Tên thật là Nguyễn Mai Loan, sinh tại Sài Gòn. Cô đã trải qua thời thơ ấu thật đẹp tại miền Thùy Dương cát trắng Nha Trang. Thân phụ cô xuất thân từ khóa 3 trường Võ Bị Quốc Gia Đà Lạt và là người quê ở Hậu Giang (Long An). Thân Mẫu cô quê ở Bắc Ninh (Hà Nội) là đất của thi nhân mặc khách, là quê Mẹ của thi hào Nguyễn Du tác giả Đọan Trường Tân Thanh (Kiều). Ngoàii ra các chú, các bác, các cậu của Loan cũng đều phục vụ trong các Quân Binh Chủng Hải, Lục, Không Quân của QLVNCH. Cậu của Loan là ĐVAH, thuộc Phi Đòan 245 Biên Hòa. Nói chung một đại gia đình tòan là “Lính”.
Lúc còn ấu thơ, vì thân phụ làm việc tại Trường Hạ Sĩ Quan Đồng Đế (1963-1970) nên Loan đã có dịp quan sát, gần gũi và làm quen với những khóa sinh nơi đây. Hình ảnh những người thanh niên với thân hình rắn chắc, màu da sạm nắng trau dồi thể lực tại bãi biển Đồng Đế, đã để lại một ấn tượng thật đẹp trong tiềm thức cô bé Mai Loan từ dạo đó.
Ngô Thư Sinh
Thanh Loan's Biography
When introduced to her, my colleague Sam Wells told Mai Loan that she is even more beautiful in person than in her pictures. Mai Loan is elegant, articulate, charming, dynamic, and diplomatic.
She spent her childhood in Nha Trang, a coastal city in South Vietnam. Her father graduated from the elite Vietnamese National Military in Da Lat – a popular tourist destination. People appreciate the temperate climate there and beautiful sights such as waterfalls, lakes, and its abundance of flowers as well as vegetables.
Many of her relatives were in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam prior to April 30th, 1975. They were in different branches: Navy, Air Force, Infantry, Airborne, Special Forces, Artillery…
When Mai Loan was young, her father taught at Dong De School (1963-1970). During this period, she was a little friend of soldiers being trained there. Everyone loved the kid with a cheerful smile. They usually hugged, kissed, and bought candies for her.
Mai Loan never forgets these remarkable events imprinting deeply in her consciousness. Time went by, the trainees became soldiers and joined the battles. Many returned with medals for bravery in combat. Some were wounded. Shocked, tears rolled down her cheeks, she asked and listened attentively to the answers.
Mai Loan and her family left by sea when the Communists took over South Vietnam on April 30th, 1975. She was 16 years old. An American ship rescued Mai Loan and her family from the tiny Nguyen Hung boat. Their first stop was Subic Bay, Guam and then Camp Pendleton, California. A Catholic Church in Sunnyvale had sponsored her family and they have settled there ever since.
In 1996 Mai Loan’s interest and talent in music and singing were discovered by Master Thanh Lap. In 2000-present, Mai Loan and Thanh Lap organized “subjective music” broadcasts each Friday night in San Jose on 96.1 VNFM. She has gained love and admiration from fans all around the world.
“It seems that my life has karma with soldiers,” She says softly. “I need to show our gratitude with soldiers, to glorify the brave history pages, and bear our pain for Vietnam.”
I have all of her 9 CDs. Her voice is the combination of top singers in the Vietnamese music industry: Thai Thanh, Khanh Ly, Le Thu, Thanh Thuy, Hoang Oanh, Mai Ngoc Khanh, Minh Hieu, and Thanh Tuyen.
Two of the CDs are narrators of the final battles. I listen to all of the CDs from the beginning to the end many times. When my wide and I are in the car, she usually happily sings along with Mai Loan.
Mai Loan’s dimples are very deep. In my life, I have never seen “deeper” dimples than that. I asked her if they are natural. She smiled broadly and the dimples got deeper. Mai Loan told me that many people had asked her the same question. “They are all natural. I guarantee you, Mr. Doanh, no surgery.” She gently confirmed.
-NGUYEN KINH DOANH
