In the flesh: Singer Ho Ngoc Ha, will perform live in HCM City on November 20. — Photo anhdeppro.vn

HCM CITY (VNS) — Live music shows in theatres or stadiums with clamorous audiences are what Vietnamese women singers dream about.

A few years ago only absolute stars like Thanh Lam and Hong Nhung could do live shows, but now the playing field has levelled out somewhat.

Thus we see singers like My Tam, Ho Ngoc Ha, Thu Minh, and Thuy Tien even turn down contracts from music producers and invest a lot of money themselves to organise shows.

My Tam, who is all set to perform at her biggest ever live show, Live Concert Heart Beat, in HCM City on November 9 and in Ha Noi on November 23, has no illusions: "I know I have to face challenges at my live show."

At a recent press conference she said she had worked hard to achieve a high level of skill both musically and in terms of her stage performance.

"I will give it everything I have."

More than 20,000 free tickets have been given away for the HCM City show at the Seven Military Zone Gymnasium in Phu Nhuan District.

Tam and her dancers have been working for several hours a day to polish their performances.

Other singers in HCM City are also preparing for live shows in the city and elsewhere.

Ha and Minh have already hired event producers for their shows. Ha will go live in HCM City on November 20 and Minh plans a sound and light extravaganza in Ha Noi exactly a month later.

The former began her career on the catwalk when she was just 17 and quickly became a top fashion model.

In 2003 she turned to music and again quickly rose to the top.

"Fans are waiting to see Ha on stage because this is the greatest show to celebrate her 10 years of singing," Phan Viet Thanh, a fan in Can Tho City, said.

The singer has been hard at work on her voice and footwork for the last several weeks.

At her show, Minh will sing her most popular pop, dance, and R&B hits, which have made her a hot property for the last 12 years.

A crop of slick young singers are dazzling fans with their exciting stage presence and foreign-style songs, especially love songs, written by upcoming musicians like Nguyen Hai Phong and Nguyen Khac Linh.

But they are fully aware of the difficulties in organising their own live shows as Tien, one of the new stars on the pop scene, explains: "It is very difficult for me to sing and dance very well for two or more hours at live shows."

"But singing at a stadium is great and I like to take on challenges."

She has a show lined up in HCM City possibly for year end but is not willing to speak about it. All she would say is her fans in the city, mostly teenagers, will be blown away. — VNS