Traditional musicians are not poor

It is a fact that it is easier for pop singers to get fame and money than traditional music players but Dinh Linh and Tuyet Mai are exceptions to the rule.
Nodding repeatedly and swinging their bodies passionately at the height of the music, two French visitors enjoyed Vietnamese traditional music with satisfaction. They closed their eyes to release their souls to the rhythm of music.
After playing Vietnamese traditional music on instruments such as dan bau (monochord zither), tam thap luc (36-chord zither), flute and ken moi (lip instrument), the talented artist Dinh Linh and his wife Tuyet Mai, who is also equally talented, played Krong put, T’rung, stone instrument and other traditional instruments.
The Truc Mai Home Concert (154 Pham Viet Chanh, Binh Thanh district, HCM City), the home of Dinh Linh and Tuyet Mai, has become a destination for foreign tourists to visit when they travel to HCM City.
Their own direction
HCM City has more than 100 traditional musicians. Most of them perform traditional music to foreign tourists at restaurants and hotels. Yet, the global economic slowdown has affected the tourism industry and many musicians have lost their jobs.
During his shows, many foreign tourists ask Dinh Linh why he doesn’t play music for audiences at public sites like foreign performers. They said that with his talent, he can earn a hundred US dollars a day.
“But playing music on the street is not suitable to Vietnam’s culture. More importantly, the face of Vietnamese musicians doesn’t allow me to perform on the road to make my living,” Dinh Linh said.
Instead, flute instrumentalist Dinh Linh decided to open a home theatre, the Truc Mai Home Concert. “This strange idea has brought income to my family. It also helps us practice our skills because if instrumentalists don’t play music often, their skills will be eroded,” Dinh Linh said.
Some Japanese visitors asked travel agents to bring them to Dinh Linh and Tuyet Mai’s house to listen to Tuyet Mai’s music (she has performed in Japan several times). The couple, thus, cooperate with travel agents to organize home concerts.
“This model has been favoured by foreign tourists for its closeness and friendliness,” Tuyet Mai said.
The couple earns around $50 for a 35-60 minute show from a group of 1-5 tourists.
Other roads to the audience
Some traditional music players have grouped up to set up big orchestras to serve foreign visitors.
Minh Ha, a former member of the famous traditional music troupe Mat Troi Do (Red Sun), said: “I was shocked with the working environment at restaurants and the pay I earned (60,000-70,000 dong or $3-4 per two hours) but I had to accept it”.
Finally, Minh Ha realized that “one traditional music instrument is unable to lure an audience but a group of traditional instrumentalist can make a difference”.
Minh Ha recruited skilled instrumentalists to make her team. The troupe still plays traditional music at parties and restaurants but the effect is entirely different. Many visitors have approached artists to ask how to play musical instruments and they wanted to try. Minh Ha was very happy with this result. Once their shows started to attract visitors, they have received many invitations.
“Vietnamese traditional music is very attractive to foreign visitors. Actually, we don’t have a official address for them to come to and enjoy our traditional music. So the mission of artists is to seek the audience,” said artist Duc Dau, a member of Minh Ha’s troupe.
“If we don’t seek the audience for our genre of music, we will surely face a difficult life,” said Minh Ha. “There is no genre of music that makes the artists poor. They are poor because they don’t try to seek a land for their talents and their careers”.