SMary Ho from Ingapore resides proof that it’s never too late to follow your passion.
Mary Ho, an 81-year-old Singaporean guitarist, broke with stereotypes to pursue her love of rock music, becoming a sought-after artist and an unexpected web sensation.
She will perform an electrical guitar solo through the Singapore National Day Parade on 9 August 2017 on the Marina Bay Floating Platform. She shall be the oldest of greater than 3,000 performers on the parade, which is able to have fun Singapore’s 52nd anniversary of independence.
“I feel great. It’s an honour and a privilege to have the option to perform. I’ve lived in Singapore all my life. The parade is like my very own birthday,” said Grandma Mary. Straits Times.
Madam Ho, the mother-in-law of former Foreign Minister George Yeo, said she learnt to play the acoustic guitar when she was 60, based on what she saw in books.
But when a friend introduced her to rock star Carlos Santana’s classic Samba Pa Ti a couple of decade ago, she decided to hunt skilled tutoring to kick it into high gear.
“It was too difficult (to learn on my own), so I found a teacher,” she said. AFP.
“But the teacher looked at me and said, ‘Oh, I’ve never taught anyone your age before.’”
Ho couldn’t read music, but she decided to learn her favorite song and practiced for 3 hours a day.
She has recorded her own Latin music album and has a group of over 20 guitars. One of her music videos, by which she plays the classic rock song “Need Your Love So Bad,” has over 1.1 million views on YouTube.
In recent years she has appeared on stage – sometimes without spending a dime – at various events, but Madam Ho admitted she still gets “very nervous” before performing.
She admitted to feeling slightly nervous before Wednesday’s performance in front of 27,000 people on the parade, where she shall be shown getting a military tattoo before a ceremonial display featuring local stars.
“For me, that is one of the best show. I’m playing for my country. And in the event you love something, just keep going,” she said Strait Times.
She added: “You have to keep learning new things… If an old lady like me can play guitar, you can too.”
In rapidly ageing Singapore, Ho has turn out to be a shining example of methods to stay energetic as you grow old, and has been the topic of varied campaigns encouraging seniors to remain energetic.
