Born and raised in Saigon, as a child Hoa Mi had not aspired to one day become a professional singer, but instead had dreams of becoming a doctor. But since she had been blessed with perfect pitch and also had a love for music, she began singing professionally at the age of 15. While she was still a senior at Gia Long High School in Saigon, she was accepted into the prestigious Saigon National Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. When she first started singing professionally, she had gone by the professional stage name of Truong My based on her name given at birth, Truong Thi My. At her first nightclub performance at Maxim's in Saigon in 1973, Hoang Thi Tho, the legendary musician and show promoter who was also her teacher, decided to introduce her on stage as singer Hoa Mi. From then on, Hoa Mi became her professional stage name. In 1974, she graduated from the Saigon National Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Hoa Mi appeared on an album comprised of various artists, Hoang Thi Tho 3: Dua Em Qua Canh Dong Vang, in duets with Nhat Truong and Bui Thien. A duet studio album with another of Hoang Thi Tho's students, singer Son Ca, had been planned. However, due the Fall of Saigon in 1975, plans for the album were cancelled.
After 1975, Hoa Mi decided to put her singing career on hold to study law. That is until she was recruited by legendary show promoter Ngoc Chanh to join the Kim Cuong Singing Troupe along with Son Ca, Thai Chau, Le Thu, Thanh Tuyen, Thanh Phong and Phuong Dai which toured extensively all over Vietnam. In 1988, while on tour in France with a group of other performers from Vietnam including singer Hong Van, Hoa Mi defected leaving behind her blind husband and three children. She was granted political asylum by the French government and took up residence in Paris where she signed with Thuy Nga as an exclusive recording artist. Thuy Nga released two solo studio albums recorded by Hoa Mi that same year, Em Di Roi and Tinh Sau. The title track of her first solo studio album was a well received autobiographical song she had written together with composer Lam Phuong. Two years later, Hoa Mi was reunited with her husband and children in Paris, France. Unfortunately, her marriage would end in divorce shortly thereafter due to her husband's decision to return to Vietnam. For many years, Hoa Mi was left with the challenges of juggling a singing career and being a single mother to three children before before she remarried to a French national of Vietnamese origin in the late 1990s.
In the 1990s, Hoa Mi recorded two more solo studio albums for Thuy Nga, Nghin Trung Xa Cach (1991) and Bong Chieu Xua (1997). She had also recorded two duet studio albums with other artists for the Thuy Nga label, Em Den Tham Anh Dem 30 (1992) with singer Anh Khoa and Pho Chieu (1992) with singer Y Lan. In 1992, Hoa Mi toured the United States for the first time and recorded three solo studio albums for Lang Van, Tinh Ca Nong Tham, Em Con Nho Hay Em Da Quen and Hoa Mi Voi Nhung Tinh Khuc Hoang Thi Tho. She had also become one of the top performers on the Paris By Night live show music video series. Among her most popular songs performed on Paris By Night include Toc May written by Pham The My, Noi Niem written by Tuan Khanh, Da Khuc (Serenade) written by Pham Duy, Ta Tinh written by Hoang Thi Tho and Suoi Le Xanh written by Pham Manh Cuong.
After an absence of more than a decade, in 2009 Hoa Mi recorded three solo studio albums during a return trip to Vietnam. All three albums, Mot Thoi Yeu Nhau, Thu Tinh Khong Gui and Trom Nhin Nhau were released by Phuong Nam Film that same year. In 2010, Hoa Mi worked with her former husband, saxophonist Le Tan Quoc, on her album, Hoa Mi - Le Tan Quoc: Tuyet Pham Ghi Dau Su Tai Hop Nghe Thuat - Mot Mai Em Di, released by Saigon Vafaco.
Link(s):
Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time
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| Hoa Mi as a young teenager |
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| Họa Mi at Age 19 (Saigon - 1974) |
In the 1990s, Hoa Mi recorded two more solo studio albums for Thuy Nga, Nghin Trung Xa Cach (1991) and Bong Chieu Xua (1997). She had also recorded two duet studio albums with other artists for the Thuy Nga label, Em Den Tham Anh Dem 30 (1992) with singer Anh Khoa and Pho Chieu (1992) with singer Y Lan. In 1992, Hoa Mi toured the United States for the first time and recorded three solo studio albums for Lang Van, Tinh Ca Nong Tham, Em Con Nho Hay Em Da Quen and Hoa Mi Voi Nhung Tinh Khuc Hoang Thi Tho. She had also become one of the top performers on the Paris By Night live show music video series. Among her most popular songs performed on Paris By Night include Toc May written by Pham The My, Noi Niem written by Tuan Khanh, Da Khuc (Serenade) written by Pham Duy, Ta Tinh written by Hoang Thi Tho and Suoi Le Xanh written by Pham Manh Cuong.
After an absence of more than a decade, in 2009 Hoa Mi recorded three solo studio albums during a return trip to Vietnam. All three albums, Mot Thoi Yeu Nhau, Thu Tinh Khong Gui and Trom Nhin Nhau were released by Phuong Nam Film that same year. In 2010, Hoa Mi worked with her former husband, saxophonist Le Tan Quoc, on her album, Hoa Mi - Le Tan Quoc: Tuyet Pham Ghi Dau Su Tai Hop Nghe Thuat - Mot Mai Em Di, released by Saigon Vafaco.
Link(s):
Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time
