Singer La Hoang Quy: 'I still maintain the qualities of a child of the mountains'

PV: The path to becoming a singer is not easy for everyone. For La Hoang Quy, when did you think you would follow this professional path?

La Hoang Quy:Perhaps I am different from many other singers because I grew up in a poor village in the mountainous district of Tuong Duong. When I was young, due to family circumstances, I transferred schools many times through communes from Xa Luong to Luong Minh and then down to Tam Dinh. Luckily for me, even though my parents worked in the fields, my grandparents were open-minded, perceptive, and knew how to run small businesses to earn extra income. Every time I transferred schools, my perception changed.

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My family always thought that the closer we got to the city, the higher our awareness of learning would be. Although I was only in middle school at that time, I felt like I was more mature and more sensitive than my peers.

Maybe, I often play with older brothers and sisters, some of whom are working, teachers, and cultural officers, so interacting with them makes me change my perspective on problems and my behavior.

Singer La Hoang Quy

My love for music started in 2005, when I was only 11 or 12 years old and studying at Luong Minh. One time, passing by the dormitory, I saw a guy playing a guitar. At that time, I didn't know it was a guitar, I just heard that he played very well. Because I loved it so much, I went home and told my parents and asked them to buy me a guitar because "I want to play, I want to play" and my parents supported me.

When I first bought the guitar, I didn't know how to play it, I just learned from my older siblings intuitively. During the summer of 7th and 8th grade, I heard that there was a very good teacher in Quynh Luu district, so I went down by myself to ask to learn.

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Actually, at that time I thought I was very daring but I wasn't afraid because I felt "older than my friends". I also didn't know where Quynh Luu was, I simply thought that Quynh Luu was probably near Hanoi, near Vinh.

When I went down to study, I realized how small I was because I saw that many of my friends knew and were much better than me. At that time, I had many questions for myself and I thought, I have to try, I cannot lose to my friends.

Singer La Hoang Quy

Those short guitar lessons nurtured my dream of becoming a musician, knowing how to write and play music. But to become a singer, I think it was when I entered Tuong Duong Ethnic Minority High School. One time, the school organized an extracurricular activity and my classmates chose me to sing to interact with the seniors in grades 11 and 12. That time, I sang the song Hoa Nang and an English song, and was greatly encouraged by my classmates...

From then on, the thought flashed in my mind that I had to continue doing this to be able to sing and be supported.

A few months later, the school organized another English extracurricular program. That time, after singing, I was still enthusiastically cheered, so I felt regretful and didn't want to let go of the feeling of standing on stage...

PV: From a mountainous district, to Hanoi, to become a student and a singer. That must have been a very difficult journey? How did you overcome it?

La Hoang Quy:After finishing high school, I applied and passed the entrance exam to Hanoi College of Arts. Actually, I had passed the entrance exam to the security industry before that, but I didn’t study. Because of my family’s circumstances (my father had an accident, and my family fell into poverty), I decided that I would have to both study and work. I always thought that I had to do something to support my parents.

In fact, in the first year, my parents occasionally supported me with 500,000 to 1 million VND. From the second year, I started working and saving money to send to my family.

The early days were really difficult, first of all, relationships. At that time, I only had friends of the same age in class. At that time, I was probably the only Thai person in the school. Vocal music requires a lot of things, is very expensive, if you don't have the conditions, it's hard for anyone to dare to pursue it.

When I first started school, I felt very sad when I saw my friends receiving money from their parents every month. Without any connections, I worked as a waiter at a coffee shop.

However, because I wanted to learn, I chose a shop that served both coffee and music. After working as a waiter for a short time, I learned about the Hanoi singing contest and although it was completely random and unprepared (no orchestra, no arranger...) I still entered the contest and was awarded third prize.

After this contest, everyone introduced me to sing shows and I did not refuse any program, even though my salary was only a few hundred thousand dong per show.

By saving money, I have accumulated experience and skills for myself, paid for my studies, supported my family and opened up many new relationships.

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During my school days, hardship was not the most important thing for me. What I always determined was to constantly strive to improve myself.

Singer La Hoang Quy

PV: It seems that La Hoang Quy is loved and helped by many people. Do you think it is due to luck? In the eyes of your new friends, what kind of person are you?

La Hoang Quy:Until now, I still maintain the qualities of a mountain person. If there is any change, it is probably that I am a little more “smart” when going to places related to the media, requiring images. In daily life, I always try to be the most real, the most sincere, never deceiving anyone.

If I can help anyone, I am willing to do so. Because that help gives me real emotions when singing, real emotions are very important in each song. How can I sing so that the listener can feel my feelings for the work, for life.

PV: One of the important milestones of singer La Hoang Quy was when he entered the Sao Mai competition and entered the national Top 4 of the Sao Mai 2019 chamber music category. How long did you have to prepare for this competition?

La Hoang Quy:After graduating from Hanoi College of Arts, the first competition I participated in and won was the Third Prize of Nghe An Television Singing Festival 2015. At that time, I thought my hometown had a lot of love for me.

Later, I also participated in the Voice of Nghe An 2017 contest and continued to win third prize. However, this result was not enough for me to participate in the regional and national rounds. Determining that the first competitions were for practice and experience, in 2019, while studying at the Military University of Culture and Arts, I prepared very carefully for this contest, spending more than a year to choose songs, arrange music, costumes and was confident that I would achieve good results.

For many reasons, I later did not compete in Nghe An and registered for the competition in Hai Phong and Hai Duong. My health was not good at the competition in Hai Phong so I was not successful, only won the consolation prize. A day later, at the competition in Hai Duong, I won second prize and got a ticket to the regional round and then the final round in the chamber music category.

With this final round, it was an unforgettable memory.

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I came to the Sao Mai contest alone, but I didn't feel lonely. On the contrary, I thought I was the luckiest contestant in the contest.

I have received support from my whole hometown of Tuong Duong. Many fellow villagers such as Mr. Thang Loi, Mr. Tien Hung, and Ms. Pham Phuong Thao have given me many meaningful advices...

Those are valuable assets for me not only in the competition but also in the future...

Singer La Hoang Quy

PV: From a singer who left his mark in chamber music, now many people know La Hoang Quy as a singer of folk music, with national influences. Is that the difference that makes more people know La Hoang Quy?

La Hoang Quy:That is my calculation. Usually, in all music genres, chamber music is the most difficult and picky genre of music. In Vietnam, many audiences come to music to relax and entertain. I want to change the music genre to get closer to the public. I want a music genre that must belong to me, must be my own identity. There is a closeness between chamber music and folk music and I choose folk music with songs that are easy to listen to, easy to remember, songs that are really emotional and good.

When I first started, I also thought that if I chose songs that were too familiar, it would be difficult to make an impression. I also thought of new songs but had no money to buy songs or hire musicians. In the face of difficulty, I thought that I had to write for myself.

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My first songs were to express my gratitude; gratitude to my hometown with the song “My hometown Tuong Duong”, gratitude to my mother and aunt with the song “Mother's stream” and finally I wanted to express my gratitude to the audience, the people who love me with the song “Flowers of the mountain”.

In the early days of release, even though they were only posted on YouTube, luckily for me, the songs received support and acceptance as soon as they were released.

Singer La Hoang Quy

Many people shared with me that the song was listened to over and over again because they saw themselves in it. Maybe, at the time I wrote it, there were very few new songs about the mountains that were suitable for young people and that anyone could sing. Therefore, the song spread quite quickly.

Actually, I think I am still more inclined towards being a singer because I have studied and trained in vocal music. Each role is very difficult. For a singer, the most important thing is to convey emotions, convey vocal techniques, convey expertise. To sing well, to have an audience is not easy, how can you sing with all your heart. I think music now must be different, must be realistic. Technique is only to support the singer. The most important thing is still emotion, aiming at the main goal which is the audience. Writing music is also very difficult. To have a "musical work" must involve many factors...

PV: Listening to La Hoang Quy's songs, listeners can clearly feel the emotions you put into your compositions. When you sing, you sing very naturally, as if you borrowed music to express your feelings... So is your strength as a singer or a musician?

La Hoang Quy:I think the road ahead will be full of difficulties, but I will not stop at what I have. I will still focus on music, but I have to find a new path, expand to many different audiences, and my brainchildren will be spread as much as possible.

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I always believe that, although starting from different points, each person has different circumstances. But if we love what we choose, are determined with it, and are not afraid of anything. Only with true passion can we achieve the results we want. We also have to be serious about our work.

Singer La Hoang Quy

PV: Thank you for the conversation!