Hương Thanh


Hương Thanh is a Vietnamese singer of various genres, including Cai Luong and jazz fusion. In 2007, France Musique honored her with the Musique du monde award. Her early discography includes Chuyện ba người, Moon and Wind, and Tales from Vietnam, de Nguyên Lê.

Early years and education

Hương Thanh was born in Saigon to a family of South Vietnamese musicians. Her father, Hữu Phước, was a master of Cải lương singing. She has at least one sibling, a sister, Hương Lan. From the age of 10, Huong was trained in Cải Lương and in traditional singing. At the age of 14, she studied at various schools of music and theater, and at 16 she gave her stage debut. In 1977, as a result of the political events in Vietnam, she emigrated to Paris at age 17.

Career

In 1995, she met the Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê, who was her first contact with jazz and world music. In 1996, she sang at the invitation of UNESCO to celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. With her sister, Hương Lan, she recorded in Los Angeles, California, US in 1997. In the following years, she worked alongside Nguyên Lê with Michel Alibo, Paolo Fresu, Paul McCandless, and Dhafer Youssef. The CD, Fragile Beauty, which was recorded in the duo with Nguyên Lê in 2007, which was finished in the spring of 2008 in the World Music Charts Europe. In 2007, she received the Prix Musique des Musiques du Monde for her interpretation of the traditional music of Vietnam. This prize is connected with studio recordings and in 2008 the CD Viet Nam was released: Musique Du Théâtre Cai Luong. Here Huong, in collaboration with traditional musicians, interprets some of the most popular pieces of Cải lương and the traditional music of the three regions of Vietnam. With this repertoire, she toured with her Huong Thanh Trio.

Discography

Vietnam music and traditional music