The story of 'Western guys' singing Nghe Tinh folk songs

American singer with love for Vietnamese music

Appearing in the medley "Gian thi an angry ma thuong thi thuong" - "Gian ma thuong", American singer Kyo York delighted the audience when he performed quite well the melodies imbued with the folk music of Nghe Tinh:“I keep telling myself that you don’t love me, but you’re very meticulous…”, “When you’re far away, I listen to a folk song, angry but still loving, why is it so heartbreaking? Oh, this song is heavy with love and affection, have you ever waited for me…”.

But, that was not the first time Kyo York performed a Vietnamese song; nor was it the first time this American singer sang a Vietnamese folk song. Because, for those interested in Vietnamese music, the name Kyo York is not unfamiliar at all.

Born in 1985, Kyo York studied at Marymount Manhattan College, graduated and worked at Apple in New York City. In late 2007, during a training trip on seafaring communication skills for final year students, Kyo came to Vietnam on a ship docked at Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City.

Two years later, Kyo York returned to Vietnam for a volunteer English teaching project in Hau Giang province. During his time working, Kyo became interested in Vietnamese culture and people and felt increasingly attached to the Southern land. After the program ended, Kyo chose to stay in Ho Chi Minh City to live.

Persistently studying Vietnamese, the American boy gradually understood and felt the lyrics of Vietnamese songs and decided to become a professional singer. He once made Vietnamese audiences and listeners admire him when he sang love songs by musicians Trinh Cong Son, Thanh Tung, Ngo Thuy Mien, Phu Quang, Tran Tien... In addition to singing, Kyo York also wrote English lyrics for Vietnamese songs, contributing to bringing Vietnamese music closer to the world.

About the opportunity to perform at the Opening CeremonyNghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song FestivalKyo York said he had been to Nghe An several times to participate in cultural events as well as volunteer programs such as singing for disadvantaged children during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and participating in cleaning up trash at Cua Lo beach...

“If you ask me how many times I have been to Nghe An, I don’t remember exactly, but I am quite familiar with this land with specialties such as sticky rice cake, eel porridge, squid... as well as songs with the melody of Nghe Tinh folk songs, a type of folk art that I know has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. I also know that the North Central region has to face unfavorable weather, so the people of Nghe An are always full of determination and solidarity to overcome difficulties. Therefore, when invited by director Truong Bac at the Vietnam National Music and Dance TheaterArt program at the opening ceremony of the Vi and Giam Folk Song Festival, I immediately excitedly accepted,” Kyo York shared.

Kyo York also said that he himself is a singer specializing in chamber music and lyrical music. And although he has sung Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs and Southern folk songs, this is the first time he has tried his hand at Vi and Giam folk songs.

“When director Truong Bac allowed me to choose a folk song with the Vi and Giam qualities that I knew, I immediately thought of the song “Giận mà thương” because during a visit to Nghe An, I heard some locals sing this song and taught me a few lines. Then, singer Huyen Trang - who was chosen to sing a duet with me - suggested adding the song “Giận thì đăng mà thương thì thương” to sing the medley. When I chose the song, I was very excited, but when I started practicing, I encountered many difficulties with the vibrato of these two songs. I had to practice on my own for quite a long time, with the enthusiastic help of singer Huyen Trang, to be able to sing both songs,” Kyo York confided.

Vietnam is a very small country, but there are many musical genres in each region. Vi and Giam folk songs are one of the interesting musical genres for love singing. UNESCO was right to recognize Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Kyo himself feels very proud of this and certainly other foreigners will enjoy exploring this cultural beauty.

- Singer Kyo York.

Nigerian Youtuber and his special experience

Also participating in the Art Program at the Opening Ceremony of the Nghe Tinh Folk Song, Vi, Giam Festival, performing the song "Ai vo xu Nghe" with two Vietnamese singers Phuong Thanh and Le Thanh Phong, the Nigerian guy Cee Jay continuously received applause from the audience when he sang the lyrics.“Oh, Nghe An eggplant, the saltier it is, the crispier it is. Nghe An green tea, the more bitter it is, the more delicious it is”…

Unlike Kyo York – a professional singer, Cee Jay’s main job is an English teacher and Youtuber. 11 years ago, the university that Cee Jay was studying at that time was affiliated with a university in Hanoi, so he had the opportunity to come to Vietnam as an international student.

According to Cee Jay, when he first came to Vietnam, everything was so strange to him, especially the language and cuisine. At that time, he just thought of finishing his studies and staying in Vietnam for 4-5 months. But his love for a Vietnamese girl made Cee Jay gradually attached to this country. Even though he had to break up with his first Vietnamese girlfriend, then had a period of failed business, and wanted to return to Nigeria many times, but by chance, Cee Jay fell in love and married a girl from Hanoi and decided to settle down in Vietnam.

In recent years, in addition to teaching English to children, Cee Jay has become a famous name in the Youtuber world. With his extremely fluent Vietnamese speaking ability, Cee Jay continuously releases videos sharing about cultural experiences, cuisine, and exploring life in Vietnam. In addition, viewers are quite excited when he covers Vietnamese songs such as: "Sau tat ca", "Ve dau mai toc nguoi thuong"... However, performing at an art program with a strong folk song style, for Cee Jay, is a completely new experience.

“Before that, I had never been to Nghe An, and knew almost nothing about Vi and Giam folk songs. Therefore, when I was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Festival, I was very surprised but also very excited. Also because I had never been to Nghe An, the program director chose the song “Ai vo xu Nghe” for me to perform with two singers Phuong Thanh and Le Thanh Phong. It was a song with a completely new nuance compared to the Vietnamese songs I had sung, with very complex notes, while I had never learned to sing before," Cee Jay shared.

The Nigerian YouTuber also confided: "When I first came to Vietnam, I really liked the song "Ve dau mai toc nguoi thuong" and thought it was the hardest song to sing in Vietnam until I entered the studio, read the lyrics and listened to the demo version "Ai vo xu Nghe". The first question that popped out to me was: "Why is it clearly an acute tone but the singer sings it with a heavy tone?", making the whole crew laugh, explaining that it was the way people from the Central region, especially Nghe An people, spoke. Then singing with 2 singers from Nghe An who sang very well made me feel pressured.

For nearly a month, I practiced at the theater during the day, and at night when I got home, I kept mumbling each word and melody. Before the performance, the artists at the Vietnam National Music and Dance Theater filmed and shared a clip of me practicing the song “Ai vo xu Nghe” on Facebook and TikTok, receiving many positive comments, giving me more motivation to perform the song well.”

"Although I have been in Vietnam for more than 10 years, I am still eager to experience my second homeland. And participating in the Art Program at the Opening Ceremony of the Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam Folk Song Festival has given me a very special experience. Surely in the future, my YouTube channel will have clips about my trips to explore and experience Nghe An and the Vi and Giam folk songs that I perform."
- Youtuber Cee Jay