The Mai Vàng Award helped me mature.

MC Quynh Hoa is always loved by her friends and colleagues because she seems to never stop trying.

Reporter: In the memories of music lovers from the 80s and 90s generations, MC Quynh Hoa's image is closely associated with her role as a singer in the band Phu Sa. Looking back on those days, what impressed you the most?

MC Quynh Hoa. (Photo provided by the subject)

- MC QUYNH HOA: The Phu Sa music group was founded in 1998, a time when the music market in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and the whole country in general was very vibrant with the trend of experimental youth music. We named the group Phu Sa to express the idea of ​​nurturing new creations and spreading love for our cultural roots to the younger generation. On the airwaves of Vietnam Television (VTV) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) at that time, audiences heard songs performed by the Phu Sa music group such as: Vietnam, Brocade Flowers, Moonlight Shining on a Lucky Love, Love of the Rice Fields, Soul of the Homeland, Homeland of Three Regions, Moonlight Returning to the Countryside, Passionate Phu Sa, Southern Sunshine and Wind…

In 2003, singer Huong Thuy left the group for personal reasons, and three years later, singer Ngoc Loan also emigrated abroad with her family. Since the Phu Sa group was left with only one member, I invited sisters Phuong Thuy and Phuong Tuyen to join to keep the group going. Although not as vibrant or successful as the original Phu Sa group, the continued existence of the Phu Sa group demonstrates our love and responsibility in remaining loyal to our homeland's music.

Besides her success as a singer, she is also known as an MC for HTV. How did her opportunity to become an MC come about?

- It was all a coincidence. Thirty years ago, when I was a student at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Trade, I participated in the school's cultural program and was "kidnapped" to be the host. From then on, I loved this job, and after graduating and working for a few years, I decided to switch to being an MC. In 2009, I was honored to be voted the most popular presenter in the "Thay lời muốn nói" program on HTV by readers of the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper. That was the recognition that readers of the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper and the audience gave me. Receiving such a prestigious award gave me the motivation to move forward.

Many years later, she was also invited by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper to participate in the Art Council of the Mai Vang Awards. What remains in her mind as this year's awards season marks its 30th anniversary?

- I'm deeply moved. This year, I'm honored to be a member of the Mai Vang Award's Art Council. The award's prestige is a meaningful springtime bridge, and every year, as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, artists eagerly await the opportunity to participate in this professional festival. I also feel proud to have won a Mai Vang award in 2009, and to have received the "Outstanding Cultural and Artistic Program" award during the nationwide fight against the pandemic. At that time, I established a "Volunteer Artists Group" to bring songs and performances to hospitals and COVID-19 prevention and control centers. So many profound feelings and memories are associated with the Mai Vang Award.

MC Quynh Hoa (holding the microphone) and other artists participated in a trip to the historical site with the theme " Dien Bien Phu - An Epic of the Century" in November 2024.

Looking back on the 30-year journey of the Mai Vang Awards, it feels like yesterday as many beautiful memories flood back, especially participating in the pre-Awards programs, the Mai Vang Gala, and bringing award-winning artists to industrial zones, export processing zones, and to workers and laborers across the country.

Your team of volunteer artists recently completed a trip to Dien Bien. What lessons have you learned from this trip?

- I was honored to lead a team of volunteer artists, along with over 100 other artists, on a trip to the historical site themed "Dien Bien Phu - An Epic of the Century," organized by the Propaganda Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee from November 26th to 30th. The team included singers Le Viet Thu, Dong Trieu, Tanh Linh, Duong Phi, Thu Hien, Thien Phu, Duyen Quynh, MiHa, Thach Thao, Kim Lien, musician Tran Xuan Mai Tram, dancers Sung A Lung and Minh Trang... and many other famous artists from various fields.

We performed a very meaningful program in Dien Bien City, giving gifts and helping people affected by Typhoon Yagi (Typhoon No. 3) in Phuc Khanh commune, Lao Cai province. We also visited Lang Nu village. The trip left me with many emotions, as the artists from Ho Chi Minh City, in addition to creating works to encourage people to overcome their pain and rebuild their lives after the storm and floods, also personally handed out meaningful gifts to them.

After all that you've achieved, are you satisfied with yourself?

- I am grateful for all the difficulties and challenges I have faced on my journey to becoming an MC and in organizing events (Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural Center). All those experiences have helped me mature, gain more experience, and above all, maintain my intense passion for the profession.

What are your cultural and artistic projects for 2025?

- Next year, there will be many outstanding cultural events in Ho Chi Minh City and across the country to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. The Youth Cultural Center will organize many cultural and artistic activities, and will also be a meeting place for young people from the city and the country to exchange culture, learn, and share experiences.

Specifically for the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, there are two major events: the Mai Vang Awards, promoting the achievements of the 30th season, and the results of the songwriting contest on the theme "The Nation's Complete Joy." If coordinated efforts are made to expand the effectiveness of these two major events, the Youth Cultural Center will be a meeting point to widely disseminate to young audiences the creative works written about the city named after the beloved President Ho Chi Minh.

MC Quynh Hoa

MC Quynh Hoa, whose real name is Huynh Thi Quynh Hoa, was born in 1972 and is currently the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural Center. She is known for her role as an MC specializing in cultural and artistic programs on HTV. Recently, she has participated as a judge in several programs, competitions, art festivals, and media events.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/mc-quynh-hoa-giai-mai-vang-giup-toi-truong-thanh-hon-196241130203656748.htm