28 March 2024

Mai Khoi Chém Gió – Dissent

[schema type=”review” name=”Mai Khoi Chém Gió – Dissent” author=”Sabine van Gameren” pubdate=”2018-03-03″ ]

Mai Khoi Chém Gió is a singer songwriter and her band from Vietnam. In Vietnam she is a known popstar and human right activist. May Khoi plays a variety of traditional Vietnamese folk to blues, soul and rock. Earlier this year she released the album “Dissent” with her band.

Learning more about Mai Khoi is something that makes you appreciate her music even more. She has a clear opinion and has no fear to have herself be heard. On this album she does this in a most diverse kind of way. The was recorded live between 2016 and 2017 during ‘secret performances’ at Phusa Lab she said. Taking the risk certainly suits her, in music you sometimes hear surprising and unorthodox choices made. Most of the times it works out quite well, bringing you something refreshing. The use of instruments surely adds to that, but most importantly is that they are not the reason why they are chosen to be there. Not to be interesting, but because it is part of the story being told. The mood it gives and the way it shapes the songs is why they are there, as it should be but not always the case nowadays.

“Dissent” concludes as an album you don’t hear every day. And you may be won’t listen to it every day. It is as the cherry you keep for special occasions. A treasure you keep when you can give it your full dedication. Remarkable like that.

Line up:
Mai Khoi – singer, guitar, goong
Quyen Thien Dac – saxophones
Nguyen Duc Minh – traditonal flute, percussion

01. Xin ông (Please, Sir)
02. Chúng tôi muốn (We want)
03. Chuyến Xe (Bus trips)
04. Trói vào tự do ( Cuffed in freedom)
05. Chị và em (Sisters)
06. Trại phục hồi nhân phẩm (Re-Education camp)
07. Om mani (Om mani)
08. Trái tim vô cảm (Indifferent beats)
09. Air drone (Máy bay điều khiển)
10. Tiếng nói của chúng ta (Our voice)
11. Em thành của anh (I’m yours now)
12. Làm gì để (What to do)