LookAtVietnam – Minh Kien, Viet Nam’s leading “beat-boxer”, is an ardent fan of the King of pop, Michael Jackson, who died recently.

He’s bad: Minh Kien strikes a characteristic Michael Jackson pose.

Kien said he was a shy and quiet boy until Jackson’s songs and video clips opened a new page in his life. His admiration for Jackson started at age nine when he watched the video clip Earth Song.

Being strangely enchanted by Jackson’s voice and the song’s soul, Kien searched for the artist’s songs and information about him.

The more he collected, the more he admired Jackson’s dance steps, style and above all, the message in the songs’ themes on such issues as environmental pollution, child protection and racial discrimination.

The boy learned Jackson’s dance movements, but because he spent so much time practising, his parents and teachers, who expected him to become an engineer and thought art might corrupt him, strongly protested.

Kien was discouraged, but Jackson’s performances continued to motivate him to pursue his dream. At secondary school, he could dance so well that he was regularly invited to perform at other high school and universities. He was proud when called Kien Michael.

In spite of studying at the Faculty of Stage and Cinematography, the Ha Noi College of Arts, Kien concentrated on singing and dancing. While collecting Jackson’s material, he realised his idol’s music and performing styles seem ingrained in his mind, making it easy to understand.

However, following Jackson’s steps does not mean totally copying.

“I often watch Jackson’s dance steps over and over again to catch the soul and the techniques but I never pause DVDs to exactly copy each movement. The more difficult his movements are, the more excited I am. I keep watching and then create new ones based on my feelings. I want, when I perform his dances, for audiences to see I also have my own style. Not everyone can do this, so I’m proud of it”, said Kien.

Kien never joined a regular dancing class but practised by himself after watching Jackson’s video clips. He also learned from suggestions from senior artists and experiences while performing.

To improve his performance, Kien also designs clothes to resemble Jackson’s wardrobe but being an artist who always tries to assert himself in the entertainment world, Kien only wears Jackson-like clothes he has designed.

While renown for his beatboxing and Jackson dances, Kien is also recognised as one of his most enthusiastic fans.

He’s been an active member of the forum Michael Jackson Fan Club Viet Nam (www.mjfcvn.com) established in 2007 by a close friend, Tu Michael.

Fans use the forum to discuss and exchange information and images of Jackson. Members often meet to perform and learn Jackson-style performances and raise funds for charity, following an example set by their idol.

When asked about the scandals which surrounded Jackson, Kien said he looked at star’s entire life.

“I appraise a person’s dignity not by watching what he does in the present but by observing his life and work since his early days.”

Kien said he also had to overcome a bad reputation held by some people and made-up stories. As a result, he sympathised with Jackson.

Nonetheless, Kien did not approve of certain aspects of Jackson’s life, especially the way he wasted money. “Although he earned a lot and donated large sums to charitable organisations, he could have done more helpful things.”

“Kien said he would always dedicate his career to Jackson, whose music would always be in his heart and those of other Vietnamese fans, successfully did.

He and his friends in the MJ Club will try to maintain their forum. When numbers dwindle, Kien will be among them.

Kien said forum members were preparing to commemorate Jackson with a large-scale ceremony later this month in Ha Noi.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News