Star at 17: Singer Thanh Thuy, the acknowledged queen of revolutionary music, will perform live in HCM City next Saturday to mark Reunification Day. — Photo courtesy of Kmedia

HCM CITY (VNS)— Meritorious Artist Thanh Thuy of the Military Zone 7 Art Troupe, one of the most popular singers of traditional and revolutionary music, will perform live in HCM City on May 2 for the Reunification Day celebrations.

"With her beautiful voice and charming looks, Thanh Thuy can succeed at [any kind of] music," the organisers told a press conference.

"However, she chose revolutionary music.

In the last 20 years, Thuy, who is also in active military service, has released a number of albums of prewar and traditional music, but she is synonymous with revolutionary music.

At 17, Thuy won first prize in the Tieng Hat Truyen Hinh 1994 (1994 TV singing) contest after singing Biet On Chi Vo Thi Sau (Showing Deep Gratitude to Young Heroine Vo Thi Sau).

The song also fetched her the role of Vo Thi Sau in the telefilm Nguoi Con Gai Dat Do (The Girl of the Red Soil)

She then landed the protagonist's role in many other TV films including the outstanding Dat Khach (Strange land), whose main song, Tren Manh Dat Tinh Nguoi (On the Land of Humanity), was a raging hit.

In 1997 Thuy won the first prize in the National TV Singing Contest (now renamed Sao Mai).

In 2012 she was conferred the title of Meritorious Artist.

Thuy said revolutionary songs would be the main theme of the show.

She will sing the duet Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay (East Truong Son, West Truong Son) with Meritorious Artist Ta Minh Tam and Bai Ca Hy Vong (Song of hope) with male singer Tung Duong.

Her cai luong (reformed opera) skills will be on show in the duet Da Co Hoai Lang (Missing a Husband While the Drum Beats at Midnightwith) Le Tu.

"It will open with a song from young heroine Vo Thi Sau," Vu Thanh Vinh, the show's director, said.

The concert will take place at the Nguyen Du Sports Stadium in District 1 and be broadcast live on VTV9 and several provincial channels. — VNS