Biography
The musical endeavors of this Vietnamese performer would have occupied all five generations of instrumentalists who came before him in his lineage. Married to the well-known folksinger Bach Yen, he has composed numerous pop songs, mastered performance on over a dozen traditional Vietnamese instruments, joined forces on experimental electro-acoustic projects, instructed students and delivered lectures across multiple continents, and contributed dozens of articles to print. He also took the lead role in the 1990 film The Song of Harmonics, which he co-produced alongside Hugo Zemp to explore the practice of overtone singing, an additional avenue among his many musical pursuits. His formal training commenced at the National Conservatory of Music in Saigon.
The early 1960s prompted many Vietnamese citizens to depart the country, and he managed to resume his education in Paris from 1961 onward. Far from severing ties with his heritage, he pursued studies in oriental music alongside his father Tran Van Khe within the French capital. Over time he assembled a collection of roughly fifteen instruments originating from Vietnam, China, India, Iran, Indonesia, and Europe. Enthusiasts of the piercing tones produced by the Jew's harp may recognize his playing of the Vietnamese bamboo version on anthologies issued in the Netherlands by Phons Bakx. The Vietnamese Jew's harp, also termed the trump, has joined forces onstage with its Irish counterpart under John Wright to generate an international form of mouth music. He has likewise pioneered techniques on the spoons, a percussion implement familiar in Appalachia. During the 1990s he launched a fresh body of works for the dan tranh, Vietnam's sixteen-string zither. One of his primary specialties requires no case at all: the practice of overtone, or throat, singing. Comparable vocal methods appear among Inuit and Siberian communities. The documentary chronicling his command of this technique earned prizes at several international festivals and confirmed the Vietnamese multi-instrumentalist as an authority in this demanding vocal discipline.
Recordings have appeared both under his own name and in partnership with his wife. Their initial releases came out in the late 1970s on imprints including Playasound, while additional tracks featuring several of his instruments were issued by Lyrichord. He has further collaborated with didjeridu player Philip Peris. Hundreds of pop songs in French, English, and Vietnamese also stand to his credit. An indefatigable stage presence, he has logged nearly three thousand performances since the late 1970s. Few if any other Vietnamese musicians have appeared at as many international gatherings, rendering him a frequent choice for milestone commemorations. Engagements include the Australian bicentennial in 1988, the following year's observance of the French Revolution, Montreal's 350th anniversary and the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America in 1992, Korea's 600th anniversary celebration, and the 1,000 Years of Trondheim event in Norway. Broadcasts on radio and television have reached audiences worldwide.
Any account of his career must acknowledge his extensive scholarly record. Lectures have taken him throughout the United States and Europe as well as to Canada, South Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and Russia. Beginning in 1995 he joined the Department of Ethnomusicology at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris, after prior positions at the National Center for Scientific Research. Hundreds of articles have been published in Vietnamese outlets, and he serves as a recognized authority on oriental music for English-language references such as the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. In the early 1990s he authored the volume Musics of the World, which has since appeared in five languages.
The early 1960s prompted many Vietnamese citizens to depart the country, and he managed to resume his education in Paris from 1961 onward. Far from severing ties with his heritage, he pursued studies in oriental music alongside his father Tran Van Khe within the French capital. Over time he assembled a collection of roughly fifteen instruments originating from Vietnam, China, India, Iran, Indonesia, and Europe. Enthusiasts of the piercing tones produced by the Jew's harp may recognize his playing of the Vietnamese bamboo version on anthologies issued in the Netherlands by Phons Bakx. The Vietnamese Jew's harp, also termed the trump, has joined forces onstage with its Irish counterpart under John Wright to generate an international form of mouth music. He has likewise pioneered techniques on the spoons, a percussion implement familiar in Appalachia. During the 1990s he launched a fresh body of works for the dan tranh, Vietnam's sixteen-string zither. One of his primary specialties requires no case at all: the practice of overtone, or throat, singing. Comparable vocal methods appear among Inuit and Siberian communities. The documentary chronicling his command of this technique earned prizes at several international festivals and confirmed the Vietnamese multi-instrumentalist as an authority in this demanding vocal discipline.
Recordings have appeared both under his own name and in partnership with his wife. Their initial releases came out in the late 1970s on imprints including Playasound, while additional tracks featuring several of his instruments were issued by Lyrichord. He has further collaborated with didjeridu player Philip Peris. Hundreds of pop songs in French, English, and Vietnamese also stand to his credit. An indefatigable stage presence, he has logged nearly three thousand performances since the late 1970s. Few if any other Vietnamese musicians have appeared at as many international gatherings, rendering him a frequent choice for milestone commemorations. Engagements include the Australian bicentennial in 1988, the following year's observance of the French Revolution, Montreal's 350th anniversary and the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America in 1992, Korea's 600th anniversary celebration, and the 1,000 Years of Trondheim event in Norway. Broadcasts on radio and television have reached audiences worldwide.
Any account of his career must acknowledge his extensive scholarly record. Lectures have taken him throughout the United States and Europe as well as to Canada, South Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and Russia. Beginning in 1995 he joined the Department of Ethnomusicology at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris, after prior positions at the National Center for Scientific Research. Hundreds of articles have been published in Vietnamese outlets, and he serves as a recognized authority on oriental music for English-language references such as the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. In the early 1990s he authored the volume Musics of the World, which has since appeared in five languages.
Albums