Mouthpiece: Singer Anh Tuyet cautions that "lip syncing cases are much higher than what was reported". — Photo courtesy silo.vn

HCM CITY — Lip syncing and "inappropriate" outfits in liveshows that have generated controversy over the past several years have reduced of late, officials said at a recent meeting in HCM City.

They said that a directive on performing arts issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in April 2012 has shown initial results that are promising.

"There're positive signs in the fight against lip syncing in HCM City," said Vo Trong Nam, deputy director of the city's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

Notices asking singers to sing live have been posted at concerts organised every night around the city.

"Previously, many singers chose to lip sync at liveshows and television music programmes to ensure audio quality. Now they're being to sing live," Nam said.

Between since last April, 11 cases of lip syncing and inappropriate clothes have been reported in HCM City .

Singer Cao Thai Son was one of two singers in the city who was fined VND4.5 million (US$215) for lip syncing.

The city also imposed fines totalling more than VND100 million ($4,760) on nine companies for having made changes to the content of their concerts or organising fashion shows without permits.

Each year, about 400 music and fashion shows are organised in HCM City.

"We are trying to have more specific regulations on performances," said Pham Xuan Phuc, the culture ministry's chief inspector.

"Some entertainment companies, after being fined or having their licences withdrawn, have opened new companies under new names," Phuc said.

"And these companies continue to organise shows the content of which are different from approved programmes," he said.

Well-known singer Anh Tuyet expressed happiness about the positive impacts of the directive on performing arts over the last year, but cautioned that "lip syncing cases are much higher than what was reported at the meeting".

"Culture inspectors only get information about lip syncing from online news and later worked with concerned agencies to handle it," Tuyet said.

"Officials of the culture department have rarely detected cases of lip syncing," she said.

Other participants at the meeting last Wednesday, including State officials, artists and journalists, criticised the lenient punishment handed out to violators.

Nguyen Dang Chuong, director of the culture ministry's Performing Arts Department, said his office has proposed that stiffer penalties for violations during performances in a draft decree that will be submitted to the authority for approval in the near future. — VNS