From a Muong girl criticized for "ruining Xam folk singing" to a singer loved by young people.

Ha Myo (Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ha), a young singer of Muong descent, has gradually established her talent in the Vietnamese music scene. With her powerful voice, captivating performance style, and intense passion, Ha Myo is a symbol of resilience and overcoming adversity.

Ha Myo was born and raised in a farming family in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province – a place with a rich and diverse Muong ethnic culture and also the hometown of Muong actor Ha Viet Dung. From a young age, she was exposed to the traditional music of her ethnic group. She always dreamed of becoming a singer, even though her family had no artistic tradition.

Ha Myo was always involved in the performing arts group of her class and school. Her mother wanted her to become a teacher, so after graduating from high school, Ha Myo applied to the Central College of Pedagogy and Hanoi University of Pedagogy, and then applied to the Military University of Culture and Arts. However, she only applied to the Military University of Culture and Arts and arbitrarily dropped out of the other two schools.

Hà Myo's path to music wasn't easy, but she never gave up. Learning on her own through online videos, she believed that with effort and perseverance, her dream was within reach.

After graduating from the Military University of Culture and Arts, Ha Myo joined the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Theatre and began her professional musical career. After nearly 10 years dedicated to pop music, one day she discovered her passion for traditional Vietnamese folk music…

In 2019, the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Theatre organized a training course for young artists to learn about traditional music, and Ha Myo was captivated by ca trù, quan họ, chèo, and xẩm.

A year later, the competitionThe best singing voice in HanoiIn 2020, when the event was held, Ha Myo registered to participate and performed a song.Four PalacesHer work is a contemporary folk-influenced pop song. Unexpectedly, when she reached the finals, the organizers assigned her to the folk music genre.

Unexpectedly, Ha Myo spontaneously thought of Xam (a traditional Vietnamese folk singing style). When she began singing the first few Xam verses, she realized the folk essence within herself. At the same time, she happened to hear the vibrant melodies of electronic dance music (EDM), which sparked the idea of ​​a groundbreaking and unconventional combination of Xam folk, rap, and EDM.

Ultimately, her emotional singing voice and confident performance style helped Ha Myo win second place in the competition and the prize.The best song about Hanoiwhen performingHanoi Xam- The lyrics of the song were hastily rewritten by music researcher Nguyen Quang Long.Xẩm (traditional Vietnamese folk singing) at Dong Xuan Market.

That's how Ha Myo got into Xam (a traditional Vietnamese folk music genre)! However, in the first two years pursuing Xam, she had no shows. "Many people still think this music is sad, mournful, and unsuitable for singing at the beginning of the year or in cheerful programs," she said. The singer also received a lot of criticism, with some even saying she "ruined" traditional Xam.

Thanks to her perseverance, Ha Myo gradually gained recognition from the audience, receiving many invitations to perform and collaborate with famous musicians. Her songs often focus on themes of love for her homeland, family, and traditional national values.

Hà Myo revealed that dedicating herself wholeheartedly to Xẩm (a traditional Vietnamese folk music genre) is not simple, as it requires significant investment in all aspects. However, she remains committed to a long-term path that demands serious contributions of time and effort. She is fortunate to have the unwavering support and encouragement of her husband, music producer Ngô Thế Phương. Therefore, whenever an idea for Xẩm comes to mind, she immediately receives his input and begins experimenting.

Besides Xẩm (a type of Vietnamese folk singing), Hà Myo also sings Xoan, Chầu Văn, and Southern Vietnamese folk songs. She incorporates many folk elements into her music videos, such as:The game is a gift from heaven, Smashing the Khọt girl, The Trường Sa Chronicle.On several occasions, the singer sought out People's Artist Nguyen Thi Lich to learn about Xoan singing in order to have a good foundation to modernize it with electronic music.

This year, Ha Myo said she will continue taking classes in traditional Vietnamese opera (cheo and van singing), and learning to play musical instruments like the two-stringed fiddle (dan nhi) and moon lute (nguyen) to improve her skills. She only hopes to become famous so she can promote more of the beauty of traditional culture to young people.

The Muong ethnic girl proved that with passion, perseverance, and determination, every dream can come true: "Passion is the strength that helps me overcome all difficulties."

Tinh Le