HCM CITY — Pop star Đông Nhi will represent Việt Nam at the second Japan – ASEAN Music Festival 2018 in Tokyo in October.

The festival aims to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and ASEAN countries.

The event will feature pop stars from Japan and member countries of ASEAN, such as Ryuji Imaichi, Ryotaro Sugi and Nogizaka46 from Japan, and Sarah Hieronimo from the Philippines.

Japanese artist Piko Taro, who rose to fame with his hit Apple Pen, will host the festival.

In 2014, pop star Mỹ Linh was a Vietnamese representative at the first Japan – ASEAN Music Festival.

Đông Nhi, whose real name is Mai Hồng Ngọc, began her music career in 2008 after releasing songs online.

Her songs, Khóc (Cry), Bối Rối (Embarrassment) and Bí Mật Của Hạnh Phúc (Secret of Happiness) helped her become famous.

Her first album The First Step was named one of the Top 10 Albums of The Year in 2010 at the Zing Music Awards 2010.

She has released four albums and several singles, many of them hits, and has appeared in music reality shows as a competitor or mentor.

She was one of four coaches for the reality music shows The Voice Kid Vietnam in 2016 and the Voice Vietnam in 2017.

Nhi won the Best Asian Artist title at the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in 2015, and Best Southeast Asian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2016.

She plans to organise her biggest-ever live show in HCM City at the end of this year to celebrate her 10-year singing career. — VNS