The hotel security guard only dreams of singing.
“Mien Nho” is a musical film about a boy born in a poor countryside, who has been passionate about singing since he was a child. The boy had a sweet and peaceful childhood, but when he grew up, his family encountered a major change. His mother passed away early due to a serious illness, and his father was not healthy, and communication was not as smooth as normal people.
Throughout the movie “Mien nho”, Le Vinh Toan impressed the audience with his emotional, sweet voice and natural acting that made the audience sob.
Singer Le Vinh Toan in the musical film "Memory".
Le Vinh Toan was born and raised in a poor rural area of Nghe An in a family of 5 siblings. After finishing 9th grade, seeing his two older siblings going to college and making their parents work hard, Toan decided to stop studying and work to earn money to support himself.
Toan went to Sa Pa to work as a security guard at a hotel to make a living, even though he was not old enough to work. During his days as a security guard, every weekend the hotel let the staff “relax” with a party and karaoke, and Toan felt happy every time he held the microphone to sing.
The hard life of a security guard, carrying suitcases bigger than his body up each floor for guests every day, is always soothed and comforted by the anticipation of the weekend when he can hold the microphone and sing.
Image of pulling rice with old father.
Le Vinh Toan recalls that once in Sa Pa, there was an art festival organized between hotels. Toan got a role as an actor. He practiced diligently for a whole month, anxiously waiting for the day to perform on stage, but was cut because the program was too long.
Across from Toan's hotel, there was a friend who also worked as a security guard. He sang well, so he was often invited to participate in cultural programs in Sa Pa town. Toan admired him very much. He saw himself clearly, understood his desires and passions.
After 2 years working as a security guard, Le Vinh Toan decided to return to his hometown, go to school to make his dream come true.
With the same love of music and the growing desire to become a singer, Le Vinh Toan has gone through a life of ups and downs, hardship, wandering everywhere, with difficulties piled up like a movie.
Heaven does not disappoint those who are persistent and have a heart. Le Vinh Toan said that he never dared to imagine that it would happen, which is to become a student at the Vietnam National Academy of Music and fulfill his dream of becoming a professional singer.
Image of singer Le Vinh Toan in the musical film "Memory".
Go to Saigon with 150k, eat noodles, sleep in the dry place to sing
Back home, while studying, Toan tried every way to sing wherever he could. His brother was an MC at a wedding, so Toan asked to go along so that when he had the chance, he could sing on stage.
That was still not enough, Toan went to wedding theater owners to ask to carry speakers, with the hope that if the program lacked a singer, when there were no people, they would let Toan go on stage to sing.
In the trunk of Toan's old motorbike, there was always a small plastic bag containing a bright shirt. After carrying the speaker, Toan would put it on and eagerly wait for the opportunity to sing.
After finishing high school, Toan went to Saigon with only 150,000 VND in his pocket. He slept on stone benches and ate instant noodles. Thanks to a connection, he was introduced to the Phuong Tuong theater troupe, performing in remote rural areas of the West.
He worked as a speaker, stage set-up man, backstage man and occasionally sang while waiting for a star to perform. “One day I was about to go up and sing but the MC said no more because the star was coming, I was so sad,” Le Vinh Toan recalled.
Father and son walked home in the rain.
After that, with the help of a cousin, Toan stayed in a small warehouse in Saigon, worked as a security guard during the day, sang at small tea rooms at night, and sang with lottery troupes everywhere for a small amount of money. Many places refused to hire him because Toan was skinny and dark.
The days of sleeping in the warehouse surrounded by rats, cockroaches, and ants, many scars from rat bites still remain until now; the days of only having enough money to eat instant noodles all year round and having to wake up very late in the morning just to save money and not have to eat breakfast, all created the folk singer of today.
Meet singer Tan Nhan: I am reborn
Not having the opportunity to go to school, Toan self-taught his profession via the internet. He had the chance to meet and be introduced to Ms. Tan Nhan by singer Huyen Trang so that I could try my hand in a professional environment at the Vietnam National Academy of Music (HVAN). I was shaking because it was something so far away that I had never dared to think about it,” Le Vinh Toan shared.
Sitting in front of the old house.
When Toan went to Hanoi to study for the entrance exam to the Conservatory of Music, singer Tan Nhan lent him his house to stay and study.
Toan took the entrance exam to HVAN intermediate school when his age was no longer suitable. Tan Nhan used her prestige to protect Toan and help his student enter the HVAN gate, officially following the path of professional art.
“Life with its dark and tragic shadows always seemed to appear before my eyes, sometimes it seemed like there was no hope left, but at that time I saw the sky shining brightly because I was studying in a school that I never thought I could.
I feel like I was born again. It can be said that my music career started thanks to the enthusiastic help of Ms. Tan Nhan", Le Vinh Toan shared. Currently, Le Vinh Toan is being taught and guided by singer Le Anh Dung.
Le Vinh Toan recalled that when he went to Hanoi to study for the exam, his father, who was seriously ill, held his hand and said: "Try your best, son." Shortly after, his father passed away. His father's words of advice were engraved in his mind, motivating him to make constant efforts.
Behind the scenes of the musical film "Memory".
Responding to the press about “Mien Nho”, director Huyen Vu wants to send a message to young people to dare to think and dare to do to realize their dreams, to reach for a better life. At the same time, he also sends a message about the love of parents for their children, they are willing to sacrifice themselves, endure all hardships to make their children happy.
The musical film “Mien nho” was shown for many days on VTV1, in this film there were compositions such as “Que huong trong noi nho; Song que; Dong song ki om; On me; Nho cha mua khe ngot; Đường về thôn quê; Loi cha chua nay. Especially the two songs Nho cha mua khe ngot and Song que were composed by Le Vinh Toan himself.
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