Australian-based singer Thanh Bui, who finished eighth in the Australian Idol competition in 2008, composes songs for his band North, which has toured Germany, South Korea, Thailand and Japan, and he has composed some 150 songs, some of which have become top hits in Asia and Europe.
Bui has also established the International Artist Academy, which trains young singers, and a music production centre called Yin Yang.
Bui lives in Melbourne with his family but returns to Viet Nam from time to time for musical projects. Culture Vulture spoke to Bui about his latest visit, during which he has been guiding short-listed contestants in the ongoing Viet Nam Idol 2010 competition in performing songs in English.
How did you end up working with Viet Nam Idol?
I think I was invited here to help the contestants since I was the first overseas Vietnamese to be successful in a national idol contest. Responding to Viet Nam Idol organisers, I have tried my best to give the contestants the benefit of the experiences I've gone through.
What experience do you want to share with the contestants of Viet Nam Idol?
I had the good fortune to be in the top eight in Australia Idol 2008. The most important thing is to gather enough self-confidence when performing. Whenever performing, the contestants should act as real artists, not just compete against the other contestants. They should perform as well as they can and not pay too much attention to the results, which will help them be more self-confident.
Are there significant differences between candidates for Viet Nam Idol and those in Australia?
There are many differences. In Australia, most of the candidates have studied music since they were small and practised a lot before coming to the contest. But in Viet Nam, contestants who have only studied music for a few years compete and win the top spots. This means that many Vietnamese people have musical talent in their blood. I have found that Viet Nam Idol contestants have a lot of talents in singing, dancing and performing, which are great advantages to winning a contest like this.
How are the Vietnamese contestants at performing songs in English?
Singing in a foreign language, of course, is more challenging than in a mother tongue. I mean, they have some difficulties. But everything will be all right. I have helped them a little bit in pronounciation, but not that much, since they have trained carefully.
How about the jury in Viet Nam? Are they critical enough?
I think they are fulfilling their mission very well. The jury in Idol contests in western countries may criticise more. I think it's a part of cultural behaviour. In Viet Nam, they may choose less severe words to comment on the performances.
What are your feelings about returning to Viet Nam?
Each time I return to Viet Nam, I have different feelings. I see the country is more and more beautiful and I become closer to the country. The food is especially good. I have tried various dishes cooked in flavours of different regions throughout the country. And the people are so friendly. They all smile at me and are interested in me, which moves me a lot.
I dream to be the first Vietnamese to win a Grammy Award. That's why Viet Nam will not be my final destination to expand my career. I want to bring my music to the US and other western countries. But I will never forget Viet Nam and will return whenever I can.
As an overseas Vietnamese, do you have trouble communicating?
Yes, a little bit. I can't speak Vietnamese as well as a Vietnamese person born and raised here, since I was born in Australia. If someone asks me about my origin, I answer: I'm 100-per-cent Vietnamese and 100-per-cent Australian. My Vietnamese gets better as I return to Viet Nam more often, but I still find the northern accent difficult since both my parents speak with the southern accent.
I can sing a song in English easily, but for a Vietnamese song, I have to practise again and again to pronounce it correctly. Sometimes I can sing a Vietnamese song 20 times, but it still doesn't sound good. When that happens, I think of the postive attitude the Vietnamese people give me, and I try harder. Besides, the words to Vietnamese songs are meaningful and endearing. — VNS