The Katu boy loves to sing.

That's the self-assessment of young singer-songwriter Danh Zoram (real name Zoram Huu Danh, 30 years old, from Lang commune, Tay Giang district, Quang Nam province). "Co Tu Boy" is also the title of Danh's recently released music album on social media.

Heart-wrenching Co Tu-Kinh song

Just one month after being uploaded to the Danh Zoram Official YouTube channel (with over 17,000 followers), the album " Chàng trai Cơ Tu" (The Cơ Tu Boy), composed and performed by Danh Zoram, has received much positive interaction from listeners. At nearly 41 minutes long, the 8 songs written by Danh Zoram about the Tây Giang and Quảng Nam highlands have brought many fresh and unique emotions.

Zoram performing in his hometown of Quang Nam. Photo by Hoang Son.

While the two bilingual Co Tu-Kinh songs, " Co Tu Boy" and "Loving a Co Tu Girl ," have lively and cheerful rhythms, " Tay Giang in the Great Forest" offers a profound depth, almost breaking away from the strong rhythms of songs with a mountain and forest feel. Although the lyrics are directed towards his hometown of Tay Giang, the arrangement and orchestration have a folk music feel with instruments like the flute and zither, creating a fresh sensation for the listener.

From the moment he embarked on his musical journey, Danh Zoram quickly demonstrated himself to be a versatile artist capable of singing many genres, such as pop, folk songs, and revolutionary music… But as Danh shared, when he returned to music with the sounds of the mountains and forests, he felt as if he were immersed in the embrace of his parents.

"The material, content, and ideas I get are thanks to the Co Tu culture, thanks to the hardships I endured as a child, struggling to make a living working in the fields like other Co Tu people. When I compose and sing about my homeland, it's like I'm singing about myself…," Danh Zoram shared.

Danh recounts that 10 years ago, when he entered the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture and Arts, despite facing many difficulties and not receiving support from his family, his talent allowed him to quickly adapt to the musical environment. Danh joined the group D&V under the stage name Tay Giang to remember his hometown and achieved initial success with two albums, " Only You Can Make Me Happy " and "Don't Cry, My Dear!" , a duet with singer Thai Phong Vu. However, not long after, the group disbanded, and he returned to his studies. In a foreign land, the Co Tu boy had the opportunity to meet many singers such as Pham Truong, Quang Ha, Vu Ha… and collaborate with them on works he composed.

"He was a simple, honest young man."

Remaining in Ho Chi Minh City with the determination to pursue his music career, Danh continued his work as a freelance singer. At the end of 2021, he reappeared under the new stage name Danh Zoram with the music video " Em đã có chồng" (I've Got Married) . Danh collaborated with music producers at WE Studio. On digital platforms, Danh Zoram continued to release music videos about the Tây Giang highlands and Quảng Nam province, impressing viewers. Works like " Về quê em vùng cao" (Returning to My Hometown in the Highlands), "Cừng gươl (Celebrating the New Village House) , "Thổn thức vùng cao" (Heartache in the Highlands), "Đôi mắt Cơ Tu" (The Eyes of the Cơ Tu People )... delighted viewers with beautiful shots of traditional villages and majestic green forests. The characters appearing in the music videos all wore traditional Cơ Tu brocade costumes and carried baskets to the fields.

Images of Danh Zoram in his recently released album, "The Co Tu Boy".

"Through my compositions and investment in music videos, I want to spread and promote the image, culture, and people of the Co Tu ethnic group, as well as the land of Tay Giang, Quang Nam, to a wider audience. My latest compositions in the album ' Co Tu Boy' clearly reflect the essence of the Truong Son mountain range. However, this album doesn't only contain songs about the Co Tu or Tay Giang; there are also songs about Quang Nam and the solidarity among ethnic minority groups in the Central and Central Highlands regions," Danh Zoram shared.

The male singer-songwriter said that, in his work as a producer, he frequently composes and collaborates with other artists to create highlights in the cultural exchange between different ethnic groups and regions. In the album " Chàng trai Cơ Tu" (The Cơ Tu Boy) , Danh Zoram collaborated with the winner of the 2017 Sao Mai singing competition, Sèn Hoàng Mỹ Lam (Nùng ethnic group), on the song "Hoa sim giữa rừng " (Sim Flower in the Forest); and with singer Sally Q (Ê Đê ethnic group) on the song "Những cánh chim đại ngàn" (Birds of the Great Forest). "In the future, I hope to collaborate with many more artists from other ethnic groups," Danh said.

With WE Studio, he achieved some success and established himself in music distribution and release on digital platforms. Everything was done by Danh himself, using his own money without any sponsors or partners, while coming from a poor family in the mountains, he often faced extremely difficult circumstances. There were times when Danh Zoram felt discouraged and wanted to give up...

"At times like these, I ask myself, what was the reason I started? Why, after accepting life and death, starving myself for music, can't I persevere now that I have such a short period of youth left? After such experiences, I become even more determined and try even harder to pursue the path I've chosen, just like the lyrics of the song ' The Co Tu Boy' that I wrote: ' As a Co Tu boy, living honestly and truthfully like a bird in the sky / A Co Tu boy, always remembering the words of the forest mother, nurturing aspirations for the homeland,'" Danh confided.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chang-trai-co-tu-me-hat-185231013225403007.htm