By Thu Anh

HCM CITY— Overseas Vietnamese (Viet kieu) singers have returned to perform in their homeland after Tet (Lunar New Year), mostly in live shows on large stages in HCM City and Ha Noi.

Vietnamese-American singer Quang Le’s show, Sau Tim Thiep Hong (Blue Wedding Card), will take place at the Hoa Binh Theatre in HCM City on March 8.

He will perform a series of romantic songs by famous composers to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. 

Guest singers will include Vietnamese-American Nhu Quynh and Phi Nhung, who have both performed in Europe.  

Le invited Vietnamese pop star Le Quyen to join the show.

“I will offer a special concert of two shows, called Hat Tren Que Huong (Singing in Homeland) in the city and Ha Noi in June,” said Le, who returns home often from the US.

After his show, Sau Tim Thiep Hong, Le will be a guest in Vietnamese-American Tuan Vu’s small concert called 10 Nam Tai Ngo (Love after 10 Years).

Vu was popular in Sai Gon in the 1970s.

He moved to live in the US after 1975, singing for studios and entertainment centres in France and California.

Last year, Vu first staged a live show at the Palace of Culture and Friendship in Ha Noi. Before the event, he was invited to sing in smaller venues like bars, hotels and nightclubs.

Vu’s show will open at the Tan Son Nhat Hotel in Phu Nhuan District on March 10.

“I began listening to Vu’s music when I was young. I’m very happy to see the singer on stage in the city after nearly 50 years,” said Do Kim Thoa, a resident of District 3.   

Unlike her peers, pop idol Thu Phuong and movie actress and singer Nguyen Hong Nhung, both of whom live in the US, chose  Ha Noi for their performances next month.  

While Phuong will perform in the Palace of Culture and Friendship on March 2, Nhung will participate in the music gala called Khi Ta Yeu (Falling in Love) together with Vietnamese diva Hong Nhung on March 7 and 8.  

"The best stage for a singer is anywhere in their homeland with an audience,” said Nhung, who began her career in 2000 and moved to live in the US 15 years ago.

Veteran singers Tuan Ngoc, Khanh Ly and Minh Tuyet of the US will also plan to organise their live show in Viet Nam this year.  

Ngoc was invited to perform in a TV show and 15 concerts in the country.

In November, Ngoc and Thanh Ha performed at The Master of Symphony concert in HCM City. 

Both sang works by composers such as Trinh Cong Son and Ngo Thuy Mien.

Ngoc began his professional career in Sai Gon in the 1960s.

He joined several bands, including the Strawberry Four and the Top Five, that performed pop music in the south in the 70s.

After moving to southern California, he became a popular singer in the Vietnamese community, where his style and interpretation of music endeared him to audiences.

He has performed in several solo shows and concerts in HCM City and Ha Noi in recent years. 

Ha worked as a solo singer in pop and R&B in 1995 after moving to the US.

She worked with music producers and entertainment agencies and performed on more than 80 music videos (MV) and albums.  

She has also taken part in many concerts and music festivals in France, Canada and the US, and worked with Thuy Nga Paris By Night, a flagship programme produced by Thuy Nga Productions in Paris.

"I enjoy singing in Viet Nam. I think Viet kieu singers offer a different taste from local artists," said Ha in an interview on a TV reality show produced by Ho Chi Minh Television.

The increasing numbers of Viet kieu artists in Viet Nam has played a role in the local industry’s development. — VNS