Marie Louise, Another Pioneer Eurasian Performer

To many Vietnamese-Americans of my generation, the first time you probably heard of Marie Louise was on a music video together with Khanh Ha, Toi et Moi.  But what you probably didn't know was that this lady has had a long history of performing that goes back to Saigon prior to 1975.  She together with her in-laws were part of a popular music group in Saigon known as CBC.  Although I was too young to remember, Marie Louise along with the rest of the CBC band members for a number of years performed nightly at my grandmother's nightclub, Au Ma Cabane, back in Saigon in the early Seventies.  From what my mother recalls of Marie Louise from back in the day was that she was a very sweet, petite-framed and pretty French Eurasian girl.  Since departing their homeland, the CBC band members which are comprised from a family of siblings have resettled in Houston, Texas where they have managed to remain active in the music industry to this day.

My first meeting with Marie Louise was sometime in 1997 at singer Julie's (Julie Quang) premiere night at the Majestic Nightclub here in Huntington Beach, California as she had come to the event with Anh Tu as his "unofficial" date.  We didn't get a chance to talk much that time.  Then there was another time, a few months after Julie's show, also at the Majestic and on another premiere night of some sort.  This time, it was a show that Khanh Ha and her production label, Khanh Ha Productions, had put together.  I had been invited by Anh Tu to attend the show.  And as expected, Khanh Ha along with the rest of her siblings had put on a fabulous show that night, just like they had always done with all of their other performances in the past.  I was really glad I came and had really enjoyed myself that night, since I was able to once again revert back to the role of being entertained as an audience member despite how I had then also become a singer.  The one performer that had really stood out for me that night was Marie Louise.  She just took my breath away with her flawless performance of Baby, It's You, a classic hit song originally made popular by the Shirelles from back in the 1960s.  Each word and each note that Marie Louise sang during her performance of that song that night was nothing short of amazing.  I can honestly say that that had been one of the rare moments when I've heard a Vietnamese singer do a cover song and actually sound even better than any rendition performed by the original artist.  I was so overtaken by her performance that night that I was speechless when she sat right next to me after she had gotten down from the stage.  It wouldn't be until years later when her niece, Alex, had invited me to perform at the Maxim's in Houston that I really got a chance to finally talk to Marie Louise.  She was as lovely and gracious as I thought she would be.  We spent the day talking about Anh Tu.  Needless to say tears came about with our countless memories of how wonderful of a person he was.  Even though I had a show to do later on that day, I didn't want to go.  I just wanted to stay there and continue talking to her.  She was so nice and extremely hospitable.

The CBC Band photographed back in the day in Saigon 

One of my dreams is to be able to one day perform with Marie Louise on stage.  I really do admire the way she sings in French, in particular.  Her French pronunciation is just fantastic.  When I see her perform French songs on stage, I imagine it is actually a French singer that was performing.  This is why I consider her a true legend when it comes to French popular music among Vietnamese singers.

Link(s):

CBC Facebook Page