The success of a few models like Ngo Thanh Van and Ho Ngoc Ha, as they shift from walking to singing, has boosted models’ desires to be singers. They are expected to bring a fresh breeze to Vietnamese showbiz but the reality is different.
Vietnamese diva, Thanh Lam, joked with a long-time friend, a composer, that he should not spoil Vietnamese showbiz by using models.
Her joke, in fact, reflects reality. This has been proved by a recent series of ‘Nguoi dep hat’ (Beauties Sing) shows.
Taking full advantage of her beauty, Phi Thanh Van has impressed audiences with her sexy costumes on stage. However, when she bursts into song, it is hard to accept such a trivial voice on a professional stage, despite rarely singing live.
Other models have decided to jump into performing careers, as the prospects offer a longer job life than modeling, but their basic knowledge of music is shallow.
“I like the classic R&B genre that Ho Ngoc Ha performs. I realize that Ho Ngoc Ha’s style and costumes are very classical,” Chung Thuc Quyen, Vietnam’s representative at the Miss Tourism International pageant in 2008 in China, said without a hint of irony.
She has finished recording some songs for her first album, which is set to be released in the near future.
Some models have decent voices but they do not know how to express the appropriate emotions of the song they are performing.
Examples can be seen with Mai Phuong and Truong Tri Truc Diem, known as Baby J, who have both received much criticism for their amateurishness.
Following the success of Ho Ngoc Ha, most models dream to be professional singers. ‘Nguoi dep hat’ shows may entertain people, as they are organized on small stages or in tea-shops. However, most insiders agree that the participation of models has helped Vietnamese showbiz become less professional, as they are not skilled enough to blow any fresh breeze into the industry, never mind conquer the audience.
