A remarkable traditional Vietnamese folk music artist.

At the age of four, his eyesight gradually deteriorated after a serious illness. From the darkness, he found the light of his life through traditional Vietnamese folk music and embarked on a journey of dedication to this heritage. This is the artist Viet Toan (real name Huynh Quoc Toan), from Hoa Luu commune, Can Tho city.

Báo Cần Thơ•22/12/2025

Viet Toan (on the left) participating in the Southern Talent Show at Can Tho Newspaper and Radio & Television (Branch 2).

Born normal like any other child, Toan faced a tragedy when he was four years old. After a severe illness, despite his parents' best efforts to treat him, his eyesight gradually deteriorated until he lost his sight completely.

Despite his visual impairment, he was compensated by his excellent hearing and musical ear, which helped him pursue a career in music. Toan shared: “Back then, my father and uncles in the neighborhood used to play music. The instruments were simple: guitar, zither, fiddle, and the song lang – that was how we played all the songs. Whenever I heard the music, I would unconsciously tap my fingers in the air, then I would try borrowing an instrument and playing it myself. Gradually, I learned this song and that song. It was very difficult, though. Even those with good eyesight find it hard to learn music, and for someone who can't see, it was even more challenging.”

Toan revealed something special: his first "teacher" was a radio. When he was 8 or 9 years old, his family was poor, so to allow him to pursue his passion for music , his parents bought him a radio so he could listen to and imitate artists. Thanks to the radio, he learned that visually impaired people could learn Braille. Later, his relatives took him to the Can Tho School for Children with Disabilities. When the school offered career guidance, Toan chose the concave-fretted guitar to learn the basics, starting with simple folk songs and then progressing to more traditional Vietnamese opera pieces. Because of his talent, he learned very quickly and decided to pursue a career in music and singing.

Toan is the eldest son in a family of four brothers. Everyone in the family loves traditional Vietnamese folk music, but he is the only one who has pursued it formally. Toan's father, Huynh Van Truong, said: "Every parent wants their child to be healthy like everyone else, but unfortunately, he has this illness. Seeing his talent for folk music, my wife and I have done everything we can to support him, hoping he can fully pursue his passion and, most importantly, be able to support himself when we are old and frail."

Every Thursday afternoon, Viet Toan is present at the Can Tho Newspaper and Radio & Television studio (Facility 2, Vi Tan Ward). Viewers near and far are familiar with his musical skills in the Southern Traditional Music program, which is livestreamed from 2 PM to 3 PM every Thursday on the digital platforms of Channel 2 of the Can Tho Newspaper and Radio & Television.

He has collaborated with the Southern Talents program for over two years. He is kind and serious about his work, so he is well-liked by the crew. "His passion for the profession has helped Toan to sense the rhythm and voices of the audience very well. He flexibly handles situations live on air so that his fellow performers can complete their acts," shared MC Cam Nguyen.

He is also a key musician in local traditional music clubs. Whenever there are festivals, celebrations, or competitions related to traditional music, he is often invited to participate.

On both near and far journeys, his constant companion is Mr. Luu Van Thanh. Whenever he's invited to perform, Mr. Thanh is the one who picks him up and drops him off. Their shared passion for music and love of the craft create a strong bond. "Even though I'm older, I admire Toan very much. He's worked so hard, his playing is constantly improving, and to reach where he is today is the result of a long and arduous journey of training, so that his playing harmonizes with his fellow musicians and the melodies of traditional folk songs," Mr. Thanh expressed.

Mr. Toan also composes traditional folk songs. In 2015, he won first prize in the provincial-level competition for creating and promoting literary, artistic, and journalistic works on the theme "Studying and following the moral example of Ho Chi Minh ," with his work "Springtime, I Sing About Him." He also submitted this work to the national level competition and received an Encouragement Award.

For Toan, the sound of the zither is also a source of joy and comfort in his life. "I'm over 40, but my passion for the zither has never diminished. My wish is to learn other instruments so that I can have friends come to my house to play music or participate in exchanges with other traditional music clubs, and I can serve them even better," Toan expressed.

Despite losing his sight, Vietnamese musician Viet Toan did not give up. He connected life through sounds, his hands playing traditional Vietnamese music—sometimes poignant, sometimes lively, sometimes joyful, sometimes deep, sometimes high. The music is both his joy and the heartfelt expression of his life.

Text and photos: NGOC NHU

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nghe-nhan-don-ca-tai-tu-dac-biet-a195787.html