Musician Tuan Canh reveals the hidden side behind his daughter's fame

Xuan Mai was born in 1995, the daughter of musician Tuan Canh and guitarist Thu Thu. Since the age of 2, she has become a child singer loved by many audiences.

During her career, Xuan Mai released 30 albums, the best selling of which isLittle stork.Xuan Mai's reputation at that time was so great that record companies had to write on the record covers: "Special appearance of baby Xuan Mai".

The "musical prodigy" also performed live shows with thousands of audiences when he was only 5 years old.

Xuan Mai’s father said that his family used to open a music store and produce children’s programs and music CDs. Thanks to that, since birth, Xuan Mai was exposed to music and soon showed her talent.

Musician Tuan Canh said that his family trained and guided him, but Xuan Mai developed her career thanks to her innate love and talent for music.

"At the age of 2, my daughter already knew how to sing. Every time Xuan Mai filmed on stage without an audience, there were always 3 adults supporting her. One person reminded her of the lyrics, one person reminded her of the choreography, and one director asked her to move according to the script. At that time, Xuan Mai listened to 3 people at the same time, followed and performed naturally in front of the camera.

When I was young, I couldn't read yet so I didn't know the lyrics to many songs. Every time we recorded or filmed, I only needed someone to remind me of a part of the lyrics and I would remember it and sing along. I performed "like a machine," said Mr. Tuan Canh.

In response to comedian Thuy Nga's question about letting Xuan Mai "run shows" from a young age, musician Tuan Canh affirmed that his family did not focus on making money.

"My daughter doesn't go to shows much because she has to focus on her studies. There are invitations to sing at weddings and birthday parties, but we turned them all down. Xuan Mai only performs at children's shows during the summer and Tet," said Xuan Mai's father.

Regarding the story of Xuan Mai's family "making a lot of money" from singing, Mr. Tuan Canh said his daughter's income is not as much as the audience has long thought.

"Pirated CDs were everywhere. For every CD we sold, they sold 1,000 or 10,000 in the illegal market. Xuan Mai's CDs actually sold very little, not earning much. The original CD cost 30,000 VND, but in the illegal market they only cost 2,000 or 5,000 VND. Back then, everyone watched Xuan Mai's CDs, but they were all pirated," the musician recounted.

Musician Tuan Canh also added that every time Xuan Mai goes to record or organize a live show, the family's budget is "very expensive". To produce a music program for Xuan Mai, the family has to mobilize a crew of many people, from dancers, lighting staff to directors...

Xuan Mai's father said that more than 20 years ago, technology and the internet were not yet developed, so his daughter was at a disadvantage. However, the family still invested fully in Xuan Mai to pursue her passion.

"At home, we have 2 recording studios and 2 filming crews ready to film and take pictures of our child. All the filming and post-production stages are done at home. Mai sings a lot, recording more than 1,000 songs in total, sometimes the family can't keep up.

Unfortunately, in the past, information technology was not yet developed. If Xuan Mai had YouTube and Facebook like today, she would have definitely developed even more," the musician said.

Mr. Tuan Canh said Xuan Mai is currently 28 years old, living peacefully with her husband and 3 children in the US. She lives with her biological mother and still maintains regular contact with her father.

"If Xuan Mai can't overcome her childhood shadow, then she can just be a normal person now," Xuan Mai's father added.

At the age of 9, Xuan Mai followed her mother to the US to settle down, after her parents divorced. The "child star"'s singing career in Vietnam also stopped at this time, causing regret for the audience.

At the age of 14, the female singer intended to return to singing but could not do so due to her busy school schedule. Later, Xuan Mai returned to the country to perform and release MVs a few times but did not attract attention like when she was young.