Young singer Thanh Xuan: When folk singing becomes the meaning of life

A childhood filled with great passion.

"Listen to the lullaby/ The world's ups and downs, through generations... The clouds, the mountains, the rivers, the homeland, full of love and affection..."

Those lyrics echoed from within the small house in Xuan Lam commune, Nghe An province, the home of young singer Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan. Following the singing, there was a lively chatter and laughter from the young people who had gathered for the event.

After initial conversations, Thanh Xuan shared that she had been busy with studying and performing all year, so she dedicated the beginning of the Lunar New Year to her family and friends. The gifts for the reunion were still the familiar and heartwarming folk songs of Nghe An province.

Thanh Xuân was born in 2000 into a poor farming family in Ngọc Sơn commune, formerly Thanh Chương district, now Xuân Lâm commune, Nghệ An province. Xuân's childhood was filled with hard work in the tea plantations and cornfields. Yet, amidst the scorching sun of Central Vietnam, her singing voice still soared clear and pure.

Thanh Xuân has been known for her unique voice in the folk songs of the Ví Giặm genre since she was a child. From the age of 5 or 6, she showed a talent for understanding and performing several ancient folk songs with great emotion. Fortunately for her, in her hometown, People's Artist Võ Thị Hồng Vân, a person deeply connected to folk melodies, opened a free folk singing class at her home. Her father took Xuân there, and the teacher and student have shared many years of close friendship.

On moonlit evenings and scorching weekends, my father would quietly take me to singing lessons, with the simple thought: to let me fulfill my passion for music. Back then, our family was very poor; my mother had to work far from home, and it was just my father and me, working in the rice and corn fields. But for my sake, my father tried his best to arrange a few singing lessons for me each week.

And then, the petite Thanh Xuan from the impoverished countryside, with her sweet voice and heartfelt melodies, participated in many school folk song competitions and provincial and inter-provincial folk song festivals, leaving a strong impression on the audience in Nghe An province. Besides the recognition from the judges, the greatest reward of her childhood was being recognized as the youngest folk song artist.

"

"Despite coming from a very disadvantaged family, Thanh Xuan's passion for folk singing is truly admirable. Thanh Xuan is a very proud member of the former Ngoc Son Commune Folk Song Club, now the Xuan Lam Commune Folk Song Club."

People's Artist Vo Thi Hong Van

From a young member of the folk song club in Ngoc Son commune, Thanh Xuan received further guidance from People's Artist Hong Luu when she joined the Green Bud Folk Song Club that Hong Luu opened in the old Vinh city. On weekends, Xuan and her friends enthusiastically practiced singing, with Ms. Luu analyzing and correcting each line, helping her understand the meaning of each lyric. Thanh Xuan progressed very quickly. From learning to sing through the radio and singing along with others, to thoroughly researching ancient melodies and lyrics, understanding their meaning to perform, she sang with all her heart and soul.

As a "favorite student" of the Young Talents class, People's Artist Hong Luu shared about her young protégé: "I, as well as the Provincial Traditional Arts Center, always create opportunities for her to participate in major programs, for example, the program honoring the folk singing tradition of Nghe Tinh, receiving the UNESCO certificate in 2014... It can be said that Thanh Xuan is a very promising voice of Nghe Tinh folk music."

The road is wide open.

Through her relentless efforts, in 2018, Xuan passed the entrance exam to the Nghe An College of Culture and Arts, with the intention of pursuing a professional singing career, starting with folk songs. This was also the time when Thanh Xuan won the national B prize with her performances of "Wooden Fish Journeying to the Capital" and "Tran Quoc Toan's Departure" in the national arts festival.

In 2021, Xuan graduated with two excellent degrees: a College Diploma in Vocal Music and an Intermediate Diploma in Performing Arts, and was officially hired by the Provincial Traditional Arts Center. With continuous effort and a thirst for learning, in 2022, Thanh Xuan successfully passed the entrance exam to the Vietnam National Academy of Music and left Nghe An province with the desire to further her personal growth.

In her new environment, Thanh Xuan continued to strive and develop her strengths, and her maturity became increasingly evident as she appeared more frequently and made a strong impression in major music competitions and on large stages.

In 2024, Xuan won the runner-up prize in the "Peak of Music" competition. In 2025, a surprise for those who knew and loved Thanh Xuan was when she took to the stage of the Hanoi Singing Contest 2025 with a song she composed herself titled "Xu Nghe" (Nghe An). The song is the culmination of a deep love intertwined with the folk music of Nghe An. In this song, Xuan skillfully incorporated folk music into a fresh artistic space. "Xu Nghe" is a song expressing thoughts, memories, gratitude, and pride for the sun-drenched land of Central Vietnam.

The melodies and rhythms of the Ví Giặm folk songs have now been given a new lease of life through the creative vision of a professional music student. Successfully composing and performing a song about her homeland is not only a challenge but also an affirmation of the young woman's love for her country.

In Xuan's music, "Nghe An" represents the beauty of resilience and the aspiration to reach greater heights. There, one sees a proud Nghe An region and its genuine, deeply affectionate people.

From the melodies of folk songs, Thanh Xuan is gradually striving to establish herself on her musical journey with the passion of youth.