Legend Kenny G speaks Vietnamese, meets audience in Hanoi

Grammy Award-winning American saxophonist Kenny G is looking forward to visiting Vietnam to enjoy the beautiful scenery and delicious food.

Saxophonist Kenny G will perform in the Kenny G Live in Vietnam program (part of the Good Morning Vietnam project) held in Hanoi on November 14.

This is one of the music events that many fans of the 7x and 8x generations are looking forward to. It is known that Kenny G plans to bring many new things to the Vietnamese audience, through newly arranged performances, and especially the performance of Vietnamese folk songs.

Kenny G is known to the public as an American saxophonist with hundreds of instrumental songs in Smooth Jazz, R&B, Pop and Latin that have touched the hearts of millions of music lovers around the world for over 30 years (Photo: Organizing Committee).

Before the show, Kenny G made a short video and sent it from the US to the Kenny G Live in Vietnam program organizers. Not only did he surprise everyone by speaking Vietnamese, the saxophone legend also played a piece of music and expressed his anticipation for the day he would come to Vietnam.

"I'm Kenny G. Hi everyone. I can't wait to get back to Vietnam. I'm so excited to be performing in Hanoi on November 14th. I'm really looking forward to visiting this beautiful country again.

I want to visit the scenic spots. I love Vietnamese food and I also love the Vietnamese people. Hope to see you at the next show," he shared in the clip.

Many Vietnamese audiences first knew Kenny G in 1994, when he appeared at the closing ceremony of the 1994 World Cup in the US, performing the National Anthem solo. Generations 7x and 8x knew him through old cassette players and televisions that played instrumental music at the time.

When he first performed in Vietnam in 2015, his show attracted many audiences, from working people to businessmen.

Legend Kenny G will perform in the show "Kenny G Live in Vietnam" on the evening of November 14 at the National Convention Center. This show is part of the "Good Morning Vietnam" project (Photo: Organizing Committee).

Kenny G's music is like a soundtrack for many people born in the 70s and 80s all over the world. People can hear it everywhere, in elevators, in restaurants, in shopping stores, while waiting for their turn at the dentist's office, between TV and radio programs...

In some countries, people even play Kenny G's Going Home to signal that it's time to go home from work, and by late afternoon his gentle, soulful music echoes throughout the streets.

In 1986, when the album Duotones was released with two songs Songbird and Don't Make Me Wait For Love , they became unprecedented hits in the jazz genre. Especially with Songbird , just listening to the first few notes of the song, the listener was transported into a dreamy, floating realm.

In the documentary Listening to Kenny G (produced by HBO in 2021), when asked: "How were you influenced by your predecessors?", the artist replied: "John Coltrane or Charlie Parker, their technique was extraordinary. But that kind of music never moved me. So that's not the music I want to copy."

"Heartfelt" is the word Kenny G often uses to describe his musical philosophy. Instead of overwhelming the audience with his technical virtuosity, he just wants to reach the audience's heart in a simple, sincere way.

Many jazz artists tend to make albums inspired by the legends of the past, but Kenny G does not. He creates his own world to talk to the audience. The artist focuses on soft, melodic melody, instead of the improvisations that are typical of jazz.

In the 90s, he often collaborated with pop or R&B icons such as How Could An Angel Broke My Heart (with Toni Braxton), Everytime I Close My Eyes (with Babyface), By The Time This Night Is Over (with Peabo Bryson).

In a 2014 interview, Kenny G shared his memories of buying his saxophone: "I put an ad in the paper when I was in Franklin High School. I was 17. The ad said, 'Looking for: Soprano sax.' This guy from Lacey, Washington responded."

So Kenny G bought the soprano sax from him for $300. But why didn't he change his saxophone, whether as an apprentice or as a star?

This he explained in another interview: "When I use a new trumpet, a different trumpet, it's just like a piece of metal to me. It's not like my instrument, it's not like my voice, if you'll excuse the comparison"...

dantri.com.vn