Sao Mai Diem Hen

Sao Mai Diem Hen is one of the more well known music singing competitions in Vietnam, and has a very high standard for its participants, as they need to be already proven in other competitions or of a certain caliber in order to audition for the show. Examples of participants and their caliber include Hai Yen , who was the top 6 contestant for “Vietnam Idol” , and Hoang Nghiep, who was one of the top 10 singers from Sao Mai Diem Hen 2007, the previous rendition of the competition. Many songs from many different genres were performed during this show, these include Jazz, hip hop, rock and pop styles, a very diverse degree of music on showcase. This is one of the ways in which the gap between artists and audiences are bridged at a participatory level, as audiences need to vote, also a very good economic entity.

I got the chance to meet and greet some of the contestants and teachers!



From my essay about the show:

Being an artist in Vietnam signifies a lot to these contestants, embarked by a deep passion for music. As quoted by one of the contestants, Hai Yen, “Singing is living – living is singing”. In an article, she mentioned that her inspiration for music was following the incitement of Minh Vuong , a singer from the Vietnamese band M4U, and from then on, music became not only her hobby, but her passion as well. Also, she mentioned that she has changed a lot throughout this competition, becoming more professional, having a better voice, and a more impressive image. In addition, as Sao Mai Diem Hen is under the direction of foreign vocal teachers, she also mentioned that these teachers are very professional and disciplined, one particular teacher being Mr. Jo from Thailand, genetic , experienced and talented. In addition, an interview with Bao Ha, personal manager of Hai Yen, mentioned that Sao Mai Diem Hen is an extremely good platform for singers to show themselves and be closer to the audience , as the show is popular throughout Vietnam. Also, she mentions that Hai Yen is a singer that is responsible for the songs she chooses , and is always looking to obtain songs that she is able to sing and express well to the audience. Lastly, this competition has always allowed singers to realize what the industry is like, that it takes a lot of practice and potential to be a singer, and that singers not only need to have suitable voices, but must be able to adhere to societies trends.

Thus, this competition has helped groom singers to improve themselves and rise up the level of Vietnamese music on show. The hiring of foreign teachers also represents the hybridity of influence Vietnamese popular music has and artists are willing to learn from other countries and improve themselves as well.

One of the foreign teachers at the show is Vorapat Chuaruson from Thailand. In an interview, he mentioned that he really enjoys Vietnamese music and culture. On describing Vietnamese music , he mentioned that it has more of an upscale chord style , with a huge variety of styles including swing and traditional, which compliments the feel of being a musician . In contrast , he mentioned that in Thailand, the only major mainstreams genres are rock and pop. However, although Vietnamese music has a variety of styles, these styles are not yet fully embraced, and still lacks the international feel. Hence, the use of these competitions to help nurture and develop singing talent to a greater level.

From the contestants point of view, Sao Mai Diem Hen has many other musical advantages for Vietnamese music as well. In an interview with Hoang Nghiep, the champion of Sao Mai Diem Hen 2008, he mentioned that competitions like Sao Mai Diem Hen helps to shorter the distance between art and life, and allows the Vietnamese people to be closer to music, and to be able to experience it first hand, what performances are like and how they are sang in relative difference to when heard on a record. Having been singing for 6 years, he also feels that Sao Mai Diem Hen is the biggest competition for singers in Vietnam, and that recently, there has been a change in the demand of audiences to music, mostly geared towards modernity, and something that show can help promote to the masses to fulfill this new demand for modern popular Vietnamese music.
Hence, this competition is one of the key ways to establish links between the audience and the music that they enjoy and can participate in.