The twins appear on livestreams every day at 7-8 pm, sing songs, and talk with their fans. Those who are familiar with the twins don’t ask about their appearance; they just enjoy their sweet voices and the joys, the confidence, and good stories that the twins relate on their livestreams.

Huy and Hung became more known several years ago when they appeared in a collection of photos called Twins by photographer Do Manh Cuong. Going through a lot of hardship, the twins found value with their musical talent and healthy lifestyle.

The two young men, who were born with albinism, are from a poor family in Huong Khe district in Ha Tinh province, where their parents are farmers. 

During his childhood, Huy felt normal except for slightly poor eyesight. However, when he turned 5-6 years old, he realized his differences when children teased him.

“We looked at people and at each other, and then realized we were different from the majority of people. The more we grew up, the more we felt hurt by rude teasing.” Huy recalled. “Our condition was then rarely seen in society, so our friends kept our distance from us."

During school years, Huy and his brother always sat at the back of the classroom as arranged by teachers, to avoid curious eyes from their classmates. Having poor eyesight and sitting far from the podium, they could not see and hear the teachers’ lessons, so they returned home with blank notebooks.

The twins’ parents often heard complaints from the teachers that the twins were considered a burden in the class, because their poor performance affected the class’s achievements.

Because of poor family conditions, the mother had to leave home and work in construction in Laos, while the father worked hard to feed the family. As Huy and Hung wanted to ease the burden on their parents, they decided to give up school when they were in the seventh grade.

Passion for music

Leading lives with many hardships, Huy once thought they would waste away because of their condition. Only when they received a musical instrument, a precious gift from Do Manh Cuong, did they find a reason for living.

“When we were 10 years old, our house was swept away by floods. A group of donors came to see us, including Cuong. He ate and slept with us and took pictures for the Twins photo collection that became well known by people later.

“Cuong then found that we had aptitude for singing and music, so he gave a musical instrument to us. The instrument saved our lives,” Huy recalled.

Huy began taking music lessons at church. He had lessons in the daytime, when his eyesight was the worst and he had to fumble for every note. 

But Huy never gave up, especially after he found a passion for living. He made every effort daily and learned to play a musical instrument and sing songs, and then taught his twin brother.

After they stopped going to school, Huy and Hung received their first invitation to perform at a wedding event.

“We could not imagine that we would be beloved by people. We began receiving more invitations which allowed us to earn more money to feed ourselves,” Huy said.

Later, Huy and Hung bought a smartphone and began creating content to post on YouTube. They also saved money to buy a laptop and other devices to organize livestreams where they sing and communicate with fans.

Because of the nature of their job, their poor eyesight, and their skin which is sensitive to light, they sleep in the daytime and work at night. The twins hold livestreams, sing songs, and tell stories to relax people after a hard working day.

For Huy and his brother, music is a source of abundant energy that helps them overcome difficulties. The two brothers live to play music, to sing songs, and to talk to those who love them.

Thanh Minh