Born Quách Thị Bạch Yến on June 9th, 1942, in the Mekong River Delta, South Vietnam, Bạch Yến entered the music industry at a young age, encouraged by her mother. She quickly became famous in Saigon for her uniquely deep voice, despite having a natural high mezzo-soprano vocal range. Bạch Yến has retained a particular position in music through Vietnamese songs such as “Đêm Đông” (Winter Night) and songs in French, English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Hebrew languages.
Bạch Yến first performed on stage at the age of 7 at the Norodom Theatre in Phnom Penh (1949). She won Gold Medal, the first prize in the Children's Singing Contest organized by Radio Diffusion France-Asie Saigon in 1953.
In 1954, Bạch Yến joined a circus troupe, performing with motorcycles; however, due to a serious accident while speeding on the “Wall of Death”, Bạch Yến was critically injured and ended her career with the circus. After recovering, she returned to music in 1956.
By 1957, Bạch Yến gained national fame in the South Vietnam with her signature song “Đêm Đông” (Winter Night). The song was composed in 1939 by Nguyễn Văn Thương, originally with a tango rhythmic pattern, but Bạch Yến performed with a slow rock rhythm, an initiative widely praised by the audience and the songwriter himself.
To pursue her passion for music, Bạch Yến left Vietnam in 1961 for Paris to obtain further education in performance at the Ladder Music School (L’Échelle de Jacob). In the City of Light, Bạch Yến was chosen by Polydor, the recording company, who invited her to record and perform in Belgium, Germany, and Austria. Polydor assigned her to sing several popular Twist numbers. Three single vinyl records and several Scopitones (early music video jukebox clips) under her names were released by Polydor in France and across Europe and in Francophone countries. In 1963, Top Réalitiés Jeunesse Magazine included Bạch Yến in the list of star singers of France, after Tino Rossi, Edith Piaf, Dalida, Sylvie Vartan, etc.
In 1965, Ed Sullivan, a renowned figure on American television often referred to as the "Godfather" of top stars such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles, invited Bạch Yến to the United States to participate in his The Ed Sullivan Show, one of the most popular television programs in the United States. By CBS estimates, there were around 30 million Americans watching The Ed Sullivan Show every week. Bạch Yến performed her signature Vietnamese-language song “Đêm Đông” (Winter Night).
Bạch Yến’s initial two-week contract was extended to 12 years touring across the United States, performing alongside with many great Hollywood stars such as Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Liberace, Bing Crosby. She appeared with Joey Bishop, Mike Douglas, Pat Boone, Frankie Avalon and many others. Bạch Yến had toured 46 states in the U.S. and Canada. Some of the most remarkable performances was with Liberace in 1967 in Las Vegas, the Hollywood Bowl, Place des Arts in Montreal (Canada), O'Keefe Center in Toronto (Canada).
Outside of North America, Bạch Yến has toured in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama, alongside the esteemed Carlos Amarán (Panama), who composed "Historia de Un Amor", which was once widely popular worldwide under the French title "Histoire d'un Amour."
In 1968, John Wayne invited Bạch Yến to sing in French and English the classic song "La Seine" in the Hollywood movie "The Green Berets."
Bạch Yến’s initial two-week contract was extended to 12 years touring across the United States, performing alongside with many great Hollywood stars such as Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope, Liberace, Bing Crosby. She appeared with Joey Bishop, Mike Douglas, Pat Boone, Frankie Avalon and many others. Bạch Yến had toured 46 states in the U.S. and Canada. Some of the most remarkable performances was with Liberace in 1967 in Las Vegas, the Hollywood Bowl, Place des Arts in Montreal (Canada), O'Keefe Center in Toronto (Canada).
Outside of North America, Bạch Yến has toured in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Panama, alongside the esteemed Carlos Amarán (Panama), who composed "Historia de Un Amor", which was once widely popular worldwide under the French title "Histoire d'un Amour."
In 1968, John Wayne invited Bạch Yến to sing in French and English the classic song "La Seine" in the Hollywood movie "The Green Berets."
In 1977, Bạch Yến returned to Paris, marking a major transition in her life and career. She met Dr. Trần Quang Hải, a musician and ethnomusicologist. They were married in 1978. Dr. Trần Quang Hải suggested Bạch Yến return to her roots, singing folk and traditional music of Vietnam. Together, the couple toured around the world, promoting music education with nearly 3,000 performances.
Dr. Trần Quang Hải and Bạch Yến recorded eight albums and 33 singles (LP 33 rpm), one of which received the Grand Prix du Disque de l'Académie Charles Cros award in 1983.
Bạch Yến and Dr. Trần Quang Hải were invited to perform at The Theatre of Bologna, Italy (1979); Opera House in Toulon, France; Opera House in Marseille, France (1980); the Sejong Centre for Performing Arts, Seoul, South Korea (1983); the Academy of Music, Tokyo, Japan (1983); the Conservatory of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (1992); Central Music School at Moscow State University (1994), among many other concert halls across continents.
During this time, Bạch Yến occasionally sang and recorded contemporary music upon requests of her fans and music productions. An album entitled “Souvenir,” a compilation of her fans’ favorite songs, was produced and released by William Arthur in Hollywood in 1994.
As a versatile singer, Bạch Yến has made significant contributions to the introduction, popularization, and development of Vietnamese music abroad.
Dr. Trần Quang Hải and Bạch Yến recorded eight albums and 33 singles (LP 33 rpm), one of which received the Grand Prix du Disque de l'Académie Charles Cros award in 1983.
Bạch Yến and Dr. Trần Quang Hải were invited to perform at The Theatre of Bologna, Italy (1979); Opera House in Toulon, France; Opera House in Marseille, France (1980); the Sejong Centre for Performing Arts, Seoul, South Korea (1983); the Academy of Music, Tokyo, Japan (1983); the Conservatory of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (1992); Central Music School at Moscow State University (1994), among many other concert halls across continents.
During this time, Bạch Yến occasionally sang and recorded contemporary music upon requests of her fans and music productions. An album entitled “Souvenir,” a compilation of her fans’ favorite songs, was produced and released by William Arthur in Hollywood in 1994.
As a versatile singer, Bạch Yến has made significant contributions to the introduction, popularization, and development of Vietnamese music abroad.
In 2013, Bạch Yến performed in Sydney, Melbourne, Australia; San Jose, California; Genoa, Italy; Vienna, Austria; and Geneva, Switzerland. In 2014, Bạch Yến participated in two performances on Vietnam's VTV9 television channel and released a new album entitled “Bạch Yến Hát Tình Ca Lam Phương” (Bạch Yến Sings Lam Phương's Love Songs). This marked the first time Bạch Yến showcased her enchanting voice exclusively for the love songs of composer Lam Phương. In 2015, she released another album “Tình Bỏ Quên” (The Forgotten Love) featuring timeless love songs.
Bạch Yến has begun celebrating her career of 70 years in music in Toronto, Canada, late 2023. The award-winning singer’s next stop is Little Saigon, California, on May 19, 2024.
Bạch Yến has begun celebrating her career of 70 years in music in Toronto, Canada, late 2023. The award-winning singer’s next stop is Little Saigon, California, on May 19, 2024.
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