HÀ NỘI — Popular pop singer Khánh Ly will host a live show at Hà Nội Opera House on August 12 and 15.

Titled Như Một Lời Chia Tay (Like Words of Farewell), the show will feature various songs by late composer Trịnh Công Sơn. Khánh Ly has been among the best performers of the songs, some of which were written specifically with her voice in mind.

The show will move to Hải Phòng on August 18 and Đà Nẵng on September 1 before moving to Nha Trang and HCM City (where the performance dates are not yet fixed). Part of the proceeds will be set aside for Vòng Tay Nhân Ái (Humanity Embrace) charity fund.

The show will be divided into two parts. The first part features songs from Sơn’s album titled Da Vàng (Yellow Skin) and the second part will focus on his most popular love songs performed by Khánh Ly and other singers like Quang Thành, Paolo and Tuấn Ngọc.

Born in 1945, Khánh Ly started her career as a singer in 1962. She sang at Anh Vũ Tea House on Bùi Viện Street in what was then Sài Gòn (now HCM City) before becoming popular with Sơn’s songs. In 1967, songstress Ly and composer Sơn became a phenomena of Vietnamese contemporary music.

In 1975, she moved to the US and has lived there ever since.

By the end of July, fake news spread on Facebook that Khánh Ly passed away. She hosted a press conference in Hà Nội to inform the public about the show on August 7.

Ly said she had been rumoured to die many times.

“At this age, I consider death a minor event, which may make me happier,” she said.

“Only family members who are still alive may feel a loss when I die. So I have tried my best to bring happiness to people surrounding me.

“I still perform though my voice is no longer as beautiful as it was before. But the performances make me and the people who love me happy.”

Explaining the title of the show, Ly said she borrowed the title of a song by Sơn to name the show: Như Một Lời Chia Tay (Like Words of Farewell).

“Today I have a chance to meet you, tomorrow we will depart for other places. We may never meet one another again,” she said.

“We say ‘good-bye’ and leave beautiful impressions on one another. That’s enough.” — VNS