Musician Huy Tuan: Ho Do is still very young!

In a month, the Ho Do International Music Festival will be hot on Nguyen Hue - Le Loi Street (HCMC). General director and musician HUY TUAN talks to Tuoi Tre about the journey of Ho Do at the age of 5, still young and full of beautiful aspirations.

Ho Chi Minh City audiences welcome music openly - Photo: Ho Do

Hozo International Music Festival takes place from October to December 2024.

The highlight is three music nights from December 13 to 15, expected to welcome more than 100 domestic and international artists. Some names are gradually emerging: singer My Tam, Henry Lau (former member of Super Junior-M), rapper HIEUTHUHAI...

Ho Do first year "deaf not afraid of guns"

* Starting from 2019, is Ho Do a young music festival or is it already "old", Mr. Huy Tuan?

- In 2019, in Vietnam, there was only the Monsoon International Music Festival. Ho Chi Minh City just started doing it.

The audience in the city is also not familiar with the cultural atmosphere, and does not understand what an international music festival is. They think it is a normal music event.

Up to now, Ho Do has gone through 5 years but is still too young. To build an identity, a brand, 5 years is just the beginning, there is still a long road ahead.

* Receiving the idea from the Ho Chi Minh City government, at that time did you think an international music festival was too big a shirt?

- At that time, I had been living here for 5-7 years. Artists like us, at some point, really want to do something to repay the audience and the city that has nurtured us.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest music market in the country. I have always been surprised that such a big city still lacks a cultural brand, an international music festival in the true international sense.

Actually, Ho Chi Minh City had plans for an international music festival decades before officially talking to me, but it was not until 2019 that it was realized.

* How did the first year of Ho Do go?

- The first festival season only took three months to make. It was very stressful. When it was finished, looking back, I was shocked, three months to make an international music festival was really deaf and fearless (laughs out loud).

The second year, I asked the city for six months to prepare but it was still stressful. The third year, I asked for a whole year but there were still too many things to worry about.

We are currently working on Ho Do 2024 but we have gradually started preparing for Ho Do next year to be on time.

Ho Do is responsible for culture. This is a community music festival, a cultural product that Ho Chi Minh City offers to the city's audience as well as tourists.

Musician Huy Tuan

Otyken brings mysterious and unique music to Ho Do 2023 - Photo: Ho Do

The artist asked if he would invite me again next year?

* What is the international music festival culture that Huy Tuan is talking about?

- A music festival is different from regular shows in that when you come there, you bring with you excitement combined with the surrounding joy, creating a very chill, exciting, and comfortable atmosphere.

Coming to Ho Do, audiences can enjoy special music - Photo: Ho Do

It's different than going to a show because you like the artist, your enjoyment depends on that artist.

Of course, the organizers never ignore the star factor to attract audiences, but the audience's job is to be proactive with their own joy, enjoying music openly.

I even hope the audience doesn't care about which artist will be famous anymore.

* But what's wrong with liking stars?

- That's right. But it must be clear, in other shows, people almost always invite trendy artists. Obviously, there is not much originality anymore, it is just a habit.

In Ho Do, you can find enough artists, enough musical personalities with many styles and genres as long as the artist is talented and unique.

For example, last year Otyken - a Siberian indigenous band - gave what I considered the most exciting performance of Ho Do ever. Not many people know about Siberia. But at Ho Do, the audience knows about Siberian culture expressed through their music.

Coming to Ho Do, the audience has a musical journey, to new and different places in the world and expands their listening range.

* What have you seen through the Ho Do seasons?

- My friends' parents came back from Ho Do partying and said they didn't think they would hear rock. There were people who looked like they would never listen to jazz in their entire life, but when they went there, they listened very well...

It turns out that in the human soul there are still compartments for other genres of music besides the usual listening habits or what the market offers.

* What did the international artists who came to Ho Do say to Huy Tuan?

- 80 - 90% of artists after performing at Ho Do asked me: "Will you invite me again next year?".

There are also a few artists/groups who have participated in Ho Do more than once, but my point of view is that there is so much good music in the world that it would be a pity not to bring it back, so I still prioritize new artists who have never participated in Ho Do before.

We often say to each other a sentence that sounds grand but is actually very sincere, that is, we are bringing the world to Vietnam and bringing Vietnam to the world. Through festivals like this, I hope that Ho Chi Minh City will gradually be positioned as an attractive cultural destination that world stars and artists remember when they go on tour.

Musician Huy Tuan

Leonid & Friends present You're the Inspiration at Ho Do 2022

There will be more heart attacks

* As the "chief mama" of Ho Do, standing below the stage watching, are you as chill as the audience?

- The first year, I was extremely worried and nervous. To the point that I asked myself: Am I happy? Why am I so overwhelmed by anxiety? So many incidents and situations arose that at first I was as tense as a bowstring.

Only towards the end did I have time to enjoy more. I observed and saw the radiant faces of the audience. They were happy, dancing, sitting until late at night. That was when I realized, this is exactly what I wanted.

* After 5 years, are you still worried and nervous? Huy Tuan is not new to the profession... Which incident gave you the biggest heart attack?

- Less but still a lot. Just last year, not so long ago. We invited the world's top DJ Don Diablo to play music at Ho Do. The artists requested that all lights and sounds be turned off 10 minutes before they performed.

But in Vietnam, the theater has never been in such a "dead" state. Negotiation failed, so we had to accept that in the contract.

The highlight of Ho Do is three music nights from December 13 to 15 - Photo: FBNV

However, the previous performances were "over" time. When Don Diablo's performance time was near, Thu Minh still had three songs left to sing. Don Diablo was "irritated", saying that if he heard any sound on stage, he would not perform anymore.

I had to run backstage to find his girlfriend and ask her to speak. I had to use everything I could to make people understand. When Thu Minh's performance ended, the DJ came in right away.

That was probably the most heartbreaking moment of my life. But these things will not stop there, they will happen again and again. An international music festival has hundreds of people, each with their own personality. There will be heartbreaking moments that will go down to the ground. It is inevitable.

Top 10 world's leading DJs Don Diablo performs at Ho Do 2023 - Photo: Ho Do

* What's special about Ho Do this year?

- In the first years, we wanted to create our own style so we paid a lot of attention to that. But after gradually creating the habit of enjoying it, preserving the identity was a difficult task.

* In Hanoi, Monsoon has been quite volatile. What do you think is needed to make Ho Do a sustainable cultural brand?

- First of all, we must have the support of policy makers who are responsible for the culture and identity of the city. They must be aware that culture, specifically music, is the bridge between Vietnam and the world.

* Thanks musician Huy Tuan.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhac-si-huy-tuan-ho-do-van-con-tre-lam-20241117100259097.htm