Overseas singers Tuan Ngoc, Thai Bao

Bridges

The first company to sign exclusive performance contracts with overseas Vietnamese singers is Rang Dong Studio.

These days, the firm continues to be a bridge for overseas singers who harbour dreams of being famous in Vietnam. The studio is completing papers to bring home Nguyen Hung, a famous male singer and dancer in the Vietnamese community in the US.

Phuong Nam Culture Company is also working on an exclusive agreement with female singer Le Thu. And to attract more audiences, Van Nghe Tearoom is planning to debut 5 overseas singers.

Xuan Hoa, Van Nghe’s director, said: “For business reasons, we can’t announce the names of our exclusive singers yet. Yet, one thing is certain: these voices have established their own firm standing in recent years.” It is rumored that two of the five singers at Van Nghe are veteran names Khanh Ha and Don Ho.

Domestic companies have been longing for opportunities to work with overseas Vietnamese singers. Most of these singers are often busy in long-term contracts with foreign studios.

But now many middle-aged singers have ended their overseas contracts, so it is easier for domestic studios to explore exclusive opportunities with them.

Little effort and much profit

Domestic companies don’t have to invest much in marketing names of foreign singers since most of them have long been familiar to Vietnamese audiences in and out of Vietnam.

Xuan Hoa said that Viet Kieu singers often had a stable number of followers. “As for us, who decide to search for overseas singers, we don’t have to put much effort in advertising since they are already famous.”

“We only need to invest seriously in such items as scripts and stage design in order to attract audiences, though the prize of overseas singers’ shows are often higher than usual,” she added.

Truong Thi Thu Dung, Rang Dong’s director, agreed: “When deciding to sign exclusive deals with overseas singers, we don’t pay as much attention to revenues as the brand name of Rang Dong Studio. Our products will be more diverse and colourful thanks to these deals.”

It seems easier for domestic companies to sign exclusive deals with overseas Vietnamese singers than domestic ones. Some explain that it is because most Viet Kieu singers yearn to perform in their homeland after many years living abroad.

Thus, money isn’t always what they are looking for. But domestic companies affirm that they don’t take advantage of this tendency of overseas singers. Ms. Thu Dung said: “Our job is to consult and help overseas singers to understand Vietnamese laws better rather than exploit them. The reputation of the company is an essential thing to us."

"That is the main reason why most exclusive deals last two years at most. Afterwards, singers are free to explore other opportunities in Vietnam. Then, they will also be more familiar with Vietnamese laws and can stand on their own.”

(Source: NLD)