Tub Lwm Hawj

I was browsing youku (youtube's illegitimate Chinese cousin--that's what everybody calls it) and found some Hmong music videos by Tub Lwm Hawj, a Hmong Chinese singer from Yunnan.  In the past decade, there has been a growing interest among the Hmong Chinese in Yunnan and Guangxi, China in Hmong entertainment from the West.  They, in return, have produced a couple of singers themselves like Yeeb Yaj, Mim Yaj, Lig Vaj, and Leej Lis to cater music to the Hmong market in the West (which requires singing in intelligible Far Western Hmong dialect).  However, with the exception of Yang Geli, they have all been female singers.  So it came as a great surprise to me to finally find a male Hmong Chinese singer who sings pop songs.  

 



Although he does sing in our dialect, I'm assuming that Tub Lwm Hawj's music was produced for the Hmong Chinese community only.  This is a fact given that the music videos contain quite a bit of Chinese writing, the cinematography and editing quality is on the poor side (it resembles the way Hmong music videos was shot and edited perhaps 20+ years ago), the instrumental seems to be karaoke versions only, and the music video collection was not sold in the West.  Without sponsors in the United States to help out, I believed that the Hmong Chinese singers are just beginning to learn how to make music videos/films on their on so they're in the early developmental stage.  On a positive note, I applaud them for singing in our dialect.  It makes them seem less foreign when we watch/listen to them and it helps to bring all of us closer together as a people.

So, here are two music videos from Tub Lwm Hawj.  The first one is in Chinese and the other is a duet in Hmong.  (He also plays the flute as well but I'm having trouble uploading his other music videos so these two will be it for now).

Song of the Week

Choj Kub Lauj was at Fresno's Hmong New Year and I didn't even recognize him.  While waiting for my sister and sister-in-law to try on some Hmong clothes in a nearby booth (and because it was so cold too), I decided to walk over to his booth to check out what they were selling.  I read the name on his second album's DVD cover, came back home and youtubed him.  Then, he appeared on the Hmong channel and sang a couple songs too.  His voice was pretty good.

I went back to Fresno's New Year on the last day and bought his album to support him.  I didn't get a chance to ask him much, if anything, but he has a very nice and soft speaking voice (very different from his singing voice), and he seems like a kind and decent guy.  

After scanning Choj Kub's second volume, I have come to the conclusion that "Tsim Kev Hlub Los Ua Chaw Nco" is probably the best song out of the album.  It has a nice Lao country music beat and melody, and the lyric is pretty as well.

Meej Vaj Sings

After browsing youtube, I just found out that the main male protagonist (pra-ek) from the Hmong movie, Hlub Zaum Ob, sings too.  In fact, he has been singing many years prior to acting.  For me, it's always a plus to see a pra-ek who can both sing and act.  So if you are a fan of Meej Vaj, here's two songs for you to enjoy.  In both songs, he is singing in the Hmoob ntsuab dialect but we know he speaks Hmong dawb fluently too.



Nkauj Hmoob Tawv Ncauj - Meej Vaj & Nkauj See Lis

Guy:

Nkauj Hmoob Nkauj Hmoob

Hmong girls Hmong girls

Mej puas kaam nab?

Are you willing?

Pig kis ntxuv mej tuaj pauv peb zug

Come help us farm tomorrow morning

Moog hlais peb les nplej nab lov

(We’re) going to harvest rice grains

Girls:

Tsis kam…tsis kam…tsis kam

(We’re) not willing…not willing…not willing

Guy:

Kaam los mas…Kaam los ma

(Please) be willing…(please) be willing

Hlais peb le tag

After harvesting our rice grains

Peb mam mus hlais mej le os

We will help you harvest yours

Hlub Zaum Ob Recaps Part 2

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  This movie belongs to LEGEND-PICTURE Hmong Intertainment.

SPOILER ALERT: If you plan on buying/watching this movie (which you should to support our Hmong film industry), and does not wish to be spoiled then please don't read on.

Part 2 opens with Nkauj Hli's maternal first cousin, Pov, and his relatives negotiating with Nkauj Hli's parents for her hands in marriage.  Nkauj Hli comes into the room, only to have her father tell her that he has given his approval for a wedding between Pov and her.  Her elder uncle reminds her to accept the outcome because as a Hmong girl, whether it be today or another day, she will leave her family to marry into the family of another clan so she shouldn't object to Pov's marriage proposal.





Nkauj Hli looks upset and her mother tries to comfort her by telling her that her father is only doing what is best for her future.  Nkauj Hli cries, not wanting to marry Pov.  She tells her mother that if she is forced to marry Pov, she would rather die.  She charges out of the room in tears.

3 Leej Neeg 2 Txoj Kev Summary

3 Leej Neeg 2 Txoj Kev

According to the cover, this movie is based on a true story.  It takes place in Laos circa the Vietnam War era.  It starred Tshaus Hawj as Tshia Nag, Txam Thoj as Tshaj Meej, and Nuj Nraim Thoj as Chiv Feej.

Summary:

Tshaj Meej and Tshia Nag grew up together, and were very good friends.  They both harbored feelings for one another, but both couldn’t bring themselves to openly confess their love.  Since Tshaj Meej was an orphan, he felt that he was inferior and didn’t deserve a girl from a well-off family like Tshia Nag.  So after Tshia Nag’s father died from a stroke, she married the soldier—Chiv Feej instead.

Song of the Week

 



I believed this song was first performed by Voos Yaj called, "Niam Yuav Ncaim Tiag," when he was under Herr's Video Productions.  Somchai Yaj later covered the song for Herr's Video Productions' movie, "Ciaj Tuag Los Yuav Hlub."  The title and lyrics are changed in this Maiv Lis Thoj and Tsab Yaj version, which I find a little awkward and out of sense.  I preferred Somchai's rendition more, but this version is tolerable for the fact that I adore Tsab Yaj and his voice, if the voice in here is really his (and am a fan of Vixay Yaj's voice; yes, that's correct, the male singer of this song is Vixay Yaj--Somchai's younger brother, so Tsab is only lipsynching to Vixay's voice.  This is kind of a disappointment for me as I was hoping that Tsab was the original singer.  However, I don't mind at all that Vixay is the singer.  In fact, I am still hoping that in spite of Vixay being a married man now, I wish  that he continues to make music because his voice is REALLY REALLY nice.  Perhaps he sang this and the other duet with Maiv Lis Thoj, set to be released in a second album together, but he suddenly got married and had to drop all his singing projects.  So in the end, the producer(s) have to resort to someone else to lipsynch Vixay's part?).  I first saw him in the movie, "Cia Ua Dab Neeg" with Tsom Xyooj and Xia Yaj, and find him an amiable actor.  I believed that he has potential in both acting and singing (we'll have to wait for another time to hear his REAL singing voice).


Nkauj Iab Nraug Nab - Maiv Lis Thoj & Tsab Yaj (Vixay Yaj)

Girl:

Nim yog xyoo no

Because of this year

Ntuj nis Nraug Nab

Oh heaven, my dear Nraug Nab (a name reference to the handsomest man in Hmong folktales; he’s usually the husband of Nkauj Ntsuab—the most beautiful woman too)

Cas muab tsiab peb caug nim noj tag nrho lawm tiag

The New Year’s celebration is really over (the literal translation is: How come the New Year’s celebration has been eaten already)

Es ntshai koj yuav mus tiag

(I’m) afraid you are really leaving

Koj puas kam tso koj me nplooj siab nrog kuv no nyob

Can you leave a little piece of your heart (liver) to stay with me?

Hlub Zaum Ob Recaps Part 1

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.  This film belongs to LEGEND-PICTURE Hmong Intertainment. 

Hlub Zaum Ob (2012) is a newly released film produced by LEGEND-PICTURE Hmong Intertainment (I believed the "I" in Intertainment is purposeful, not errorneous).  The story takes place in modern Vietianne as well as a countryside in Laos.  Meej Vaj and Sunny Yaj starred respectively as Yeej and Nkauj Hnub/Nkauj Hli.

When the movie opens, we are taken into the dream of the main protagonist, Yeej.  In his unconscious state, Yeej's late wife, Nkauj Hnub, calls for him.  He approaches her and wants to take her home but she retracts, reminding him that she is no longer human.  She informs him that she has come to see him for the last time, and asks him to take good care of their daughter.  Then she vanishes, leaving him devastated. 

At the moment his late wife's spirit fades away with the thin air, another woman walks toward him.  He looks up, unable to see her face clearly and then his phone rings and he wakes up.  His boss (I assume) tells him that he needs to travel away for work for a couple of days.