Quan Ho girl brings folk songs to the world

BAC NINH - Possessing a clear and emotional voice, young singer Minh Ngoc (born in 2004), from Thuan Thanh ward (Bac Ninh) has been known to a wide audience of music lovers since winning the championship of Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi, season 2018.

Recently, at the 2025 Asian Arts Festival in Singapore, Minh Ngoc brought to the international stage the song “Gui ve quan ho” by musician Duc Mieng and won the Gold Award. Reporter of Bac Ninh Newspaper had a conversation with Minh Ngoc after she returned from Singapore.

Congratulations to Minh Ngoc for achieving success in an international music arena. On her personal Facebook page, Minh Ngoc proudly displays the image of “the girl of Quan Ho”. So who ignited in her a special love for her homeland’s folk songs?

Singer Minh Ngoc : I am very happy to be remembered by everyone with the image of the four-panel dress, the quan ho costumes of my hometown Bac Ninh. I hope I will bring to music lovers even better quan ho melodies, with more emotions.

I have known Quan Ho since I was very young, probably from the lullabies or the times I heard the village people sing at the village festival. I really became deeply attached to Quan Ho when I participated in the program Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi and when I started to study vocal music to pursue a professional singing career.

Young singer Minh Ngoc is proud of her Quan Ho costume.

Is it Quan Ho folk songs that helped Minh Ngoc succeed in the Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi contest in 2018?

Singer Minh Ngoc : Yes, that's right! When I participated in Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi, the first song I performed was the folk song "Buon Bac Buon Dau". At that time, I introduced myself that I brought Quan Ho to the contest so that everyone could understand more about my hometown Bac Ninh. My love and pride for my hometown gave me more confidence and inspiration to successfully perform the folk song.

Many young people today prefer modern music, what makes Minh Ngoc attached to Quan Ho folk songs?

Singer Minh Ngoc : Although modern music has a strong appeal, for me, Quan Ho has a very unique beauty, soft, affectionate, and profound. Immersing myself in Quan Ho, I always want to preserve and develop it in my own generation's way. The person who inspires me the most is probably my hometown Bac Ninh, where Quan Ho melodies have become a part of my flesh and blood.

Minh Ngoc with the Gold Cup at the 2025 Asian Arts Festival.

For a young singer like Minh Ngoc, is there any difficulty in reconciling tradition and modernity? How did you choose to preserve the soul of Quan Ho while still creating your own mark?

Singer Minh Ngoc : The biggest challenge for me is how to maintain the true spirit of Quan Ho while still having my own personal color. Among many good voices and good techniques, I always struggle so that every time I sing, the audience can recognize and remember me. Not because of forced difference but because of a natural uniqueness, both respecting tradition and reflecting the breath of my generation.

I learned Quan Ho in many ways, from specialized lessons at school, from teachers, artists, and also by listening and feeling a lot through tapes, documents, and stages... But the most important thing for me is to learn with my heart, which means I have to truly love and truly live with Quan Ho, so that when I sing each verse, it is truly emotional and soulful.

So, in your opinion, what role does Gen Z play in preserving and promoting Quan Ho cultural heritage?

Singer Minh Ngoc : I think young people are both a bridge and bring new colors and new vitality to Quan Ho, so that this melody can continue to spread in today's life. We belong to the generation that has the opportunity to access technology, has creativity and a modern perspective, just need to be oriented and know how to use technology properly to bring Quan Ho closer to friends of the same age. I believe that if each young person comes to Quan Ho with true love, even just one song is a way to preserve and promote it!

Minh Ngoc performed in the art program "Bac Ninh - a thousand years of culture - Aspiration to rise in the new era".

If chosen as a "quan ho cultural ambassador" for the young generation, what would Minh Ngoc do first?

Singer Minh Ngoc: If I am honored to be chosen as a “Quan Ho cultural ambassador”, the first thing I want to do is to carry out a series of journeys called “Quan Ho goes everywhere”, bringing Quan Ho melodies to perform in many provinces and cities in the country and abroad, especially in places where Vietnamese communities are living. I hope that each stop is not only a performance, but also an opportunity to tell stories about Quan Ho, so that everyone, wherever they are, can feel the rustic, profound and humane beauty of our folk songs.

Young singer Minh Ngoc.

Social media is also a great bridge. If you know how to tell stories in a youthful and creative language, Quan Ho can touch the hearts of many people. I am currently using platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram to introduce Quan Ho in a more accessible way to young people. Not only performing, I want to share stories about each melody, each cultural feature and custom associated with Quan Ho so that young people understand that Quan Ho is not far away, not ancient, but very real and very beautiful.

I also hope that more and more young people dare to try and express their love for traditional music on digital platforms. Because sometimes, just a short video can make someone moved and start learning about Quan Ho.

In the journey of bringing Quan Ho to many places, is there any memory that Minh Ngoc remembers?

Singer Minh Ngoc: When participating in the Asian Arts Festival in Singapore, I had the opportunity to teach Quan Ho singing to children from many countries. What was surprising was that they were very excited and attentive in learning each lyric and melody, even though Vietnamese was still very unfamiliar to them. When I heard them sing the song "Nguoi oi nguoi o dung ve" with sparkling eyes and bright smiles, I was truly moved! That song is deeply imprinted in me as a symbol of connection, of humanity and love for the homeland that transcends all borders.

At that time, I saw that Quan Ho was not only music but also a connecting thread between souls despite differences in language, culture, and age. I believe that Quan Ho is not only the beauty of Bac Ninh but also becomes the pride of Vietnamese culture in the international arena.

Minh Ngoc hopes to contribute a small part in spreading the love of Quan Ho to the young generation.

In the future, does Minh Ngoc have any personal plans with Quan Ho?

Singer Minh Ngoc : I hope I can contribute a small part in spreading the love of Quan Ho to the younger generation, not only by singing but also by telling stories, inspiring and connecting people with the beautiful values in each melody. I also really hope to experiment and combine Quan Ho with new musical elements, as long as the quintessential values of Quan Ho are still preserved. Because I believe that if done delicately and respectfully, "renewing" Quan Ho does not mean losing its identity, but rather helping Quan Ho enter today's life in a more natural and lively way.

Thank you Minh Ngoc! I wish you continued success on your wide-open musical path!

Singer Minh Ngoc, full name Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, born in 2004, is currently a third-year student of the Vocal Music Department of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. Minh Ngoc has performed in a number of programs welcoming heads of state such as the President of South Korea, the President of Singapore, the Chancellor of Germany, the President of Mongolia, etc. In 2018, Minh Ngoc won the championship of the Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi contest. In 2024, she released the mini album "Ngoc Nu" consisting of 6 folk songs, including ancient quan ho melodies, Central and Southern folk songs, and was praised by the audience. In July 2025 , Minh Ngoc excellently won the Gold Prize at the Asian Arts Festival in the vocal category with the performance "Gui ve quan ho" - a composition with quan ho melodies by musician Duc Mieng.

Thuan Thao (performed)

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/co-gai-mien-quan-ho-mang-dan-ca-ra-the-gioi-postid422388.bbg