Siu Black

Siu Black (1964-     ) is a famous Vietnamese singer of rock music.  Born in Kontum, a town in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, Siu Black is a member of the Bahnar minority ethnic group of Vietnam.  She started performing while still in high school, first singing in her native Bahnar language.  Upon graduating from Dac Lac Arts School, she joined the Dac Lac Arts Troupe and performed throughout the Tay Nguyen province, as well as in other major cities and towns in Vietnam and Cambodia.  At the age of 17, she met songwriter Nguyen Cuong who encouraged her to sing more in the Vietnamese language.  Their friendship would lead to a professional association as she would later record a song he had written, Em Muon Song Ben Anh Tron Doi (I Want to Be Near You Always), would also become one of her signature songs.

In 1987, while touring Cambodia, Siu Black met her future husband, Nguyen Duc Hung.  Their wedding would take place after their first meeting.  Together the couple have since become parents to two songs, Nguyen Siu Manh (b.1989) and Nguyen Siu Hieu (1991).  After five years of marriage, the couple decided to separate.


Siu Black's journey to fame was a rather long one.  For over a decade into her career, Siu Black remained as one of Tay Nguyen's best kept secrets as she had yet to reach prominence as a professional singer.  In 1992, she found work alongside her husband at Kontum Electric Company in order to make ends meet.  While employed there she continued with her persistence of fulfilling her dream of a singing career.  She remained active performing for various local events and entering talent contests.  After winning gold medals for two consecutive years at national talent competitions in 1995 and 1996, Siu Black was then well on her way to stardom.  At the 1997 ASEAN Music Festival held in Hanoi, Siu Black took home the prize for best vocalist.

For more than a decade Siu Black enjoyed a highly successful career as a live performer and recording artist.  She has performed all over Vietnam, as well as in countries abroad for overseas Vietnamese audiences.  In addition to her music career, Siu Black has also taken part in another career as an actress.  In 2009, she costarred in the Vietnamese film, Giai Cuu Than Chet (Saving the Death) alongside Minh Hang, Chi Thien and fellow singers-turned-actresses Dong Nhi, Hong Nhung and Phuong Thanh.  In 2012, Siu Black had a supporting role in the popular television mini-series, Cau Vong Sau Mua, starring Nguyen Vu, Thuy Trang, Linh Chi and Ly Hai.  Recently, she has been involved in some financial setbacks.  It has been reported that Siu Black has a total debt in the amount of more than 2 billion VND, which is roughly $100,000 USD.  Rumor has it that her financial downfall was a result of her gambling addiction, while Siu Black maintains that the actual cause had to do with several bad business investments she made.