Duong Khac Linh: "Music is the bridge that brings me back to Vietnam"

(Dan Tri) - After 15 years of accompanying Vietnamese music, musician Duong Khac Linh opens up about the melodies, memories and emotions that have shaped his career.

Duong Khac Linh is not only a musician and producer, he is also a coach and judge of many programs such as: The X Factor, The Voice Kids, Harmony of Light...

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter about his 15-year journey with Vietnamese music , he said: “From the first days of returning to Vietnam to build a career, until today when I look back, I see how many melodies have been born, how many faces, how many memories have accompanied my music.

There are songs I write in joy, and there are songs born from sadness. They are all part of life and music that I always cherish.”

Duong Khac Linh is a famous musician and music producer in Vietnam (Photo: Organizer).

According to him, these experiences not only reflect his career but also help him realize his true self and find where he truly belongs, among the melodies and emotions.

“For me, music has brought me back to Vietnam, where I truly belong both physically and mentally. Even though I grew up in the Netherlands, I always felt a bit out of place. Partly because I am a foreigner, but more importantly, the musical environment there did not give me as many opportunities as in Vietnam,” the male artist confided.

According to him, it was music that gave him the opportunity to be involved, to build a career, to live happily and to feel truly "at home" while living in Vietnam.

Looking back on his past, Duong Khac Linh realized that his music has changed significantly over time. When he first returned to Vietnam, domestic music still had many traditional features, while he brought with him a bit of Western influence in his production thinking. Thanks to the skillful combination, his music has its own "color", helping him develop his career faster and making it easier for the audience to accept.

At the same time, Duong Khac Linh also witnessed a major change in the Vietnamese music industry. If in the past, domestic music still had many traditional features, now the young generation of artists knows how to skillfully combine Western and Asian elements, similar to K-pop.

According to him, Vietnam's current production quality is in the top 3 in Asia, just behind Korea and Japan.

As for Duong Khac Linh, he still maintains his own direction in composing. "I think my music has become more "Vietnamized" over time, especially in ballads, which is a genre that I love and is also my strength," the male musician shared.

He also explained that, for R&B or dance, he still kept the modern, international quality in it. However, as time went on, he wrote more ballads, songs that touched people's deep emotions.

"Hinduence" will take place on the evening of December 14 at the Performing Arts Stage - Hanoi Museum (Photo: Organizer).

Because he understands the changes of the times, in the upcoming Linh Cam live show, Duong Khac Linh especially focuses on the element of emotional connection. In the digital age, when everything happens online and people have little real connection, he believes that a concert is the place for the audience to feel the connection between the artist and the listener.

“For me, the most important thing in live is to tell my story, about my musical journey, about the songs that were created in each period, and the memories associated with them. I want to connect with the audience through real emotions and stories, not focusing on technical factors,” he confided.

Also because of that point of view, when asked about using artificial intelligence (AI) technology or modern electronic elements in the mixing and arrangement this time, Duong Khac Linh affirmed: “I do not use AI in the program. The entire live show will have a live band performing. Even with songs with more modern rhythms, I still make the beat (background music) myself.”

According to the male artist, many people today use AI to compose or arrange music, but he believes that this technology is still not capable of conveying human emotions.

Linh Cam brings together artists who have accompanied Duong Khac Linh such as: Ho Ngoc Ha, Noo Phuoc Thinh, Trung Quan, JayKii, Sara Luu and Luu Hien Trinh. The program will recreate his famous hits such as: Please forgive me, Please don't be silent, Canh hong phai, Dong xanh, Dung nhu thuc hat, Yeu va yeu...

Musician Duong Khac Linh was born in 1980 in the Philippines but grew up and studied in the Netherlands. He has a knack for composing and producing across many genres, from R&B, hip hop, rock, pop to classical music.

In 2007, he returned to Vietnam to start a career and was the person behind successful music projects of many famous singers such as: Ho Ngoc Ha, Ha Anh Tuan, Thanh Bui, Trang Phap...

Duong Khac Linh is also the author of many film soundtrack songs and was in the Top 10 Vietnamese musicians at the Blue Wave Awards.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/duong-khac-linh-am-nhac-la-cau-noi-dua-toi-ve-viet-nam-20251023131358174.htm