Published:  00:00 Friday - December 11, 2009

The 15th anniversary of the Duyen Dang Vietnam (Charming Vietnam) music gala will be celebrated with a nostalgic look at the past and a warm welcome to the future, said the organizers on December 10.

The 21^st four-day music gala starting on New Year’s Eve will open to the strains of the international hit Bonjour Vietnam sung by Vietnamese-Belgian Pham Quynh Anh, composed by French singer and composer Marc Lavoine.

Nguyen Cong Khe, chairman of the Thanh Nien Media Corporationn which initiated the event, said: “The song made her famous amongst Vietnamese people, and it will be the theme of Duyen Dang Vietnam 21 – Chao Vietnam (Hello Vietnam).”

Addressing a press conference held to announce the event, Mr Khe said that the event had been the launch pad for many famous Vietnamese singers like My Linh, Thanh Lam and Duc Tuan.

Popular overseas Vietnamese singers – Elvis Phuong and Duy Quang will perform the ballad Tro Ve Mai Xua (the Vietnamese version of Come Back to Soriento) with lyrics by composer Pham Duy.

Also on stage will be Vietnamese models and special guests including former Miss Universe Thailand 2007, Farung Juthithum and former Miss Vietnam pageant winners Ha Kieu Anh, Truong Ngoc Anh, Giang My and Jennifer Pham.

They will exhibit the three latest collections of designers Sifa Fashion, Son Collection and Quynh Paris.

The musical gala is a fund-raising event for two charities founded by Thanh Nien – Talents of Vietnam and the Nguyen Thai Binh Scholarship Fund. Tickets for the event will cost between VND200,000 (US$11), and VND2 million ($108).

It will be held every night from December 31 to January 3, 2010, at HCM City’s Hoa Binh Theatre. The tickets will be on sale from December 24 at the theatre and the offices of the Thanh Nien newspaper and the Thanh Nien Media Corporation.

VNS