My heart will go on
It must be at least twenty years ago when I first encountered Malaysia’s very own Stevie Wonder, Colin Ng Soon Beng. It was during Chinese New Year, at the home of a mutual friend. Colin was only about ten years old then. His mother introduced him to me as a “special child.” She said, “Pick a song. We’ll play it for Colin to listen, and he will play it back for you.” I chose My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. To this day, Colin still remembers that it was the song he played for me. Born with multiple disabilities, Colin’s journey has been anything but ordinary. Being visually impaired, he could not learn music the way most children do. Yet God blessed him with an extraordinary gift: a razor-sharp ear. He could identify the brand of a photocopier or the model of a car simply by hearing its sound. His mother, Janet, devoted her life to nurturing his talent. After losing her husband when Colin was 24, she became not only a mother but also a father figure, chauffeur, and companion in ...