Đàn Tranh meets Boléro in Brian Bùi’s debut EP, Đêm Giao Thừa
EMBARGOED UNTIL JANUARY 30, 2026
Jan. 2026 (Stockton, Calif.) – Indie đàn tranh artist Brian Bùi premieres his debut EP, Đêm Giao Thừa, ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year. The 13-minute self-produced project features covers of three Tết classics and an original track inspired by the music of the 1960s and ‘70s. From bluesy boléro and cha cha to samba rock and psychedelic cumbia, Brian demonstrates his sonic versatility and weaves the sound of the traditional đàn tranh throughout, crafting a unique soundtrack for celebrating the new year.
“I wanted to infuse this project with all the things I love about retro boléro,” says Brian. “Lively arrangements, improvisation, and expressive pitch bending—these are the elements that I think gave the music back then its soul. While the EP draws from the past, I also experimented with guitar effects on the đàn tranh and introduced South American genres that hadn’t yet been popularized in Vietnam during that era. Đêm Giao Thừa celebrates the start of a new year, as well as a new direction for my music that represents who I am in this moment.”
Đêm Giao Thừa is available on all major streaming platforms.
About Brian
With a mission to bridge cultures and generations through music, Brian Bùi seeks to reveal our shared humanity through a genre-blending, global sound. Inspired by the hypnotic grooves of Latin jazz, psychedelic rock, and traditional Vietnamese music, Brian reimagines the nostalgic beauty of Vietnamese boléro, a genre that once defined the sound of Saigon.
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Brian Bùi began his musical journey at a young age on the violin, but it was during his teenage years that he turned toward traditional Vietnamese music as a way to connect with his cultural heritage. The đàn tranh soon became central to his creative voice.
In 2017, Brian began studying đàn tranh under Vân-Ánh “Vanessa” Võ while pursuing a degree in music composition at the University of the Pacific. He currently continues his đàn tranh studies with NSƯT Nguyễn Thị Hải Phượng and is completing a Master of Arts degree at Berklee Online.
In recent years, Brian has brought his original đàn tranh arrangements to Tết festivals across California, with performances at venues including the Bowers Museum and alongside the Pacific Symphony, where he premiered his Vietnamese Folk Medley.
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