HÀ NỘI — The Band by Vinaphone, a contest for musical bands in Việt Nam and abroad, has been officially opened for applications.

“The playgrounds for musical bands during the 1990s used to be cradles for contemporary famous names in Việt Nam’s musical industry, such as singer Bằng Kiều, an ex-member of the Chìa Khóa Vàng (Golden Key) band, or Mỹ Linh, an ex-member of the Tây Hồ band,” said Nguyễn Trường Giang, vice director of Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group. Therefore, The Band by Vinaphone is expected to become a high-quality musical playground for discovering new bands, he added.

The contestants will have three judges: musician Lê Minh Sơn, composer Dương Cầm and choreographer Trần Ly Ly.

The Band by Vinaphone will have four rounds. In the first round, lasting from March 12 to April 12, the contestants will send their videos, without any technical editing, to the organisers. The selected contestants will enter the second round, where they will have to compete directly on stage in three regions across the nation. The six best bands will perform in the regional finals to select the best two bands who will compete in the national finale, which will be held in HCM City in May.

The winning band will win VNĐ150 million (US$6,500) in cash, will have their debut album produced and released by the organisers and will have the opportunity to perform in grand artistic events.

As a member of the judging panel, musician Sơn confirmed the contest will be based on a “pure and competitive” spirit.

According to composer Dương Cầm, the element he is looking for in the contestants is their individual creativity. He also encouraged them to compose their own songs to showcase their own style in their performances.  

Further information on the application procedure, prizes and voting methods will be updated on the website: https://theband.vinaphone.com.vn. — VNS