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| Singers: Dam Vinh Hung, My Tam, Thanh Thao and Dan Truong. |
Some Vietnamese actors and actress have gone abroad to play in foreign films, such as Quang Hai, Hai Yen and Nhu Quynh. Recently, models Vu Thu Phuong and actress Ly Nha Ky joined a Hollywood movie named Shanghai. Singer Ho Quynh Huong recently took part in the Music Gala of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Famous singers like Hong Nhung, Dam Vinh Hung, My Tam and Dan Truong have earned a lot of money from overseas shows. Singer My Tam can earn up to VND100 million ($5,900) per overseas show.
Some singers have used overseas trips as opportunities to sell their albums. The manager of a famous male singer said he could sell several hundred disks with the singer’s signature per show, priced at several tens of US dollars per disk. The manager said the revenue from selling disks abroad can help the singer get back his investment in the disk.
Singers go abroad in different forms: as travellers, to visit their relatives, and then join shows organised by overseas Vietnamese; some are invited by foreign organisations; going abroad to serve overseas Vietnamese is the most popular form.
Several singers have foreign partners who have helped them produce albums, such as Lam Truong, Kasim Hoang Vu, Thanh Thao with Thai partners, Ung Hoang Phuc with a Hong Kong partner, and My Tam with a South Korean partner. These singers’ partners are reputed ones (Kantana, GOM, TVB) so their albums are quite good.
Dam Vinh Hung is said to go abroad (the US, Canada, Europe, Australia) the most often. Last year he went to the US eight times and the longest trip was 45 days. Other singers who are “famous” for going abroad include My Tam, Hong Ngoc, Lam Truong, Quang Dung and Doan Trang.
Meanwhile, singer Thanh Thao holds the record for going abroad to shoot video clips. She travelled to Thailand, Malaysia, France, the UK, China and Germany to shoot her album entitled “Around the World”.
Overseas study
Many singers have gone abroad to study at reputed music and dance schools to improve their skills and their reputations. Lam Truong went to the US in 2003 to study for several weeks at the Berklee College of Music, then Doan Trang. This is also the school where saxophonists Quyen Thien Dac, Tran Manh Tuan and song writer Duc Tri studied. My Tam studied performance techniques in South Korea. After these trips, many singers showed marked improvements in performance and techniques.
After overseas training courses, singer Thu Minh became more attractive while My Tam’s dancing skills clearly improved. Song writer Duc Tri affirmed that not only singers but also music producers and organisers should go abroad to study to improve their knowledge of their fields.
The Summer Performance Programme at Berklee College of Music is now the target of many Vietnamese singers.
Sweet and bitter
However, to attend overseas training courses, the biggest challenge for singers, song writers is finances. Duc Tri didn’t hide the fact that to get the over $90,000 for his course at Berklee, he still owes his friends. Doan Trang and Thu Minh had to pay around $10,000 for five-week courses.
For Vietnamese actors and actresses, it is very hard to join foreign film projects. Nobody knows how much money Vietnamese actors like Hai Yen, Mai Hoa and Quang Hai received when they played in The Quiet American or Nhu Quynh, Le Khanh, Manh Cuong and Chu Hung in The Vertical Ray of The Sun, or Ngoc Hiep in Three Seasons, Stork’s Dance.
In The Vertical Ray of the Sun, Nhu Quynh and Le Khanh acted as well as Tran Nu Yen Khe, but their pay was just several thousand USD compared to Yen Khe’s $500,000.
Quang Hai is seen as “very confident actor”. When playing in a French movie, he was offered pay of $80 per day but he asked for $600 per day. Finally, he earned $450 per day, the highest pay for a Vietnamese actor at that time.
“The Quiet American” was filmed in Vietnam so it used many Vietnamese actors, including a leading role for Do Hai Yen. Director and actor Quang Hai revealed the pay for Hai Yen was several hundred thousand USD. But this actress nearly went away with only $5,000. The producers originally offered Hai Yen very low pay. Without Quang Hai, who is experienced at negotiating with foreign film producers, Hai Yen would have accepted the offer.
Work illegal
Some singers go abroad to sing without asking the permission of Vietnamese agencies. Their violations are only discovered when they dodge taxes in the host countries or participate in shows which are hostile to Vietnam.
Most recently, singers Bao Yen and Kim Tieu Long were suspended from performance for a certain period of time and fined along with Honourable Artist Minh Vuong, singer Minh Phung and singer Quang Dung for violations abroad.
“Vietnamese citizens are banned from going abroad to do toxic, dangerous, especially hard work which is not suitable to Vietnamese people’s habits, and jobs that affect Vietnam’s habits and customs”. That is an article in a decree issued by the government in 2007 to guide the implementation of some articles of the laws on overseas Vietnamese labourers. Among banned jobs are dancing, singing, massaging at restaurants, hotels or entertainment centres.
According to Decree 56/2006/ND-CP dated June 6, 2006, those who make public and diffuse music works abroad without permission are fined from VND5-10 million, from VND20-25 million for those who make public and diffuse music works which are listed as banned products abroad. The fines are said too small compared to the earnings of singers from overseas shows.
For Vietnamese singers and actors, they must be responsible to Vietnamese citizens and artists when they go abroad to perform or join foreign movie projects. Going abroad is not a bad trend but how to integrate into the world while preserving Vietnamese identity is still a hot issue.
source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn
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