“Little Frog” singer wants to become a diplomat
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Since last week, a video clip of an eight-year old Hanoian girl singing in an Italian competition in 2003 has attracted more than 173,000 views on YouTube, however, the now 16-year-old said she would prefer to be a diplomat to a singer.
On meeting Huong Tra and her mother, Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, many stories behind the hit video were unveiled.
Huong, said she enrolled Tra in the private primary school Son Ca in Hanoi so her daughter could learn how to play keyboard and sing.
At that time, Piccolo Coro School in Bologna, Italy organized an international singing contest to raise money and they wanted to invite some potential child singers with good voices from around the world to perform in the show Zecchino d’Oro.
Tra’s then vice-principal, Nguyen Hoa Binh, and teacher, Minh Anh, made two video clips, one of which wasChu ech con (Little Frog), composed by Phan Nhan in 1967, to submit to the organizers.
Although no one in her family had pursued a singing career, Tra’s crystal-clear voice helped her win a ticket to the competition in Italy, making her the only Asian representative among 14 contestants.
When her family discovered she was selected, they were worried because she did not know any Italian. However, on arriving in Bologna, Tra took an intensive class to learn Italian and vocal skills. It took her 25 days to master singing Little Frog fluently in Italian.
The 16-year-old Tra said she was only eight years old then and was very nervous to perform overseas for the first time.
“Luckily, children are innocent. Just seeing my mother’s smile in the audience, I felt relieved,” Tra said.
Tra’s mother added that child contestants were told not to dance but stand still and sing. There was not much makeup used so the kids could show off their innocence.
Tra captivated the audience’s hearts with her beautiful voice, fluency in Italian and confidence. She was voted by the jury board as “Best Italian language singer”.
Little Frog was also chosen as the favorite song of the show and later was introduced in the children music album titled Zecchino d’Oro.
As the whole show was broadcast on Italian national channel RAI Uno, many Italians recognized Tra and her mother when they went to the supermarket. Many called out “Ma va lá” as Tra’s image was so attached to theLittle Frog song.
Eight years after her memorable trip to Italy, Tra said she was surprised that her childhood performance suddenly became a hit on YouTube last week.
“On seeing many comments and love from strangers and friends, at first I felt embarrassed because it happened long ago,” she said.
Despite a good start in music, Tra said she does not wish to pursue a singing career. She said she is now concentrating on studies at school, especially foreign languages.
The 10th grader at the foreign language specialized school in Hanoi is now busy with her study schedule. Tra also takes a French class after school since she’s always dreamed of being a diplomat.
Tra’s mother also approved of her decision as she saw the language ability in her daughter.
“If there is a chance, Tra can come back to singing any time. But at the moment, studying is the priority,” Huong said.
