The Rumba

“Rung Chua Thay La” was the first song that I felt in love with Ngoc Lan. Her mellow, pitch-perfect vocals floated like clouds around the suave Latin rhythm. After that I would try to get my hands on every rumba tune she performed. Oh my god! Her rendition of “Xin Thoi Gian Qua Mau” left me speechless with the way she maneuvered her voice in and out the smooth sax and sensual beat. She continued to take my breath away with “Giong Song Que Huong,” “Chuyen Phim Buon,” and later on with “Tuyet Roi.” I loved the rumba so much that I had to cop me a self-taught instruction video so I could get my groove on. And the ladies loved it when I ushered them on the dancefloor. I was a slick operator. “Dang Tien Nu” was the joint that helped me get there. I was practicing with it over and over again. Many years later, I can still rock these tunes and the freshness never seems to diminish.