Young talent please do not force it to ripen!
The Voice Kids, which debuted on June 1, 2013 for contestants aged 9-14, surprised television audiences with their singing talent and maturity. The show created a lot of emotions for the audience, but there were also mixed opinions about the young singers who looked “old” on stage and the way they responded backstage.
(Baonghean) -The Voice Kids, which debuted on June 1, 2013 for contestants aged 9-14, surprised television audiences with their singing talent and maturity. The show created a lot of emotions for the audience, but there were also mixed opinions about the young singers who looked “old” on stage and the way they responded backstage.
I sat quietly listening to Cao Duc Anh (Do Luong - Nghe An) perform "My Childhood Homeland" in a very pure way, as he said: "I want to be a singer to escape poverty". My young son also sat quietly listening to Phuong My Chi perform the song "My Homeland in Flood Season" with the Southern folk melody. After listening, he commented: "I chose you, you sing well and have beautiful clothes!". Most of the television audience over the past 2 weeks have been praising these two singers. Praising them for their pure performance even though they were out of tune or forgot the lyrics. Praising them for expressing the spirit of the song, expressing many concerns in their own childish thoughts. And praising them because in those voices lies a talent for the future. What caused a stir on the internet last week for these two singers was that they chose a Vietnamese song and a song with a sweet and profound Southern folk melody to perform in a playground where English is somewhat dominant.
Many TV viewers eagerly watched The Voice Kids with the expectation of receiving a lot of cuteness and loveliness that children bring, but they were also surprised by the maturity of many contestants singing in Vietnamese. Vu Song Vu, 14 years old, is known as a talented child singer in the Vietnam Got Talent playground with the song "My Grandmother" by Nguyen Vinh Tien. His appearance was considered a strong opponent for all candidates. However, choosing the song "Bien Nho" which was too old for his age caused him to receive a lot of criticism for his overly well-rounded performance. Nguyen Le Nguyen is also considered a child talent, but the "discomfort" he brings is his very senior performance style, from the way he dresses to his stage presence. The song "And we see the sun again" was performed by Nguyen with fullness in both the high notes as well as the drifting, "grinding" style full of rock, but the audience did not see this as a child talent, because when listening to him sing, people no longer noticed the necessary purity and innocence, for example, the lyrics: "Why did you say goodbye so quickly/ Why did you rush to leave..." are not suitable for children.
Nguyen Le Nguyen - the most experienced child contestant in this year's program
The first season of The Voice Kids saw a boom in English songs, although this is a trend that many young people choose and although music does not distinguish between languages, Vietnamese people still want to listen to Vietnamese songs.
It must be said that many children have quickly affirmed their talent as well as their ability to pronounce English correctly at a young age. Mai Xuan Bach with Stay is full of energy, Bui Huyen Thao My with Set fire to the rain is soulful, but they have chosen songs with stories that require the experience of adults, so no matter how well they sing, it still sounds very forced in emotion.
It is easy to see that in the first appearance of The Voice Kids, there was a shadow of support and great expectations from the children's families. From what to wear when going on stage to how to respond to the coaches to score points from the audience. Thao My answered MC Tran Thanh when asked why she chose Hien Thuc, she replied: "Choose Hien Thuc for safety!" Or like Vu Song Vu, although choosing Trinh Cong Son's song that is not integrated and too mature, still asked to join Thanh Bui's team because she had studied in advance the "extroverted ability" of this coach. Or like Nguyen Le Nguyen, early on, expressed his desire to stand with senior singers on the same stage, clearly shown in his fluency as well as his neat way of dressing.
4 Coaches of The Voice kids program.
Another thing that the TV audience has mixed opinions about is the coaches of this competition. All 4 invited coaches are talented and famous in the music market. However, instead of guiding the contestants so that they understand their abilities, the coaches are a bit too much in the way they attract contestants. For example, Hien Thuc always invites contestants in empty ways such as: "Come to my team, you know, I also have a daughter about your age!" Or: "We have one thing in common, we are both nearsighted, now let's go home!" Or like: "You sing so wonderfully", "You will have a bright future when you join my team!" by coach Thanh Bui. The coaches also compete for contestants in a very uncivilized manner, such as Ho Hoai Anh saying: "Uncle Thanh Bui doesn't speak Vietnamese fluently"; "Miss Hien Thuc still has to go to many shows so she doesn't have time to teach you how to sing". I think that such comments are not suitable for children's thinking, making them see the competition between those who will be their music teachers tomorrow. It unintentionally causes them to form a competitive mindset at a very young age and also unintentionally makes them have illusions about their own talents. And when it comes to playgrounds for children, the main criterion of having fun should still be put first.
Whether Cao Duc Anh and Phuong My Chi can go further in the next rounds or not depends on their own abilities. But in the hearts of the audience, they are the champions of the first season of The Voice Kids. Because they have let the audience admire not only the beauty of their young talents but also their souls and their way of perceiving music. Thanks to that, is this playground a highlight?!
The Voice Kids' journey is still long, it's hard to predict how hot this playground will be. As a young TV audience who loves music, my son hopes: "When it comes to the confrontation round, watch out for the older brothers and sisters not to cry when they are eliminated. I hate the confrontation round so much". That is a childish wish, but when it comes to a playground, winning and losing are inevitable. I just hope that adults don't interfere too deeply, don't let any scandals happen to children like the one Quynh Anh Got Talent once caused a stir....
Thanh Nga
