Poor boy sings touching folk songs on 'Kids Idol'
Boy Ho Van Cuong from Go Cong made three judges of Vietnam Idol Kids cry because of his soulful folk singing voice and difficult living conditions.
The first episode of Vietnam Idol Kids aired on the evening of April 24.
The three judges of the program are: singers Toc Tien, Isaac, and Van Mai Huong. Right from the first episode, in the Southern Audition round, the three had a hard time choosing talented and passionate children to go to the next round.
13-year-old contestant Ho Van Cuong was the most emotional boy in episode one. From the moment he appeared in the exam room, Ho Van Cuong attracted attention because he was among the older children compared to the other contestants, but he was very skinny and small, with dark skin and bright eyes. Ho Van Cuong sang the folk song Ly Dat Giong with a sweet, emotional voice. When the judges asked him to continue performing another song, he tearfully performed the folk song Ba Nam, which moved the judges to tears.
To bring Cuong from Go Cong, Tien Giang to Saigon to attend Vietnam Idol Kids, his mother had to borrow 500,000 VND from an acquaintance with the promise that she would work hard to pay off the debt. Despite their poor family background, Cuong's parents tried to support their son's passion for singing in the hope that he would have a chance to escape poverty.
 |
Ho Van Cuong burst into tears when the judge asked about his family background. |
In the application form, in the talent section, while the children talked about their singing, dancing, hip hop, rapping, beatboxing... Ho Van Cuong wrote "singing at weddings". That is Cuong's part-time job after school to help his parents make ends meet. The poor boy shared: "I love singing. Whenever I have free time, I sing and have a small notebook to write down my favorite songs. It's like a treasure to me. I want to grow up to be a singer, but before that, I want to finish grade 12 because I like going to school."
After Cuong's performance, all three judges went on stage to hug him, express their love and give him the golden ticket to move on to the next round. Van Mai Huong said: "Even those who have studied singing for many years like Ms. Huong cannot sing with emotion like you. So keep trying."
 |
Contestant Ho Van Cuong's mother (left) borrowed money to take her son to Saigon for a singing competition. |
Cuong's golden ticket is not only a joy for him but also a great happiness for Cuong's mother. When picking him up from the exam room, his mother burst into tears.
The opening episode of Vietnam Idol Kids had many funny performances.Unlike contestant Ho Van Cuong, the two brothers Ly Vinh Hoa and Ly Khanh Mai Chi from Ho Chi Minh City grew up in more well-off families. Little Mai Chi performed the song I like - a song that judge Toc Tien performed when she was a child. Mai Chi stirred up the atmosphere of the exam room with her confident and adorable demeanor. Meanwhile, her brother Vinh Hoa showed the judges his maturity and strong voice when he performed Tran Lap's Road to Glory. Both were selected for the next round.
 |
Three judges: singer Isaac, Van Mai Huong and Toc Tien with the young contestants. |
Little boy Le Ngoc Thanh, from Ho Chi Minh City, performed the folk song Quan Ho confidently. And little girl Phan Thien Thao (stage name Linh Hoa) - the champion of Dancing with the Stars Kids 2015 - performed two songs Toc Hat and Price Tag.
The first episode of Vietnam Idol Kids ended with five faces being awarded golden tickets to continue. The next episode of the Southern Audition round will air at 8pm on May 1.
Vietnam Idol Kids is a version for young domestic audiences, produced based on the international television entertainment program Idol Kid.
