Bao Vo (born February 19, 1982), also known as BAO, is a
Vietnamese American musician, singer-songwriter, composer, and record producer based in Los Angeles, California.
[Nichols, Chris (April 2014). "My Favorite Year". ''Los Angeles Magazine'', p.137.][Do, Ahn]
"On anniversary, Vietnamese Americans reflect on their journeys"
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
He has done extensive work with other Asian American artists like
Mariqueen Maandig and the band
Ming & Ping, where he was responsible for the production, concept, branding, marketing, and visual design, in addition to being a co-writer to the music itself.
[Maerz, Jennifer]
"Pop Operas"
SF Weekly. Retrieved April 1, 2014.[Nichols, Chris]
“Downtown: And Now a Few Words From The…New Kids on the Block”
, Los Angeles Magazine He has also worked with
The Slants, contributing songwriting and production as well as performing onstage with the all Asian American dance rock band.
Biography
Vo was born in
Da Lat
Da Lat, or Dalat (; ), is the capital of Lâm Đồng Province and the largest city of the Central Highlands (Vietnam), Central Highlands region in Vietnam. The city is located above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau. Da Lat is one of the mos ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and immigrated to the United States in 1985 with his mother and four siblings.
[Maerz, Jennifer]
"Pop Operas"
SF Weekly. Retrieved April 1, 2014.[Do, Ahn]
"On anniversary, Vietnamese Americans reflect on their journeys"
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
. Retrieved May 1, 2017. He attended the
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in
Houston, TX and the
Art Center College of Design
The ArtCenter College of Design is a private art college in Pasadena, California.
It was incorporated in 1930 as a degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both the visual arts and design. ...
in
Pasadena, CA.
He founded the band Ming & Ping in 2002
[Nichols, Chris (April 2014). "My Favorite Year". ''Los Angeles Magazine'', p.137.] after dropping out of art school at
San Francisco Art Institute, where he studied experimental music composition under
Charles Boone, multimedia art under
Sharon Grace, and digital audio production under Martin Schmidt of the experimental electronic band
Matmos
Matmos is an experimental electronic music duo formed in San Francisco and based in Baltimore. M. C. (Martin) Schmidt and Drew Daniel are the core members, but they frequently include other artists on their records and in their performances no ...
.
Ming & Ping released their debut album in 2004
through the Chicago-based independent record label Omega Point Records. The group is known for their visual art, costumes, and theatrical live performances that are primarily designed and directed by Vo, whose collaboration with other artists has yielded a large portfolio of photography, illustrations, videos, and costumes that is uncommon for independent musical acts. Vo is also responsible for assembling the musical act's supporting cast for their
Cantonese Opera inspired live performances
known as "The Ming & Ping Dynasty." These performances have been exhibited on tour with
Freezepop and with groups such as
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...
,
West Indian Girl, and
Ultraviolet Sound.
In 2017, Vo released a five-song EP titled ''BAO EP'' under the stage name BAO.
In 2017, he also founded a social impact organization called Other.Us, which helped up-and-coming Asian Americans in music. In 2018, his Other.Us organization was dissolved when he joined the board of directors for
The Slants Foundation, founded by musician and activist
Simon Tam. His musical influences include
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
,
New Order, and
Giorgio Moroder
Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...
.
In 2019, Vo composed the soundtrack for the documentary Quan 13, starring and directed by former
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown producer Hieu Gray, which premiered at the headquarters of
Nguoi Viet Daily News, the largest daily newspaper published in Vietnamese outside of Vietnam.
In October 2020, Vo released his debut solo album, entitled "Perpetual Heartbreak," along with three video series to enhance the way audiences consume his music. According to his social media, the three series include "BAO Feels His Music," which shows Vo's reactions to each song on the album, "Behind BAO's Music," in which Vo describes the meaning behind each track, and "BAO Breaks Down," in which Vo details the technical aspects of the album's music production.
In 2023, Vo produced "The Band Plays On,' the final album by The Slants, along with Simon Tam and Joe X. Jiang.
The 14-song collection features dozens of Asian American guest artists and instrumentalists including
Jane Lui,
Katherine Ho, Joe Kye, Johnny Hi-Fi, Talk Time, Darro, Othertones, Lola Menthol, The Complements, Alex Kade, and Mikara. Vo provides lead vocals on the album's title track, "The Band Plays On."
References
External links
Bao Vo Creative, Inc.BAO Official SiteThe Slants Foundation
American male songwriters
American record producers
American musicians of Vietnamese descent
Living people
Vietnamese emigrants to the United States
1982 births
{{US-musician-stub