Duong Trieu Vu visited a California cemetery on 14/8 during his tour. He brought a bouquet of roses and prayed for his idol. "Ngoc Lan has been a beloved voice for me since childhood. She possessed a sweet voice and a melancholic beauty," the singer said.
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Duong Trieu Vu visits the grave of iconic singer Ngoc Lan. Photo: Provided by the artist |
According to Duong Trieu Vu, Ngoc Lan's resting place is always well-maintained, with lush green grass year-round. Her tombstone is engraved with musical notes and red roses. "Perhaps what she desired most in life was music and to be loved," Duong Trieu Vu shared.
Due to his admiration for Ngoc Lan, he often covers her songs, such as "Mua tren bien vang" and "Kiep dam me," during his performances.
Duong Trieu Vu gained fame overseas before returning to Vietnam in 2010. He has released albums like "Thien dang danh mat" (2007), "Em o dau" (2009), "Mai mai ben em" (2010), and "Sieu nhan" (2011), and has performed in two solo liveshows, "Uyen uyen" and "Da nguyet." He also won the "Audience's Favorite Singer" award at Mai Vang in 2011.
Ngoc Lan passed away on 6/3/2001 due to illness. She was one of the most successful singers of the 1980s, despite lacking formal vocal training. In 1985, under the guidance of musician Thanh Lam, she became popular with songs like "Lai gan hon em" (Viens M'embrasser, Vietnamese lyrics by Pham Duy), "Dong song tuoi nho" (La Maritza, Vietnamese lyrics by Vu Xuan Hung), the French album "Tinh ta" (Ngoc Lan 2), and the CDs "Tinh khuc bat tu" and "Lien khuc tinh yeu." Every Vietnamese home, street corner, and cafe in the US played Ngoc Lan's music at the time.
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Iconic singer Ngoc Lan (1956-2001). Photo: Nhac xua blog |
She was highly regarded as one of the few female singers who could perform various genres: French, American, and Japanese music, Vietnamese versions of foreign songs, and traditional Vietnamese music. Ngoc Lan also wrote Vietnamese lyrics for foreign songs like "Goi nho" (from the film "Return of the Condor Heroes," in the album "Lien khuc tinh yeu cuoi cung"), "Ngay vui nam ay" (Magic Boulevard), and "Hoi nguoi tinh" (a Chinese song). Many foreign songs with Vietnamese lyrics written by other musicians were also tailored for Ngoc Lan, including "Mua tren bien vang" (French music with Vietnamese lyrics by Nhat Ngan), "Anh thi khong" (French music with Vietnamese lyrics by Vu Xuan Hung), and "Nguoi yeu dau" (Chinese music with Vietnamese lyrics by Chi Tai).
Beyond her natural vocal talent, she was admired for her beauty and captivating stage presence. With her long, wavy hair and melancholic beauty, Ngoc Lan had many fans, both male and female. Her life was marked by sadness and unfulfilled love. She married musician Mai Dang Khoa, who had pursued her for many years, in 1994 at the age of 38. This was also the time when Ngoc Lan had to retire due to illness.
Hoang Dung
