Go, Grandma, go!
Print “Tieng hat mai xanh”, a singing competition for people over 35 organized by Ho Chi Minh Television has stirred up attention of many elders and their families in the city and other southern provinces.
Many contestants, some in their 70s and 80s, from as far as Nha Trang coastal city or the southernmost province of Ca Mau have packed their bags and headed toward Ho Chi Minh for a chance to live out their singing dreams.
2.200 have signed up for the competition and 62 have made their way to its semifinal, held at HCMC Conservatory of Music and HCM Television station last week.
On the day when the semifinal opened, excitement swept through a cheering crowd of contestants’ families and friends, when the first one of them stepped onto stage.
Standing out in the audience, a little 6 year-old girl was holding high a poster saying “Go, grandma, go!!” that apparently she drew it herself.
Her grandmother, Pham Thi Anh Tuyet, 55, however, did not advance to the final round.
Four generations of the same family are supporting contestant Pham Thi Anh Tuyet
“I have been a housewife for so long that just having a chance to sing on stage makes me feel great,” she said “I am so happy I can make it to the semifinal.”
To Trieu Van Han, 67, and ex-amateur singer, the competition is where he can burn with his music passion again and revive long lost moments of his past.
Le Thi Nhung, 74 from Long Khanh district, Dong Nai province who holds an unofficial record of the eldest contestant in the final has a different story.
To sing in the competition, she has to wake up early every morning to travel 100 kilometers from her home to Ho Chi Minh by bus.
She appeared on stage just as she is every other day, with her plastic slippers, her brown clothes, and a simple hair bun.
Yet, when she started singing, she dazzled every audience with her powerful voice and her mandolin techniques that for over 50 years, her family had had no idea she was able to play.
“I will not be too sad if I fail, or too happy if I pass, as I have to watch my blood pressure,” she said smilingly while waiting for the semifinal’s results.
And she had made it to the final, with 9 other contestants, who will compete in three nights with different themes for top three positions.
The finals will be broadcast live on Ho Chi Minh Television’s HTV9 on April 23, April 27, May 2 and May 11.
