Vietnam’s biggest singer dreams of international success, but keeps her heart close to home.

Linh, initially famous for singing traditional favorites Tren dinh Phu Van (On the top of cloudy mountain), Thi tham mua xuan (Whispering Spring), Chi toi (My sister) and Toc ngan (Short hair), is no stranger to success.

She easily retained her loyal fan base when she shifted seamlessly from folk music to modern pop.

Though she’s quite possibly Vietnam’s most successful singer, she says she’s not satisfied stopping there.

“I want to expand my audience to outside Vietnam,” Linh says. “I want friends from other countries to understand more about Vietnam, a country with creative people and a rich traditional culture.”

Linh can sing in English, French, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese and says she’s always dreamed of one day releasing a foreign language album on the international market.

She has recorded three albums in Japan, and a number of her songs are offered internationally via Amazon.com.

But the ambitious singer wants more.

She says she wants to act as a cultural bridge between Vietnam and the rest of the world.

“I want people in the world to be more interested in Vietnamese music via my songs,” she said.

She says that alongside economic development, cultural exchange can help Vietnam expand its influence in the world.

Linh, 34, has been welcomed warmly by Vietnamese living in the United States, Japan and Europe.

“To help the world understand more about our music, Vietnamese artists should release more songs in English and more singers should perform abroad,” she says.

Vietnamese music has not drawn strong interest from foreigners yet, Linh notes, adding that the country has talented musicians and singers, but does not have good conditions for talent development as there are few performing arts support programs.

Linh says all three of her children are following in their family’s artistic tradition. Her 10-year-old boy Duy is studying piano at the Hanoi Conservatory of

Music, while her two daughters, Anna and My Anh, are both studying art.

A family thing

Linh says she owes a great deal of her success to her friends and relatives that have helped her along the way, especially her husband, noted musician and composer Anh Quan.

“I am lucky as I have always had the help of my family and friends,” she says, adding that they’ve all shared with her both the joys and sorrows of success.

“Friends, family and colleagues have all helped me make right decisions in my career. My mother-in-law taught me how to cook. A close Japanese friend has shared worldviews,” she says, adding that the people around her have always taken care of her and each other.

With her husband’s help, the pop star has established her own home studio to produce her CDs and promote new local singers.

Linh says that in March, she’ll move her family out to a new house in the Hanoi suburbs where they can be close to nature, do their own gardening, go fishing and even farm.

Reported by Bao Anh