Kenny G speaks Vietnamese, sublimates at a music night in Hanoi

Before performing "Havana", Kenny G surprised the audience by speaking in Vietnamese. Vietnamese is difficult to pronounce, so he often sweated when trying to remember what words he had to say.

8 years after his first show at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, on the evening of November 14, Kenny G returned with his familiar look, curly hair and trademark saxophone. Although time has passed, Kenny G's music still brings the same emotions to the audience as 8 years ago when they heard him perform live. This time, the music and technique of the artist now in his 70s are still top-notch, even better than before, although Kenny G's trumpet playing is not flashy.

Kenny G did not appear on stage but stood in the audience to play the first song with the melody of the familiar song "Home" as a hint that he was returning home, the second time in nearly a decade. This time Kenny G returned to perform as the opening artist for the program "Good Morning Vietnam" initiated by Nhan Dan Newspaper and IB Group Vietnam with the purpose of charity and planned to be held annually, bringing the world 's top artists to Vietnam.

The artist waved to the audience and continued with the second song "Silhouette" but still refused to return to the stage with the band. Kenny G surprised the audience by continuing to play a long note with a rare thick breath for a 67-year-old artist. Applause continuously rang out in the middle of Kenny G's performance and the artist ended the song with a long note that seemed endless, showing off his top technique and then holding a trumpet in one hand and waving to the audience with the other. Only then did Kenny G step onto the stage and made the audience burst into tears when the drums sounded in harmony with the wonderful sound of the saxophone. Kenny G's strong breath that could play a long note made the audience admire.

Before performing "Havana", Kenny G surprised the audience by speaking in Vietnamese. Vietnamese is difficult to pronounce, so sometimes he sweats when trying to remember what words he should say. "I'm sorry that my Vietnamese is not very good, but I will try. This is our second time in Vietnam. We are very happy to be back here. Thank you for coming here tonight. (Am I speaking correctly? - Kenny G said in English). And now we will perform a song called "Havana". Thank you very much".

The artist's friendliness and cuteness when talking to the audience made the audience explode and give him a round of applause. Kenny G performed with the trumpet that he had been with since his youth and had performed before in front of the Hanoi press. Although he was the center of the night, Kenny G still gave the stage to the 5 members of his band to shine with their top-notch solo performances. The band has been with Kenny G for the past 3 decades and it can be said that the artist would hardly be so successful without their support.

During the concert, the audience was immersed in the immortal melody of "Forever in love" with the background image of the Rooster and Hen Islet in Ha Long Bay. There were several times when famous landmarks of Vietnam appeared with Kenny G's trumpet on stage. That was when the melody of "Forever in love" was played and the song "The Moment" ended the program with the image of Hoan Kiem Lake and The Huc Bridge.

Sharing during the show, Kenny G said he was very happy to return to Vietnam this time and revealed that he eats chicken pho every morning, which made the audience excited. When he could not communicate with the audience in Vietnamese, Kenny G said: "Is it okay if I speak English?" and introduced that he would take the audience to a traditional jazz club of the 1960s with the familiar jazz song "Desafinado".

However, Kenny G and the band soon changed their style, bringing the audience lively melodies with "Pick up the pieces" and giving the solo stage to guitarist Vento Raymond with his top technique. The artist then respectfully introduced the names of each band member.

The final part of the concert is always the most anticipated part with Kenny G's classic songs. When the melodious and soulful melodies of "Moon" and "Going Home" rang out, the audience was excited because they recognized the familiar melodies that they had heard many years ago, in different contexts and with their own memories. And this time it was wonderful to see that familiar artist in the flesh standing in front of them performing live with such magical sounds. It felt like meeting a long-time acquaintance but in a very new context.

During the nearly 2-hour concert, Kenny G performed 17 songs continuously, many times showing off his long breaths for several minutes without stopping, not only to show off his special technique but also to show that the artist had to practice continuously to maintain his form like at his peak a few decades ago. Kenny G is indeed worthy of being the artist who has maintained a note for up to 45 minutes since 1997, which helped him to be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

"Save the best for last", Kenny G exploded with the melody of "My heart will go on" - the famous song associated with Celine Dion in the 1997 movie "Titanic" which won 11 Oscars, of which "My heart will go on" received the golden statue for "Best Original Song". The image of the "Titanic" ship slowly drifting on the sea under the moonlight with Kenny G's melodious saxophone brought unforgettable emotions to the thousands of spectators present.

After finishing "My heart will go on", Kenny G and the 5 band members said goodbye to the audience and retreated to the backstage, but the long applause brought them back to the stage. Responding to the audience's urgent applause, Kenny G performed "The Moment" with the sound of the trumpet as if wanting to hold on to this wonderful musical moment without knowing when it would return. Many audience members who were about to leave had to return to the auditorium to immerse themselves in the saxophone of the legendary artist.

The show ended quite late but a long line of fans were still waiting in the lobby to meet their idol, take pictures with the artist and have Kenny G sign their CDs containing his classic songs. Kenny G not only brought a normal show, he also brought emotions and memories to thousands of audiences who have loved his trumpet for many years in a top-notch music night with excellent sound. The organizers had a successful music night with international mark and class for the audience in the capital.

Source