HA NOI — Over 4,000 would-be singers competed on Wednesday in the qualifying round of song contest Giong Hat Viet (Vietnamese Voice), a local version of the popular US reality show The Voice. Thirty short-listed candidates will compete in a blind audition in June, a battle phase will be held in July and live performances will take place in September. Contestants perform in such genres as pop, rock, hip-hop and country.

The singing contest, produced by Viet Nam Television and Cat Tien Sa Media and Television Co, aims to discover new singing talent. The Voice has aired in 47 countries world-wide, with Viet Nam the second country in Asia after South Korea to create its own version of the show.-VNS