By Thu Anh

HCM CITY— Overseas Vietnamese (Việt kiều) singers have returned to perform in their homeland after Tết (Lunar New Year), mostly in live shows on large stages in HCM City and Hà Nội.

Vietnamese-American singer Quang Lê’s show, Sầu Tím Thiệp Hồng (Blue Wedding Card), will take place at the Hòa Bình Theatre in HCM City on March 8.

He will perform a series of romantic songs by famous composers to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. 

Guest singers will include Vietnamese-American Như Quỳnh and Phi Nhung, who have both performed in Europe.  

Lê invited Vietnamese pop star Lệ Quyên to join the show.

“I will offer a special concert of two shows, called Hát Trên Quê Hương (Singing in Homeland) in the city and Hà Nội in June,” said Lê, who returns home often from the US.

After his show, Sầu Tím Thiệp Hồng, Lê will be a guest in Vietnamese-American Tuấn Vũ’s small concert called 10 Năm Tái Ngộ (Love after 10 Years).

Vũ was popular in Sài Gòn in the 1970s.

He moved to live in the US after 1975, singing for studios and entertainment centres in France and California.

Last year, Vũ first staged a live show at the Palace of Culture and Friendship in Hà Nội. Before the event, he was invited to sing in smaller venues like bars, hotels and nightclubs.

Vũ’s show will open at the Tân Sơn Nhất Hotel in Phú Nhuận District on March 10.

“I began listening to Vũ’s music when I was young. I’m very happy to see the singer on stage in the city after nearly 50 years,” said Đỗ Kim Thoa, a resident of District 3.   

Unlike her peers, pop idol Thu Phương and movie actress and singer Nguyễn Hồng Nhung, both of whom live in the US, chose  Hà Nội for their performances next month.  

While Phương will perform in the Palace of Culture and Friendship on March 2, Nhung will participate in the music gala called Khi Ta Yêu (Falling in Love) together with Vietnamese diva Hồng Nhung on March 7 and 8.  

"The best stage for a singer is anywhere in their homeland with an audience,” said Nhung, who began her career in 2000 and moved to live in the US 15 years ago.

Veteran singers Tuấn Ngọc, Khánh Ly and Minh Tuyết of the US will also plan to organise their live show in Việt Nam this year.  

Ngọc was invited to perform in a TV show and 15 concerts in the country.

In November, Ngọc and Thanh Hà performed at The Master of Symphony concert in HCM City. 

Both sang works by composers such as Trịnh Công Sơn and Ngô Thụy Miên.

Ngọc began his professional career in Sài Gòn in the 1960s.

He joined several bands, including the Strawberry Four and the Top Five, that performed pop music in the south in the 70s.

After moving to southern California, he became a popular singer in the Vietnamese community, where his style and interpretation of music endeared him to audiences.

He has performed in several solo shows and concerts in HCM City and Hà Nội in recent years. 

Hà worked as a solo singer in pop and R&B in 1995 after moving to the US.

She worked with music producers and entertainment agencies and performed on more than 80 music videos (MV) and albums.  

She has also taken part in many concerts and music festivals in France, Canada and the US, and worked with Thúy Nga Paris By Night, a flagship programme produced by Thúy Nga Productions in Paris.

"I enjoy singing in Việt Nam. I think Việt kiều singers offer a different taste from local artists," said Hà in an interview on a TV reality show produced by Hồ Chí Minh Television.

The increasing numbers of Việt kiều artists in Việt Nam has played a role in the local industry’s development. — VNS