Wikipedia

Mai Khôi

Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi(born 1983), known professionally asMai Khoi,is a Vietnamese singer, artist, and political activist.[1]Described as the "Lady Gagaof Vietnam "and also compared to Russian artist-activistsPussy Riot,[2][3]she began as an award-winning pop singer before her outspoken criticism of theGovernment of Vietnam'scensorshipand lack of democracy led to government persecution and restrictions on herfreedom of speech.Khôi has also criticisedGoogleandFacebookfor cooperating withinternet censorship in Vietnam.[4][5]In 2018, she received theVáclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissentin recognition of her democracy activism, and in 2021, she was awarded the Four Freedoms Freedom of Speech award.[1][6]

Mai Khôi
Mai Khôi wearing a traditional Vietnamese sleeveless dress, grinning and looking left of camera
Khôi in 2021
Born
Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi

(1983-12-11)11 December 1983(age 40)
Cam Ranh,Khánh Hòa, Vietnam
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • political activist
Years active2004–present
Spouse
Benjamin Swanton
​
(m.2013)​
Awards
  • 2010 Album of the Year (Vietnam Television)
  • 2018 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent
  • 2022 Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech
Musical career
GenresPop
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Websitemai-khoi

Early life and education

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Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi[7]was born in 1983 inCam Ranh,Vietnam.[8]

Her interest in music began in childhood, and she learned to play guitar from her father, who taught music, at eight years of age, going on to play with him at weddings from the age of twelve.[9]She later attended a music school inHo Chi Minh Cityfor three years but left without graduating, instead playing in pubs and bars around the city.[9]

Musical career

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Mai Khôi at the 2018Oslo Freedom Forum

In 2010, Khôi achieved national fame after winning theVietnam TelevisionAlbum of the Year award, and she used her national platform to agitate for betterwomen's rightsandLGBT rightsin her country.[1]For example, she spoke againstĐàm Vĩnh Hưng's suggestion thatdomestic violencewas "acceptable" against women who were "too aggressive" and criticised social acceptance of violence against women.[10]

Khôi attracted controversy for shaving half of her head into the letters "VN" to represent "Vietnam" after her winning song of the same name.[10]She was criticised inVietnamese state mediafor her expressed preference not to have children as well as her boundary-pushing outfits and songs such as "Selfie Orgasm", which garnered criticism for nudity and coarse language in the music video.[11]After she began arguing in favour of greater creative freedom and stopped submitting her song lyrics to censors, the Vietnamese government banned her performances in the country, with police raiding her concerts.[5][12][13]

Khôi has toured overseas, including in the United States, Australia, Europe, Mexico, and Cuba.[10][14][15]

Following government crackdown on her music career, Khôi moved her music underground and formed the group Mai Khoi and the Dissidents[16]

In exile inPittsburgh,US, Khôi began working on a project titled Bad Activist, a multimedia autobiographical stage show that combines storytelling and performance.[17]

Political activism

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Khôi performing at the 2018 Oslo Freedom Forum in theDet Norske Teatret

In 2016, Khôi took part in environmental protests againstFormosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporationfollowing themarine life disaster caused by its waste dumping.[18]She also applied to run as an independent for a seat in theNational Assembly of Vietnambut was disqualified from participating by theVietnamese Fatherland Front.[19][20]Following her attempt to enter politics, she was subject to increased official persecution, including police raids of her concerts and landlords being pressured by authorities to evict her and her husband from their home.[8]After 2017, she leased a flat under a friend's name in a secret location inHanoi.[21]

Khôi has criticised Facebook for cooperating with internet censorship requirements imposed by the Vietnamese government, stating it was damaging one of the last refuges for freedom of expression in the repressive state.[22][23]The platform's policies also prevented her live-streaming music due to the risk of instant arrest.[24]

Khôi was one of the political dissidents that U.S. presidentBarack Obamamet with on his visit to the country in 2016.[1][25]She had gone into hiding before the meeting to avoid being detained and prevented from attending.[26]The day after the meeting, she was visited by four police officers who intimidated her.[27]

When Obama's successor,Donald Trump,visited the country in 2017, Khôi held up a banner reading "PeacePiss on you Trump "in protest ofhis alleged racismand supposed failure to promote human rights.[28]The next day, she and her husband were evicted from their Hanoi apartment following a visit by government agents.[29]

In 2018,Amnesty Internationalnamed Khôi one of that year's "12 inspiring human rights activists to follow".[30][31]Later that year, she was detained for eight hours atNội Bài International Airportin Hanoi after returning from a European tour, with all copies of her new albumDissentin her possession confiscated by the authorities.[15]

Personal life

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Khôi married her Australian partner, Benjamin Swanton, in 2013.[29][32]

They lived in Hanoi until she fled to the U.S. to escape prosecution in November 2020, becoming a scholar in residence at theUniversity of Pittsburgh's Scholars at Risk program. Khôi lives in a residence provided by the Pittsburgh-based nonprofitCity of Asylum[33]and serves on the international advisory board of theInternational Free Expression Project,another Pittsburgh-based nonprofit.[34]The two nonprofits also co-sponsored Khôi for an Artist Protection Fund fellowship in residence at the University of Pittsburgh.[35]

Discography

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Solo

  • Mai-Khoi(2004)[36]
  • Mai-Khoi Sings Quoc-Bao(2008)[36]
  • Mot Ngay Moi(2010)
  • Hay Hoa Hong(2010)
  • Made in Mai Khoi(2010)
  • Hat Le Cat Trong Ly(2010)
  • Hoa Dal(2010)
  • Mai Khoi Hay Hoa Hong(2011)
  • Mot Ngay Moi(2011)
  • Căn nhà nhỏ(2018)
  • Khôi(2018)

Mai Khoi and the Dissidents / Mai Khôi Chem Gio

References

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  1. ^abcdMooney, Paul (15 September 2018)."This Vietnamese singer tried to battle state censorship. Now she only performs there in secret".Washington Post.Retrieved3 September2019.
  2. ^Truong, Alice (11 November 2018)."Vietnam's Lady Gaga is pressuring Facebook to stop complying with censorship laws".Quartz.Retrieved3 September2019.
  3. ^Nordlinger, Jay (20 December 2018)."Mai Khoi, A Star of Vietnam".National Review.Retrieved3 September2019.
  4. ^"Vietnam dissident Khoi urges Facebook to protect freedom of expression".Free Malaysia Today.20 October 2018.Retrieved3 September2019.
  5. ^abBemma, Adam (1 January 2019)."The singer raising her voice against Vietnam's new cyber law".Al Jazeera.Retrieved3 September2019.
  6. ^"Mai Khoi Do Nguyen".Four Freedoms Awards.Retrieved10 June2024.
  7. ^"Singer Đỗ Nguyễn Mai Khôi, voice of anti-regime dissent, has been arrested".AsiaNews.it.28 March 2018.Retrieved3 September2019.
  8. ^abIves, Mike (1 October 2018)."A Protest Singer Finds Her Voice in Vietnam's Police State".The New York Times.Retrieved3 September2019.
  9. ^ab"Why the Lady Gaga of Vietnam performs in secret".South China Morning Post.16 September 2018.Retrieved3 September2019.
  10. ^abc"The Evolution and Enigma of Mai Khoi".& Of Other Things.31 July 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 20 September 2019.Retrieved20 September2019.
  11. ^"Vietnam's 'Lady Gaga' running for parliament".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 March 2016.Retrieved20 September2019.
  12. ^"This Vietnamese singer is a fighting diva".AsiaOne.Asia News Network. 25 June 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2017.Retrieved13 October2019.
  13. ^"January Featured Case: Mai Khoi".PEN America.7 January 2018.Retrieved9 October2019.
  14. ^"Mai Khoi".triple j Unearthed.Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 14 April 2015.Retrieved20 September2019.
  15. ^ab"Vietnam holds activist singer after tour".BBC News.British Broadcasting Corporation. 27 March 2018.Retrieved3 September2019.
  16. ^"In Exile, Vietnamese Musician and Activist Finds a Home in Pittsburgh".90.5 WESA.19 January 2021.Retrieved15 July2021.
  17. ^"Mai Khoi – Bad Activist".mai-khoi.Retrieved15 July2021.
  18. ^Ebbighausen, Rodion (6 July 2017)."Vietnam singer Mai Khoi adds a youthful tone to aged politics".Deutsche Welle.Retrieved3 September2019.
  19. ^Li, Sabrina (January 2018)."Mai Khoi — ARC".Artists at Risk Connection.PEN America.Retrieved28 September2019.
  20. ^Clifford, Catherine (12 October 2018)."How the 'Lady Gaga of Vietnam' was effectively banned from singing in her own country".CNBC.Retrieved3 September2019.
  21. ^Murray, Bennett (26 September 2017)."Vietnam's harsh summer: state launches largest crackdown on dissidents in years".The Guardian.Retrieved20 September2019.
  22. ^Khoi, Mai (2 October 2018)."Opinion: How Facebook is damaging freedom of expression in Vietnam".Washington Post.Retrieved20 September2019.
  23. ^Sarkar, Sonia (18 January 2019)."Vietnam artists seek 'liberation' from cybersecurity law".DW.Deutsche Welle.Retrieved13 October2019.
  24. ^"Mai Khoi and Paul Tran: A Conversation — ARC".Artists at Risk Connection.PEN America.Retrieved13 October2019.
  25. ^The Economist Newspaper Limited (16 May 2019)."Popstar Gone Rogue: Former communist party poster girl now enemy of the state".Dateline.Special Broadcasting Service (Australia).Retrieved3 September2019.
  26. ^Mooney, Paul."She tried to fight for women's and LGBT rights. Now this Vietnamese singer can only perform in secret".The Lily.The Washington Post.Retrieved13 October2019.
  27. ^Murray, Bennett (17 April 2017)."Vietnam's Quiet Human Rights Crisis".The Diplomat.Retrieved13 October2019.
  28. ^"Mai Khoi's dissenting voice".The Economist.3 April 2018.Retrieved3 September2019.
  29. ^abMurray, Bennett (12 November 2017)."Vietnamese musician and activist evicted after Trump protest".The Guardian.Retrieved27 September2019.
  30. ^Singh, Angela (15 January 2018)."12 inspiring human rights activists to follow in 2018".Campaigns: Amnesty International.Amnesty International.Retrieved20 September2019.
  31. ^"Mai Khoi and Farzane Zamen release".SafeMUSE.Safe Music Havens Initiative. 28 February 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 5 January 2020.Retrieved20 September2019.
  32. ^"Mai Khôi diện váy xẻ với legging cam trong ngày cưới – VnExpress Giải Trí".VnExpress.net(in Vietnamese). 2 September 2013.Retrieved27 September2019.
  33. ^"Scholars at Risk Program Provides a Home for Vietnamese Pop Star-Turned-Activist".Pittwire.Retrieved15 July2021.
  34. ^"The Team | International Free Expression Project | Pittsburgh".IFEP.Retrieved15 July2021.
  35. ^"Mai Khoi – ARC".artistsatriskconnection.org.Retrieved15 July2021.
  36. ^ab"Mai-Khoi Album Discography".AllMusic.Retrieved20 September2019.
  37. ^"Mai Khoi – Bio".mai-khoi.Retrieved15 July2021.
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