The music video "Ong gia Noel oi" was released on 21/12. Video: Provided by subject
Ngoc Le composed "Co be ban diem" in 1999 for the album Ru cho con va em, while "Ong gia Noel oi" is from the album Con mai tuoi len ba (2002). He and his wife, Phuong Thao, performed these two songs successfully on domestic stages before settling in the US. This time, they conceived the idea for their students in the "Be hat tieng Viet" (Children Sing Vietnamese) class in the US to perform them. The artists developed the visual script and assigned lines to each child for the best outcome.
The music video "Co be ban diem" performed by Phuong Thao and Ngoc Le's students. Video: Provided by subject
For "Co be ban diem", instead of using the original gentle arrangement with acoustic guitar, flute, and snare drum, Ngoc Le added more dramatic piano sounds for the child singers, aged 3 to 13, to harmonize. According to Ngoc Le, he and his wife self-produced the music videos with support from parents. He borrowed 30 christmas trees and lights to set the scene for the two music videos.
The most challenging part was writing a script where every child had a role suited to their ability. Some children with less proficient pronunciation had to record multiple times. "It is truly valuable that these children are willing to sing in Vietnamese overseas", he stated.
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Musician Ngoc Le with his child students behind the scenes of the music video shoot. Photo: Provided by subject |
Musician Ngoc Le with his child students behind the scenes of the music video shoot. Photo: Provided by subject
Currently, Phuong Thao and Ngoc Le are dedicated to teaching music from home. Every day, they find joy in interacting with innocent children who love to sing. "I am grateful to have such meaningful work, striving to teach these young talents to preserve their Vietnamese identity", the artist said.
Phuong Thao and Ngoc Le were a popular singing duo in the 1990s. They achieved success with songs like Xa roi tuoi tho, Xe dap oi, Con gai, and Dau yeu tinh dau. Their album Ca phe mot minh was a bestseller in both cassette and CD formats. Ngoc Le also found success with family and children's songs such as Ba ngon nen lung linh and Con heo dat.
In 2005, they moved to the US to settle. In 2015, they returned to Vietnam for a live show as part of the Dau an program.
Hoang Dung
