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Wausau Woman Is A Rising Star In The Growing World Of Hmong-language Pop Music


By Andy Soth | October 20, 2017

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Wausau’s Maa Vue tours the country with her fellow Hmong musicians performing rock, rap and pop to appreciative audiences of young Hmong people who make up a growing fan base.

“We do stick to the Western style (of music), but we use the Hmong language” Maa explains. “Not a lot of people speak Hmong anymore. It’s dying.”

You wouldn’t think so after attending the Milwaukee concert where Maa brought down the house with her huge hit, which has been viewed over three million times on You Tube, “Rov Pom Koj Dua.”

It means “See You Again,” Maa translates.  The language may be Hmong, but the emotions are universal.  “It’s about how, when you really didn’t break it off with someone yet, or you felt like that chapter wasn’t closed. What would you do differently?”

Maa’s special connection with her audience influenced the song’s creation. “Honestly, that song, it was inspired by my listeners because they were telling me their stories,” she says.

For Maa herself, she has no such romantic regrets.  While her very traditional family has not always been supportive of Maa’s artistic ambitions, her husband is her biggest fan.

“He told me, ‘Maa, why do you push away your dreams? You only have one life.’ And it’s so funny that a line like that can make a change, and you see life in a different point of view.”

It’s a message that now Maa is happy to share and use to inspire others like her.  “Wow, if she can do it, why can’t I do it? You know, why not? Why not dream big?”

 

Listen To More Of Maa Vue’s Music!

 

Andy Soth

Andy Soth is a reporter for the “Wisconsin Life” project who grew up in a neighboring state but now loves Wisconsin because it’s like Minnesota without the smugness.  He joined PBS Wisconsin in 1991 and has spent time at work in the operations, digital, production services, history, news, and local...
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2018-01-19T17:53:22-06:00Tags: |

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