From a girl who knew Madonna's hits by heart to a lecturer at the Military University of Culture and Arts
After 25 years of being involved in music , from a young girl who was specially admitted to the Military University of Culture and Arts, Do To Hoa (Do Thi Thanh Hoa) is now working at the very school that trained her as a lecturer in the Vocal Music department.
Sharing about herself, To Hoa said that her "specialty" is her smile, and secondly, her spirit of always trying to maintain a cheerful state. This helps the female singer have positive energy when meeting people.
During her childhood, her father often played Madonna's music and although she did not understand English, To Hoa still knew by heart all the songs of the "Queen of Pop". Besides, she knew both the lyrics and music of revolutionary songs sung by People's Artist Le Dung and Trong Tan.
The big turning point came when Do To Hoa won first prize in chamber music at the Sao Mai 2017 competition. Before that, with her gifted soprano voice, she accumulated many awards at competitions in Vietnam and China.
The Crisis at the Army Games and the "Instinct" Philosophy
2022 marks an important step forward when To Hoa participates in the Army Games - International Military Sports Festival in Russia as a member of the "Cultural Army". To Hoa confided: "I am conflicted between Russian and Chinese vocal techniques. I don't know how to develop the sound flow. This is the most painful thing, not the problem of which technique to use".
The pressure made it impossible for her to sleep. Do To Hoa said that not being able to sleep would affect her vocal cords, making her unable to sing, causing nervous breakdowns and vocal distress. The stress was so great that she "turned over and over all her lectures all night" and lost 9 kg.
In a dilemma, she decided to use her instinct "use whatever sound is good because music must touch the heart, technique is just a supporting lever to make the sound more splendid, brighter, more beautiful". Finally, after 1 month in Russia, To Hoa won 2 Gold medals in the art category.
Mission to spread revolutionary music
Recently, To Hoa continued to be assigned important diplomatic missions. When Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Vietnam, she had the honor of performing at the banquet. Do To Hoa was also trusted by VTV to sing the song On the Field of Hope , the video after being recorded was broadcast on all mainstream Chinese media sites.
The singer feels happy to contribute to the strengthening of Vietnam-China friendship. She said the secret is her journey of studying in China. When approaching their vocal performance, she paid attention and really liked it, so she was able to absorb some of it.
However, she admitted: "When I returned to Vietnam, I did not sing Vietnamese songs very well." To overcome this, in the past 2-5 years, Do To Hoa listened to a lot of documents related to People's Artist Le Dung and revolutionary songs of the previous generation.
To Hoa is steadfast in traditional music because she lived in a "revolutionary environment" such as growing up in Tuyen Quang and being trained at the military art school. For her, traditional music will spread long-term and has deep meaning, helping her maintain her faith in the profession.
Love for art, life must be rational
Sharing about how to balance life, To Hoa has her own philosophy. "When I'm on stage, that's when I relax the most. Because I love music not only with my mouth but also with my mind. When the music plays, I feel like I'm myself," she shared.
Do To Hoa admitted that she had gone through a difficult period when performing or falling into a state of feeling lonely when the music ended, not knowing how to satisfy herself outside of music. But now, she understands that "sadness is the ingredient to nurture joy, you have to feel it to be happy with the moments you have".
She admits that her feelings are only for art, and in life, she must be rational to balance art and life. "Many people say that art must be free, comfortable, and have a free space. But it is discipline that helps artists have the elements for art to be sublimated according to the rules," said Do To Hoa.
She offers a view on balance: freedom in thought and discipline in action. If combined and understood correctly, people can be very liberal yet disciplined.
To Hoa said: "I often get negative when I feel like I don't sing well. The most important thing is that an artist must convey that energy to the hearts of the audience. But singing too technically without reaching the audience doesn't mean much."
Do To Hoa performs "The Country is Full of Joy":
Photos, videos: Documents, FBNV
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ly-do-nu-dai-uy-do-to-hoa-ap-luc-den-khung-hoang-sut-9kg-2411049.html
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