'Genius' Mai Dinh Toi performs homemade musical instruments at Vietnam Pho Festival, audience asks for more

World record holder Mai Dinh Toi plays a homemade musical instrument, bringing Vietnamese folk music to his Singaporean friends. After listening, the audience asked him to play again at the Vietnam Pho Festival.

Artist Mai Dinh Toi performs with homemade musical instruments at Vietnam Pho Festival - Photo: HUU HANH

Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 takes place on October 18 and 19 at Our Tampines Hub, Singapore. "Freak" Mai Dinh Toi was invited by Binh Tay Food to perform for the Vietnamese community and Singaporean audiences at this festival.

Honored to participate in Vietnam Pho Festival 3 times

Mai Dinh Toi is called a "freak" because he can play the flute with his nose, blow water pipes; perform music with soft drink bottles, wine bottles, beer bottles or play instruments with cups, bowls, glasses; play motorcycle exhaust pipes, plastic pipes, neon bulbs, wind chimes, windows, ladders; play the flute and beat drums with his feet...

He was honored as a World Record Holder in 2019 thanks to this special ability.

Mai Dinh Toi told Tuoi Tre Online that he has researched and created 32 unique homemade musical instruments and performed them all over the country, serving everyone from heads of state to ordinary audiences, and has toured nearly 50 countries around the world.

Although he has been abroad many times, every time he comes to the Vietnam Pho Festival, performing for overseas Vietnamese and especially international guests, he always considers it "a great honor and always puts the Fatherland first".

He has participated in all three of the Vietnam Pho Festival's three seasons. This year, the festival was a success in Singapore, attracting about 40,000 people, creating a vibrant and exciting atmosphere no less than the previous two seasons.

"Many pho stalls sold out early, some had already hung up their pots by 12 noon," he joked, "to show how popular Vietnamese cuisine in general, and pho in particular, is."

Artist Mai Dinh Toi and the curious "dàn chau" - Photo: HUU HANH

Mai Dinh Toi's unique rustic flavor goes well with pho.

This time going to Singapore, he brought with him 5 homemade musical instruments, but they can perform many different songs to serve both Vietnamese and international audiences.

The songs all have the sound of the homeland such as The Starlings of the Past, Spring in Ho Chi Minh City ...

Mai Dinh Toi impressed with vibrant and fresh performances - Photo: HUU HANH

The audience of Vietnam Pho Festival was impressed by a man with dark skin, somewhat modest in height, honest and approachable, but when on stage he performed with all his heart. Even after the performance was over, the audience wanted to listen more, he still happily accepted and played enthusiastically.

His performances are lively, attractive, captivating, expressing the freshest features of Vietnamese music, receiving much applause from the audience.

Singaporean children on stage experience the artist's "drinking" - Photo: HUU HANH

The artist said he does not perform on a fixed schedule. Whenever the organizers request or the audience suggests performing a few more acts, he is ready.

Artist Mai Dinh Toi believes that his music is created from the simplicity and uniqueness of homemade instruments, which is very suitable for the atmosphere of enjoying pho. Both contribute to promoting Vietnamese culture to the outside world.

Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 in Singapore

Connecting cultures, promoting cooperation

Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 in Singapore, organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, Tuoi Tre Newspaper and Saigon Tourist Group in collaboration with the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, the Liaison Committee of Vietnamese in Singapore under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, will take place on October 18 and 19 at Our Tampines Hub, Singapore.

The festival was held in the context of Vietnam and Singapore upgrading their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, affirming the program's significance and stature.

With the message "Pho - Enjoying together, growing together", Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 hopes that the event will not only invite international friends to enjoy a typical Vietnamese dish, which was listed by CNN in the list of 50 must-try dishes worldwide in 2011, but also convey the desire to connect - share - accompany the development of Vietnam.

Through the festival, pho will be introduced as a "cultural ambassador", serving as a bridge for Vietnam and Singapore, as well as international friends, to work together towards a prosperous and sustainable future.

The most important activity of the festival is to bring Singaporeans and tourists the opportunity to enjoy the "authentic" taste of Vietnamese pho. At Our Tampines Hub, attendees will be able to enjoy pho prepared directly by top artisans and chefs from Vietnam.

The main chefs of the 5-star hotels in the Saigontourist Group system, including four luxury hotels Rex Saigon, Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon and the brand Pho Thu Duc Golf Restaurant (Vietnam Golf & Country Club), along with famous pho brands such as Pho Sen Sasco, Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Ta, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Vuong, Ba Ban Pho... will bring diversity in cooking methods and ways of enjoying.

In addition to pho, attendees also have the opportunity to enjoy many other traditional Vietnamese dishes, prepared by Saigontourist's 5-star chefs, creating a vibrant "culinary symphony".

In particular, along with the Pho Festival, a large-scale investment forum was also held, namely the Vietnam - Singapore Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Forum 2025, affirming the substance of the event. The forum took place right after the opening ceremony (morning of October 18), expected to attract about 150 businesses from both countries to participate.

At the forum, management agencies and businesses will discuss new cooperation trends in green processing and logistics, tourism and aviation services, import and export of Vietnamese agricultural products and specialties, digital transformation and e-commerce.

In particular, the Business Matching program (1-1 business connection) will create conditions for Vietnamese and Singaporean businesses to meet directly and seek practical cooperation opportunities.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quai-kiet-mai-dinh-toi-dien-nhac-cu-tu-che-o-vietnam-pho-festival-khan-gia-nghe-xong-doi-nghe-nua-20251019202043318.htm