The Sing!Asia 2025 international music arena is witnessing explosive performances, and in the first semi-final round just held in Shanghai, the couple Phuong My Chi (Vietnam) and Kelou (China) truly made an unforgettable mark. Not just a simple performance, the bold combination of Vietnamese reformed opera and Chinese opera in a unique mashup has become the center of attention, affirming Phuong My Chi's talent and stable performance, while opening up a space for profound cultural dialogue, bringing Vietnamese heritage to the international level.
This performance is a surprising blend of "Drunken Sound" - a Vietnamese hit in 2017, and "The Six Seas King" - a song with a strong Chinese epic flavor. The choice of "Drunken Sound" is not only due to its high recognition, but also because of its potential to connect strongly with audiences across Asia.
In the first semi-final round of "Sing! Asia 2025", Phuong My Chi and artist Kelou (China) brought a mashup performance combining Vietnamese reformed opera and Chinese opera, creating an explosive performance.
Under the skillful arrangement of the DTAP production team, this song has been completely renewed, bringing a modern breath but still retaining its characteristics, and then unexpectedly connecting with "Luc Hai Vi Vuong". Two seemingly unrelated songs are artistically blended, creating a mashup that not only demonstrates outstanding creativity but is also a clear demonstration of a performance rich in cultural dialogue. Phuong My Chi and Kelou did not just perform; they skillfully opened up a parallel story, telling of two outstanding female generals from two different cultures, shining together on a common stage.
The most iconic and proud highlight of the performance was the moment when Phuong My Chi's soulful traditional song was sung. Her emotional voice brought a slice of heroic history, evoking the heroic journey of female general Trung Trac in the classic opera "Tieng Trong Me Linh" with the touching lyrics: "But alas, the ambition of the world has not yet been satisfied, and the path of life and death is separated by cold clouds of sadness...".
In the context of a modern stage, the soulful sound of the traditional song resounding from Phuong My Chi's voice becomes an emotional highlight. The image of the female general Trung Trac is recreated through music as a slice of history, both tragic and heroic.
This is not only a performance showcasing singing talent, but also a proud tribute to the national cultural heritage, strongly affirming Vietnamese identity in the international arena. Phuong My Chi has truly become a "cultural ambassador", bringing Cai Luong - a unique traditional art form of Vietnam - closer to audiences in Asia and the world.
The most unique creativity in the performance of Phuong My Chi and Kelou lies in the surprising connection between two typical traditional theatrical forms: Vietnamese reformed opera and Chinese opera, through a subtle language exchange. Phuong My Chi performed "Luc Hai Vi Vuong" in Vietnamese, while Kelou performed "Tuy Am" in Chinese. This language exchange not only creates a unique highlight, but also demonstrates a strong spirit of cultural exchange, breaking down language barriers so that the two cultures can "chat" and understand each other.
The creativity lies in connecting two typical traditional theatrical forms: Vietnamese reformed opera and Chinese opera.
According to the DTAP production team, bringing two traditional art forms, Cai Luong and Comedy, to the international stage is not intended to blur the unique identity of each type. On the contrary, the goal is to give them the opportunity to dialogue, complement each other and shine together, creating an unprecedentedly harmonious and unique whole. The sophistication in harmony is also clearly demonstrated through the choice of traditional musical instruments. The monochord – a typical Vietnamese single-stringed instrument – brought emotional depth and characteristic highs and lows to the performance. Meanwhile, the two-stringed fiddle, although appearing in both music genres, was treated with separate techniques to retain the nuances of the local culture, contributing to a performance that is both global and imbued with identity.
After the impressive performance, Phuong My Chi could not hide her emotions when sharing her pride: "When singing that vọng cổ verse, I only thought about how to tell the story of Trưng Trắc in the proudest way. I feel very happy to stand on the international stage and sing about my nation's history."
The young female singer's pride in performing on behalf of the country
She also expressed her joy at witnessing for the first time the fusion of two unique traditional arts: "This is the first time Vietnamese reformed opera and Chinese opera have been brought together. Two distinct cultures, but shining together." This performance is not only an artistic success but also an important milestone, affirming the position of Vietnamese culture on the world music and art map, with Phuong My Chi as one of the pioneering young faces.
