Difficulties in foreign collaborations for Vietnamese musicians

After some select Vietnamese artists have found increased success by gaining foreign exposure, a number of others have tried to follow suit but have found it hard to do so.

One of the obstacles is fees. For example, the annual Midem Music Festival, held close to Cannes, charges acts nearly USD1,000 for the right to perform. Singer Duc Tuan, who made the trip, said that real expenses for the whole journey were somewhere around USD2,000 to USD3,000, and that they found little cooperation from the event promoters or fruitful contact with other artists.  This was a disappointment, as Tuan had expected to meet musicians from all over the world and possibly collaborate with them in the future.

Singer Phuong Vy has made several trips to the US. "I can afford to pay USD3,000 to produce a song in America, but I still find it hard to make music industry contacts in Hollywood," Vy said.

An album by My Linh, Anh Quan and Huy Tuan promoted in Japan eight years ago was considered a success, and gained some recognition of other albums, such as "Made in Vietnam",  “Chat with Mozart” and “De tinh yeu hat” produced.

Still, My Linh has not returned to Japan since then. Huy Tuan explained, "The promotion process in Japan is quite complicated, and audiences there are very demanding."

Overseas music festivals

A trend for Vietnamese singers has been to get bookings at international music festivals, especially those held in other Asian countries. The list of artists that pursue this means of self-promotion include Ho Quynh Huong, Hong Nhung, My Linh, My Tam, Hien Thuc, Ho Ngoc Ha, Minh Thu and Lam Truong. They believe that participation in these festivals will give them a chance to network with other musicians, make industry contacts and gain exposure.

However, it seems for many of them, gaining a foothold in foreign music markets has been tough and such goals have proven to be out of reach for many entertainers, especially in the European market.

At the top of the long list of impediments facing Vietnamese singers is funding. Although they can sometimes apply for financial aid for foreign shows, many times they must foot the bill themselves.

Music critic, Nguyen Minh Duc, noted, "Something that many artists don't seem to realise is that excursions to countries like the US, England, Korea and Japan do not end up paying off. For some it might be a better option to start with more accessible and welcoming markets, such as those in Eastern Europe or South Africa."