Tan Nhan student recounts the time he worked as a security guard and a backup singer earning 30,000 VND per night

Born into a poor family in Nghe An, Le Vinh Toan grew up in hardship, but his passion for music motivated him to overcome obstacles and pursue his dream of singing.

Having previously appeared on the show "The Voice Battle ," male singer Le Vinh Toan received much attention from the audience with his warm voice and expressive performance style.

Recently, Le Vinh Toan appeared in the musical film Memory Land directed by Huyen Vu, broadcast on VTV1. This film recreates a part of Le Vinh Toan's difficult life but full of beautiful memories, full of family love.

Le Vinh Toan was born and raised in the poor countryside of Nghe An in a family of 5 siblings. After finishing 9th grade, seeing his two older siblings going to university and making their parents work hard, Toan decided to stop studying and go to work to earn money to support himself.

Singer Le Vinh Toan (left) in the VTV drama "Memories of the Past".

Toan went to Sa Pa to work as a security guard at a hotel to earn a living, even though he was underage. During his time as a security guard in Sa Pa, Vinh Toan maintained his love of music by gathering with other staff members.

After working as a security guard for two years, Le Vinh Toan decided to return to his hometown and pursue further education to fulfill his dream. Not having finished high school had always made Toan feel insecure about entering the workforce.

Back in his hometown, while attending school, Le Vinh Toan tried every way to get singing gigs, even at weddings. That wasn't enough; Toan approached wedding tent owners, asking to help carry speakers, hoping that if any event lacked singers, he could perform on stage during quiet moments.

After graduating from high school, Le Vinh Toan went to Ho Chi Minh City with only 150,000 VND in his pocket. He slept on stone benches and ate instant noodles. Thanks to an acquaintance, he joined the Phuong Tuong theater troupe, performing in remote rural areas of the West. He worked as a backup singer, carrying loudspeakers, stage sets, backstage, etc. He earned 20,000-30,000 VND per night.

"One day, I was about to go on stage to sing when the MC told me it wasn't necessary because the star had arrived. I was incredibly disappointed," Le Vinh Toan recalled.

Later, with the help of a cousin, Toan stayed in a small storage room in Saigon, working as a security guard during the day and singing in small tea rooms at night, then singing with traveling lottery troupes everywhere for a meager amount of money.

Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan and her student Le Vinh Toan.

Lacking the opportunity to attend school, Toàn taught himself his subject through the internet. Later, he met singer Huyền Trang, who encouraged him to go to Hanoi for formal education. This led to his meeting with Meritorious Artist Tân Nhàn. When Toàn went to Hanoi to prepare for the entrance exam to the Conservatory of Music, singer Tân Nhàn lent him her house to stay in and study.

Sharing her thoughts about her student, Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan said that her impression of Le Vinh Toan was that he was a very shy boy but sang very well, possessing the qualities of a star in the folk music genre.

"I appreciated his singing voice and told him he needed to study, and the best environment for him was the Vietnam National Academy of Music. His voice was very powerful, very emotional, and rare. At that time, I helped Toàn prepare for the entrance exam to the intermediate level program at the Academy."

"It's safe to say Toan faced many difficulties and obstacles. Toan was too old to take the entrance exam for the intermediate level. I vouched for him and asked the Academy's Board of Directors that this was a special case. Once Toan passed the exam, I only taught him in the first year," Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan shared. Currently, Le Vinh Toan is being mentored and guided by singer Le Anh Dung. He is also gradually establishing his talent on his singing career path.

After the film "Memories of the Homeland," Le Vinh Toan plans to create more new musical products with songs that blend contemporary folk music. He longs to hold his own live show to sing and express his gratitude to his homeland and parents. At the same time, he hopes to help underprivileged students who love music and have dreams but lack the resources to pursue an artistic career.

Le Chi

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hoc-tro-tan-nhan-ke-thoi-di-lam-bao-ve-hat-lot-kiem-30-000-dong-moi-dem-ar915837.html