Singer My Tam: Stadium is a "sanctuary" of music

Her Facebook FC recently posted a cute caption: "For the past 23 years, Vietnam has only had 3 singers hold live shows at My Dinh National Stadium: 1 is My Tam - 23 years old, 2 is My Tam - 41 years old, 3 is My Tam - 44 years old". Why is it always a stadium, always necessary to "play big"?

Each stage brings its own emotions, however, when standing in the vast space of the stadium, Tam feels more fully than ever the joy and jubilation of music . Stepping out into the vast stands, seeing tens of thousands of spectators waiting for him - that is a very cool, very special feeling. For Tam, the stadium has long become a "sanctuary" in his music.

In the past, when watching international artists perform at the stadium, Tam used to ask himself: "Why can't we, Vietnam, do it yet?". Tam didn't want to limit herself, so she thought if they could do it, she could too. Even though the conditions weren't good enough, even though everything was still difficult, Tam still wanted to try her own way, as long as she could live her life with all her heart for music.

When I was a kid, I did whatever I wanted. When I was young, I "accidentally" did something big, so now I have to do it even bigger!

Coincidentally, many young singers like Duc Phuc, Phuong My Chi… have recently said that the influences they receive from her way of life, her way of working, her way of “giving”…, are like the role of a “leader”. Up to now, do you feel that you fit those three words?

Tam finds the phrase "leader" to be a bit too grand! In the profession, everyone needs someone to look up to, learn from, and strive for. For Tam, the biggest competitor is still himself. Leading yourself in the right direction, keeping the fire burning every day, that is what is truly difficult.

Looking back on his entire journey, Tam understands why young people say so. Perhaps they see the image of an artist who has come a long way, still persevering and constantly trying despite the changes around him. But in fact, success does not come from leaps and bounds, nothing too big, but from small steps every day, persistently building up, gently but persistently. Sometimes, perseverance is also a way of leading, not by words, but by the way of life.

For 25 years, she has always been a "clean" name in showbiz, without any other title attached other than the two words My Tam. Is that because she is good, or... "stubborn"?

Tam thought maybe Tam was "stubbornly obedient", because Tam used to be very "naughty". It's just that Tam's "naughtiness" is in her head, in her creativity to find a new and different direction.

But before, it was to prove this and that, but now it's to show gratitude, so I'm really relaxed. Only when I'm relaxed can I be calm, and when I'm calm, I can observe the most and understand myself the most.

So what constants are immutable in My Tam?

Prestige, sincerity, purity and positive energy - these are the values Tam always maintains, not only in his career but also in his way of life.

What about the fatal weakness?

Probably the heart (laughs). Once you get hit, you lose.

Did you win?

It's a matter of luck! But Tam thinks he has to win a few times to know how it feels!

A sweet caption like "mai lai" ( just caused a "storm" by Mai Tai Phen - PV ) was enough to hit the target? How did you feel at that time?

Tam read it and had to say "Wow", how can someone write so well in such a short way! The sentences are both delicate and cute. Tam also wondered if "lai" meant light, life or like, but didn't dare ask... (laughs).

Well... take a guess!

What else…, there's nothing to reveal! Let people keep their private matters to themselves. I just find it cute, that's enough!

25 years is actually counted from which milestone? It seems like My Tam's name was mentioned before that, did you… miscalculate?

Tam did not miscalculate, just chose a milestone to look back on the journey. For Tam, that milestone was when he left the contract with Vafaco and started working independently "freely like clouds floating in the sky". Previously, the audience knew Tam through a few songs such as Cay dan sinh vien, Tinh nhu non can, Nhe anh h and then Toc nau moi tram ...; but for Tam, that was just the period of being noticed, not the time when he understood who he was.

So when did that feeling come from?

It wasn't until Singing with the River that Tam really felt the difference, he could hear it everywhere, even in his hometown his neighbors played it. Then the hit "Uoc Gi Thi Thoi" exploded, back then there wasn't a day without a show, he was sick. Later, Tam chose the year 2000 as a milestone, both a beautiful number and the time when Tam realized the path he wanted to take.

- Ảnh 6. — My Tam: Understanding where you start is more important than knowing where you stand.

So where do you think you stand now, and what does that mean to you?

Mind thinks, understanding where you start is more important than knowing where you are. You have to start from somewhere to get there. You have to understand that clearly, you have to keep that, then you can sit there for a long time.

What is your biggest asset after 25 years?

It's a whole generation of audiences who grew up with me, "kept time" with me, and had deep feelings for me, even when they had their own careers and positions in society. When I started to shine, they also started their own businesses. When they became successful, they turned around and still saw me there, as if helping them anchor something. Seeing me also meant they saw their youthful memories, "Yesterday & Now"...

So, every now and then Tam hears: Their boss says "Can you invite My Tam to talk?", "We have to invite My Tam first before we can talk!"... Cute, sounds cool too!

Have audiences ever made you sad?

Not very often. But there was one time, when Tam performed in the province. That time, Tam wore a very cool jeans outfit, and of course it was very suitable for that dynamic song. After that, Tam accidentally read a comment from an audience member, saying that Tam did not invest in costumes, should have worn a fancy flared dress (even though Tam's outfit was also cut and studded with elaborate stones), and like that, they thought Tam was disrespectful to the audience... After reading it, Tam also felt a little sad. Feeling wronged but not knowing what to say!

A 25-year-long streak of success is so easily defeated?

If that had happened in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi - where audiences were familiar with Tam's style - Tam probably wouldn't have thought much about it. But that day was in a place where audiences rarely had the opportunity to see live music, and the commentator was a grown woman. Tam thought about it and realized that perhaps she wanted to see a more glamorous image. Tam realized that the mistake was not in the misunderstanding, but in not truly understanding the wishes of the audience there. If she had been a little more tactful, Tam could have brought her more complete joy. So the sadness is not because of being criticized, but because sometimes you can do better but miss out.

- Ảnh 8. — My Tam in front of 30,000 spectators of the live show "Tri am" at My Dinh Stadium (Hanoi), November 2022

What will My Tam be like at milestone number 25, when she returns to the "sanctuary"?

Tam believes that this live show will bring a more positive and brighter energy than ever. The name of the show See The Light therefore comes out very naturally, because I clearly feel a certain light shining on me, my path, clearer than ever. Tam wants to transmit that energy to the audience, the positive and joyful energy that Tam believes everyone has within themselves, but sometimes forgets.

Even though the hits are mainly about "right and wrong", breakups?

It comes mainly from you, from within you. If you don’t radiate something truly warm and bright from within, no matter how happy the song is, the positive energy won’t really spread. Sometimes we want to meet someone because we like the energy they radiate, more than what they say out loud, or what we can hold.

- Ảnh 10. — According to My Tam, "when singing, emotions change according to the audience..."

She always keeps a calm face when singing, even… smiles brightly, even when singing sad songs, mainly sad songs. Is it because My Tam always advocates "love comes to me without any expectations/love goes away without any regrets" or is it simply because she forgets… what she is singing?

Sometimes Tam really forgets (laughs). When singing, emotions change according to the audience. Except for the song "I don't believe I'm still waiting for you to return", Tam can laugh almost every time she sings, because seeing the audience means seeing joy.

But once you sing "Please forget me", you want people to forget, right?! Or when you say "I don't care anymore", you should feel relieved and let it go, why be sad anymore! Music is to heal, to "travel with the wind in life", not to hold on to pain.

25 years, witnessing many "changes" in Vietnamese music, now with the invasion of AI, has the professional mindset of the "time keeper" changed a bit?

Of course, Tam was worried because AI did it really well! Once, when hearing a great mix, Tam even asked the crew to ask who did it, but unexpectedly, they said: "Oh my gosh, it's an AI version!", Tam laughed so hard.

But having said that, Tam is not too worried, because technology cannot replace human emotions. Music is the soul, it is in the heart. It is thanks to AI that Tam wants to be more creative, because if we do not let our true emotions guide us, we will easily get lost in the crowd.

A quarter of a century, is it short or long to you?

It depends on how you look at it. If you do a simple subtraction, it seems fast and short. But if you look back at each stage, each milestone, it is a long journey worth cherishing. Tam feels grateful for everything, even for himself. Each year, each milestone is an "addition" of experiences, trust and love that the audience has for Tam. And it is those small additions that have created the past 25 years of my life...