We had the good fortune of connecting with Duy Nguyen-Amigo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Duy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve been singing for as long as I could remember, but it wasn’t until the age of 9 or 10 when I knew I wanted to become a performer, breaking into the entertainment industry. I initially had this endeavor, simply to share my love for music and create meaningful connections with an audience. As I got older, I went through my fair share of personal and professional adversities. Through these life experiences, my intentions certainly broadened. To elaborate on this, I now use my music as a platform to share stories (storytelling is such a powerful moment), and inspire others to live their most authentic and intentional life. Also, after becoming aware and even experiencing the struggles of being an API artist trying to navigate through such an intense industry, I strive to break down barriers alongside other fellow API creatives. We, as a community, certainly need more and proper representation. I’m also a mental health advocate, so the integration of having those conversations through music is an important deal to me. I guess you could say I’m pretty holistic in that sense!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
First and foremost, I feel beyond thankful to live my life, doing and expressing what I love. Music has always held, and will continue to hold such meaning and significance in my life. Throughout my career, I experienced many ups and downs. I can’t even give you an exact number of how many times I felt discouraged, and even questioned if this was “it” for me. The path to “making it” especially in the entertainment industry is undoubtedly challenging. The pandemic that struck the world made it seem even more intangible. While it sometimes can be difficult to push through and talk myself out of the self-doubt, I’m glad I never succumbed to it. Otherwise, I would have never got to experience all the proud moments I did! It’s all part of the process, really. I believe having that perspective keeps you grounded and in check. I’ve learned so much, and still am! Some of my proudest moments are: performing at the 2018 CA Democratic Convention, singing in front of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, competed and reached the top 27 on VSTAR Season 2 (2013), a Vietnamese singing competition. With my personal projects, while they all hold a special place in my heart, I feel so proud of my Chromatica Medley – a tribute to Lady Gaga. I worked on this project with Kenzo Le(@leonjaymusic).  I also recently teamed up with Julie Đan-Vy Huỳnh, an extremely talented friend of mine to cover a popular Vietnamese song.  Music video (directed by Theone Ly) coming soon!!  Definitely a labor of love and a great way to proudly represent our culture.  Thank you to our amazing team who made this possible.  Follow me on my socials for updates and all things festive!  I am currently in the process of building my creative team – I have been connecting and networking with talented and like-minded creatives! I must say it’s nothing short of an enlightening and humbling experience. I feel excited to see where this journey takes us. I have so much to share! My goal for 2021 is to release my debut EP so stay tuned for that! While I feel grateful I overcame a slew of adversities, in a way, I am glad I experienced them. My life experiences helped mold me into the artist, the person I am today. I feel I have reached a certain point in my life where I am ready to dive deeper into my craft. As a singer/songwriter and mental health advocate, I aim to continue spreading awareness, embracing authenticity, and promoting equality through my music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Definitely a hike to the Hollywood sign. Also, we gotta manifest, right? 😉 We will definitely treat ourselves to a nice brunch… yes, with bottomless mimosas! Then we would navigate through downtown LA, the entertainment capital – we love the vibe! Maybe at night we could pop ourselves into a karaoke bar or an open-mic night and sing the night away. The Universal Studios theme park is a must on the itinerary – no ifs, ands, or buts!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As an independent artist, I want to extend my thanks to Shoutout LA for giving me this incredible opportunity to connect with your readers – this is so exciting! I also want to thank my insanely talented director and friend, Theone Ly (co-founder of BLVCK DEN Productions). Without her, I wouldn’t even be here typing this out right now! Thank you for nominating me. I am so glad we crossed paths AND recently manifested a music video together…stay tuned for that!  You are amazing! Another shoutout to a wickedly talented cinematographer and best friend whom I’ve known for over 10 years, Kenzo Le (co-founder of Crimson Edge). Thank you for not only helping me bring my creative visions to life and elevating them to the stratosphere, but for our friendship. To many more years! Of course, I want to acknowledge my family, friends (you know who you are!), and those who have been a part of my creative journey – thank you so much for your support! I appreciate y’all so much!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/theonedna/

Twitter: twitter.com/the1dna

Facebook: facebook.com/theonedna

Youtube: youtube.com/theonedna

Other: tiktok.com/@theonedna

Image Credits
Alan Chung, UVSA Tết Festival Media, Kenzo Le

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