Mentioning this song often brings to mind Xuan Mai, because she sang "One Little Duck" when she was only 3 years old, in 1998. But the child singer only helped revive the song; in reality, "One Little Duck" has a long history and enduring appeal. It's regrettable that people remember the singer who made the song successful but forget the person who created it.
The author of "One Little Duck" is briefly introduced as musician Kim Duyen. But who is Kim Duyen? Where is the musician now? What is she doing?
This image is taken from the music video "One Little Duck" which has reached one billion views.
Are you an amateur musician?
A reporter knocked on the door of musician Nguyen Thuy Kha. He revealed a few things: “Kim Duyen was a teacher. I don't know if she's still alive or has passed away. The song 'One Little Duck' is very old, probably over 70, or maybe 65, because I knew it when I was a child.” Why could a teacher write such a long-lasting hit song? Musician Nguyen Thuy Kha explained simply: “ In the old days, people studied diligently. That's why many female teachers knew how to compose music.”
Several famous artists and writers "pointed the finger" at the poet Tran Dang Khoa, once dubbed a "child prodigy." The author of " The Rice Grain of Our Village" confidently introduced himself: "Regarding music , if you ask me about any song that has stood the test of time, I can immediately tell you when it was composed and who the first person to sing it was."
When asked about the children's song "One Little Duck ," Tran Dang Khoa happily recounted: " In 1962, when I was only 4 years old, I already heard my sister sing this song. My sister used to hum: 'One little duck spreads out its two wings…' The second song my sister often sang was 'Chasing Birds': 'The bean garden my mother planted / Sprouted so beautifully / In the morning I went to look / And saw a flock of birds coming to destroy it…'"
Like musician Nguyen Thuy Kha, poet Tran Dang Khoa confirmed that "A Little Duck " is quite old, because "I knew it by heart when I was still a child with a speech impediment." Poet Tran Dang Khoa speculated that the person who wrote "A Little Duck" was not a professional musician: "I guess it was a kindergarten teacher, because the lyrics sound exactly like a kindergarten teacher's voice. Only a kindergarten teacher would understand children's psychology like that. She probably made up this song to teach children."
A famous poet known for his children's poems commented: " The song 'One Little Duck' isn't anything extraordinary, the music isn't special, and the lyrics are even more... nonsensical. But it particularly understands children's psychology. Children sing 'One Little Duck' and then imitate the duck's movements. When they sing 'One little duck spreads out its two wings,' they stretch out their arms. Then, when they hear the next line, 'It quacks, quack quack, quack quack,' they pat their bottoms. It's that simple; any child can do it."
At this point, Tran Dang Khoa reiterated: "The author of 'One Little Duck' could only be a kindergarten teacher. Professional musicians wouldn't write something so naive. But it is precisely this song that has endured thanks to its naive quality."
The daughter of composer Pham Tuyen, journalist Pham Hong Tuyen, who was involved with the once-popular "Little Flowers " program on television, also stated that "A Duck " is very old: "I sang that song when I was 4-5 years old, back in kindergarten. It's been 50 years since then. The song must have been created even earlier."
She also confirmed that the author of "One Little Duck " was named Kim Duyen: "Later, when we did the program 'Little Flowers,' there was always a segment where we had to guess the song. The answer to the question 'Who is the author of 'One Little Duck'?' was always Kim Duyen. Kim Duyen was a teacher, an amateur author. She lived in some province in the North, not Hanoi . Perhaps Kim Duyen composed 'One Little Duck' for her students, and then it spread. That's all I know about the author of 'One Little Duck'."
An anonymous Vietnamese music enthusiast expressed: “ Kim Duyên may not be a member of the Vietnam Musicians Association. Someone might have a famous song but not necessarily be a member of the Association. In children's music, many famous songs are composed by professional musicians like Tân Huyền with "The Brown Bee and the Baby"; Phan Nhân's "The Little Frog"; Phạm Tuyên's "The Little Elephant in Bản Đôn"… But there are also famous songs written by non-professional authors, such as Kim Duyên's "One Little Duck" or Xanh Xanh's "Fruit" for example: “What kind of fruit is so sour? I'll tell you, it's a star fruit…”
Composer Do Hong Quan, President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations and former President of the Vietnam Musicians Association, also doesn't know who the author Kim Duyen is: “I know the song 'One Little Duck,' but I don't know who the author is. That song was popular in the 60s and 70s. If the author was a professional musician, a member of the Vietnam Musicians Association, I would know immediately. But Kim Duyen is an unfamiliar name. Could it be a woman? If the name Duyen is used for non-professional songwriters, there's another person. This person was a Youth Union official in Hai Duong province. Back then, they wrote one or two songs. Could this Duyen be the same Duyen who wrote the song with billions of views on YouTube?”
Child singer Xuan Mai performed many famous children's songs, including "One Little Duck".
Who benefits from a song with billions of views?
Xuan Mai contributed to the revival of the children's song "One Little Duck" in 1998, but she wasn't the one who achieved the billion-view milestone on YouTube. Heo Con TV channel accomplished this with their music video "One Little Duck, " featuring vibrant 3D animation. Released on August 31, 2019, after nearly five years, Heo Con TV's "One Little Duck " music video has now surpassed one billion views. The contributions of parents and children alike are significant. One parent commented: "My child earns 5 views for this little duck song every time they eat a bowl of rice."
The achievement of 1 billion views on YouTube has sparked curiosity among many about the revenue generated from this music video by Heo Con TV. It's difficult to determine the exact figure because revenue from views depends on many factors, but a social media expert suggests that the YouTube channel owner may have received around 2 to 3 billion VND. Many songs streamed on YouTube don't credit the author. The duck featured on Heo Con TV is no exception. Will Heo Con TV seek out the author, Kim Duyên, to share the profits from this massive achievement?
Journalist Pham Hong Tuyen, daughter of musician Pham Tuyen, recounted: “ My family still entrusts an organization to monitor the copyright of my father's songs in the digital environment. However, one organization alone cannot adequately monitor song copyrights. My father signed an agreement with the Vietnam Copyright Center, and then my family still had to authorize another organization to monitor all of my father's children's songs in the digital and internet environments.”
Copyright issues are very complex, involving many platforms and scopes… Earlier this year, the people at the digital copyright monitoring unit that my family has a contract with asked me: "Do you know the author Kim Duyen? We want to contact her to request copyright permission. They want to produce a video of 'One Little Duck' but want to pay royalties to the author to use the work properly." But I felt helpless because I knew very little about author Kim Duyen, and I didn't even know if she was still alive.
Even if author Kim Duyen were still alive, it wouldn't be easy for her to reclaim her famous and profitable "brainchild."
"Kim Duyên is not a professional songwriter, nor is she a renowned name like composer Phạm Tuyên. After so many years of silence, she suddenly reappears and claims the song 'One Little Duck' as her own. Who would believe that?"
Over the years, we have witnessed numerous copyright disputes domestically, such as the copyright dispute over the lyrics of the song "Gánh mẹ" (Mother's Burden) between poet Truong Minh Nhat and singer Quach Beem, for example. When author Kim Duyen wrote "Một con vịt làm gì" (A Duck), there was no question of the songwriter registering copyright. Therefore, now claiming the author's legitimate rights will be difficult,” commented an anonymous Vietnamese music lover.
Poet Tran Dang Khoa believes that the person who wrote "One Little Duck" is an amateur musician.
There are people who write songs, poems, stories… who just want to remain anonymous. In the realm of poetry, even today, domestic readers are still curious about who TTKh, the author of the love poem "Two Colors of Tigon Flowers, " is. Perhaps the anonymity makes "Two Colors of Tigon Flowers" even more appealing? But literary royalties are meager. The income from songs, however, is quite different.
In the past, after writing "Sad City," musician Lam Phuong bought a villa. Today, musician Dong Thien Duc buys houses and cars thanks to "Who Can Remain Faithful Forever " and his hit songs. Where is the author Kim Duyen now?
Are children's songs easy to get views for?
Sơn Tùng M-TP's "Lạc Trôi" music video pales in comparison to "Bống Bống Bang Bang," performed by Bảo Ngư, which was uploaded to YouTube about 8 years ago and has now garnered over 609 million views. "Thương Lắm Thầy Cô Ơi," performed by Phan Hiếu Kiên about a decade ago, has already exceeded 500 million views.
Journalist Pham Hong Tuyen, daughter of musician Pham Tuyen: The author of "One Little Duck" lives in a northern province, not Hanoi.
Some familiar children's songs have unexpectedly become popular thanks to social media. For example, "The Brown Bee and the Baby" by the late composer Tan Huyen became a cover trend with various versions, including a Western Vietnam version and a heartbreak version… But the trend quickly faded, and "The Brown Bee " returned to being enjoyed by children.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/di-tim-tac-gia-bai-hat-ty-view-ar878808.html
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