was overheard shouting,
"More!"
The two leaders also had a duet – "Shalala Lala" by the
Vengaboys – that night.
This was the only time that Duterte sang during a dinner hosted
by a foreign leader, according to National Security Adviser
Hermogenes Esperon Jr, who has been to most of the President's
trips abroad.
"The setting did not call for it in the other dinners, state or
official," Esperon told Rappler.
Duterte's love for singing is known especially among Davaoeños.
Since his mayorship, Duterte has been known to spend the wee hours
of the morning in front of the karaoke machine, among his preferred
ways of unwinding.