by Elaine Chen
photo by Chuong Huynh

Unity Nguyen believes one person can make a difference. She strives to unite people everywhere through music and the healing arts. She may be petite, but she has huge hopes for the future and the will and vision to affect change. Unity plays the Vietnamese dan tranh and the West African kora, proof that her musical talents know no bounds. In her most recent CD entitled “Growing with Music,” she brings together children of all races in celebration of the music of different cultures. Unity’s proactive efforts don’t stop there. She is actively involved with several community groups including Hung Viet and Common Vision, and she’s working hard to bridge different cultures and communities in the Bay Area.

NHA: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

UN: I was born in Viet Nam in 1972, the youngest of seven, and came to the States in 1975. I’m very lucky that the things I spend time on are the things that I’m very passionate about: music and healing arts such as Chinese medicine and acupuncture, Western medicine, tai chi, and permaculture. I do a lot of community work because my family has received so much support since we came to the United States as war refugees. I also do a lot of work with children.

NHA: How did you get started in music?

UN: My foundation in Vietnamese music comes from my family. My family was always organizing Vietnamese community festivals. When a festival was coming up, there would be a dance rehearsal in one room, a theater rehearsal in the other room, prop-making in the living room... So I grew up with a lot of culture, and was performing Vietnamese drama, dance and music since the age of 5. My mom got me piano lessons as a kid. My brother played guitar, and we girls would sing Vietnamese songs for hours and hours at night. A family friend gave me a guitar. My sisters and I had a pretend TV show called the Nguyen Sisters. When I got into African percussion, my mom also bought me my first African drum. I have written several songs about my mom.

NHA: What instruments and types of music do you play?

UN: I love Vietnamese music, particularly the 16-string zither dan tranh. The other instrument that is my main focus is the kora, which is a 21-string African harp. You can check out some video clips of these beautiful instruments on my website (www.UnityHealingHands.com). I’ve been getting more into playing Vietnamese music on the African kora. And I love to pick up beautiful songs from all over the world, especially children’s songs that I can use for teaching. I’ve performed often with West African bands and various other international artists, and with fusion and electronica musicians.

NHA: What first inspired you to play the dan tranh and the kora?

UN: They chose me. I had no choice! I just couldn’t resist them. The sound of the dan tranh has enchanted me since childhood. A few years ago I finally got a chance to study it when Van Anh Vo, the national dan tranh champion of Viet Nam, moved to the South Bay. She is amazing. And the kora—I met the kora when I was living in West Africa, studying and performing music. The first time I heard someone playing the kora and singing, tears just started flowing down my cheeks, tears of joy.

I see music as such a natural part of daily life. Everyone can play music. I worked a lot with children and I can see how it cultivates their growth. Our society puts musicians into a separate category than non-musicians, and people think only musicians can play music. It is too separated from life when it doesn’t need to be.

Music is also a key to bridging gaps between different races and communities in this world of very highly-charged racial tensions and separations. People can always appreciate and respect a different culture’s music whereas in other situations they may feel shy or uncomfortable. Music is truly the universal language.

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