French children's choir "dressed up" in Ao Dai, humming Vietnamese folk songs

It is not uncommon for foreigners to sing in Vietnamese, but the number of foreign children who enjoy singing Vietnamese folk songs is not large. Yet in France there is a whole choir of children who are passionately singing Vietnamese folk songs.

It is the Choeur Tim children's choir in the city of Versailles.

“Inh lá ơi, sao noông ơi, the whole Northwest mountains and forests are bright, spring comes and thousands of flowers smile, Inh lá ơi...” - dressed in traditional Vietnamese ao dai, passionately humming along to Vietnamese folk songs, the clear voices of French children resounded on the Tet stage organized by the Association of Vietnamese People in France recently held in the suburbs of Paris, attracting special attention from the audience.

This is not the first time the children in this choir have sung Vietnamese songs.

In many events of the Vietnamese community in France and activities promoting the image of Vietnam in the capital Paris and neighboring cities, many familiar Vietnamese folk songs were performed by these children, from "Ly ngua o" to "Ly cay da," from "Trong com" to "Inh la oi..."

Although performing in a language completely different from their mother tongue and not necessarily understanding the full meaning of the lyrics, the French children sang very clearly, making the audience go from surprise to delight, then clapping non-stop when listening to their performance.

Sharing with a reporter from the Vietnam News Agency in France, Gaspard Mandefield expressed his joy every time he gets to sing Vietnamese folk songs.

She said: "Vietnamese songs are very good, although the pronunciation is not easy. I cannot speak Vietnamese, but thanks to Ms. Huong Giang's guidance, I can pronounce better. From the initial confusion, I have now gradually gotten used to the syllables and sing more clearly."

His friend, Baptiste Tavernier, also joined the Choeur Tim choir because he enjoyed learning to sing foreign songs. He especially liked the sound of Vietnamese songs.

Performance by Choeur Tim choir at the Vietnamese cultural night at Versailles. (Photo: VNA)

Like other friends, although at first it was a bit difficult to pronounce Vietnamese words because of the many syllables, over time Baptiste Tavernier got used to it. Now, not only does he love singing Vietnamese songs, he also hopes to visit Vietnam one day.

For little girl Esther de Chatellus, joining the choir helps her discover a new culture, allows her to learn many things and especially, the wonderful atmosphere of the performances always makes her feel excited about Vietnamese songs.

Born into a Vietnamese family, for little Ngan An, singing in Vietnamese is not difficult because it is her mother tongue and the songs always give her the feeling of returning to her homeland.

She shared: "When I sing songs in Vietnamese, I feel like I'm in Vietnam with my family and Vietnamese friends. I see that my French friends speak and sing Vietnamese very well. I'm very proud of that!"

Not only children but also parents are very excited to hear their children sing Vietnamese songs. Mr. Xavier Mandefield, president of the Choeur Tim Association, said the idea of establishing this choir started from a school project. Gradually, parents are also excited to explore the culture through these songs.

Xavier Mandefield expressed his excitement about taking part in "this artistic adventure" with his children, and expressed his hope that he will be able to travel and even perform in Vietnam with them.

Sharing the same view as the head of the Choeur Tim Association, Mathilde De Chatellus, whose two daughters participate in the choir, said: "Discovering another culture through music and art is a good and important experience for young children.

It opens the door to another world for them, helps them get to know a distant, different country and it is a wonderful experience for them."

A practice session of the Choeur Tim choir. (Photo: Nguyen Thu Ha/VNA)

To have successful performances, we cannot fail to mention the tireless practice of Ms. Ngo Huong Giang, a lecturer at the Versailles Grand Parc Conservatory.

She confided that the purpose of establishing the Choeur Tim choir was to create a bridge between Vietnam and France through songs, especially Vietnamese folk songs, a genre of music that she always wanted to introduce to international friends.

Born in March 2023 from the idea of Ms. Ngo Huong Giang and some parents, the choir has been operating for nearly two years and has gathered about 30 children, aged 8-12, from French, French-Vietnamese and Vietnamese families in the city of Versailles.

Nicknamed "The Little Nightingales," the children of the Choeur Tim choir have participated in many concerts and festivals organized by the city of Versailles, the Association of Vietnamese in France (UGVF), the Vietnamese Cultural Center in Paris, the Vietnamese Embassy in France and many associations.

With the desire to contribute to the influence of the French-speaking community, the Choeur Tim choir has brought repertoire combining traditional and modern songs, in Vietnamese and French, contributing to cultivating friendship and joy, creating solidarity and diversity through singing.

Sharing about future plans, Ms. Huong Giang said that in 2025, the Choeur Tim choir is expected to participate in joint projects, culture, education and art; performing not only in Versailles and the capital Paris but also in many other localities of France.

The choir also hopes to perform in Vietnam in 2026 - the homeland of meaningful folk songs./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dan-hop-ca-nhi-phap-xung-xinh-ao-dai-ngan-nga-nhung-khuc-dan-ca-viet-post1011808.vnp