U.S. Singers Cannot Compete with VN Singers!



Many people criticized productions in the U.S. for lip-syncing instead of singing live. However some feel that when they pay to go see a show, they want the best sound quality for instant so they don’t mind a pre-recorded show. However the case here is more than just having live performances. It is the argument that many of today’s professional singers in the U.S. cannot compete with singers in Vietnam simply because they cannot sing live.

Recently many singers in the U.S. are going to Vietnam to do shows, and at first the audiences in Vietnam are excited to go see and hear a singer from overseas but after the first show, no more. Only a few veteran singers were able to continue shows after shows. For others, the show’s creators often time have to add in Vietnam singers so that people would attend the show. Some singers from America even requested to have play recordings- lip-syncing basically and it was rejected totally because according to the people in Vietnam it’s not real, not live. The idea of lip-syncing in Vietnam is a no no at all times.

Singers from the U.S. are look down upon in Vietnam because they cannot sing well during live performances. Furthermore people questioned whether many of today’s professionals’ singers could even sing. The U.S. singers on production shows often rely on a good studio recording, special effects, voice enhancement, as well as make up and a good stage to keep the attraction. But in Vietnam when there are no special treatments, no glamorous stage, you have to depend mostly on your voice and stage presentation to carry on a crowd. And in that case U.S. singers cannot compete. I guess U.S. singers are spoiled to all advantages they receive when they signed with a production.

To understand the side to why U.S. singers lip-syncing, we have to think back in the days when there were not many Vietnamese in America. Entertainment at that time was crucial because any kind of communication with people of the same ethnicity were highly valued. Therefore productions’ creators try to create the best, and the most perfect show that throughout the process of time they do more and more cover ups to any flaws leaving behind the kind glamorous fake reality on stage. As a result, singers with a weak voice but good looks tend to slip through and now the trend has become more and more common.

Nevertheless things are changing as we see Paris By Night going live. Will others follow in the footsteps? If so, what are the risks? And lastly with the new demand and spotlight focusing on U.S. singers’ ability to sing, how will the competition change and the standard to become a singer change? Feel free to voice your opinion and share your thoughts on the matter.

Comments

Lún Ghẻ said…
Just sing. You are a singer and you need to sing. If you cannot sing and dance at the same time, then you are not worth my $100 usd. I saw Beyonce on September 1 in Oakland, and she dished out 32 songs in over two hours live. Beyonce was singing and dancing live and getting the crowd to go crazy. Now that's worth $100 usd. Vietnamese singers that lip sinc, ie. Trish and many others, show that they don't have the talent to be a real singer. Tell me a Vietnamese singer that can carry a show on his or her own for two hours singing live and I will book this person.
Anonymous said…
I enjoy live, unplugged, truthful performances. Agree with observation that recording artists are not necessarily good singer-entertainers. Viet Hai Ngoai artists number few who can carry live show. Khanh Ly can, but is more suitable to small coffee-house atmosphere where her faux pas on large DNH stage are not magnified. Tuan Ngoc projects well live, has makings of a Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra, but he is inconsistent, has attitude sometimes. Vu Khanh does well with Y Lan next to him, but could be boring with his canned stories. Tuan Anh is fun and interesting when you watch him the first time, but his jokes are canned. Quang Le does well when assisted, can charm guests, but his style can be boring for whole show. Y Lan is versatile, and can command the stage for several hours without boring the audience. Inside VN, I think of stars like Ngoc Son who is interesting, but low-class. Dam Vinh Hung is a novelty which will soon wear out. Anyone want to nominate other artists who rate?
Anonymous said…
Of course Vietnamese singers are better. Vietnam has a huge population, and for them to reach the status that they have, is noteworthy.

Sure, the U.S. singers on the other hand are worse, but you've got to consider the much, much smaller Vietnamese population.

U.S. singers don't take it as seriously as Vietnamese ones who have their life imbued with the entertainment industry.

That said, who says that Vietnam performances are all live?

I've seen shows specifically called "live shows" that have groups like May Trang lip syncing, and poorly too.
Anonymous said…
when i listen to music from Vietnam the quality sounds better, because the singer's technique sounds more refined. i never really like how the people in the US master the CD's. and i think we should use more real sounds in country music. i don't like hearing all those synthesized music with it, it feels so... cheapy...
Anonymous said…
i remember visitin vietnam and turn on the tv to watch a show..and it's lip sync...don't get what you mean by saying lip sync is a no no in vietnam...i see it with alot of singers over there. It's only in big shows that lips sync occurs..in smaller show you will get to here them live. of course there so some how couldn't sing..but there are also others who can...same thing apply for both side of the world here.

can't really generise..
Anonymous said…
Come one guys. Lets be serious. Vietnamese-American singers learn to sing from Karaoke. Vietnamese singers actually go to music university to learn and train their voice. That's why vietnamese singers have stage presence and american-vietnamese singers just stand on stage and lip-sync.
Anonymous said…
Have you guys notice when PBN did the "live" show? Only Minh Tuyet and Bang Kieu was able to sing as well as always. Nhu Loan got mono-toned. And Quang Le got worst? If he was 10/10 on normal PBN productions, his live performancwas 8/10 at best. As for the rest of them I dont think they were singing live. And certainly, Y Lan was lip sync-ing on stage where she missed two of her cues.

I understand that the shows of such does lip sync and I'm alright with it because it's visual as well as audio.

But if I'm going to pay for a live concert, a show, at casino or whatever, they better be singing live. This, ironically, if the problem for people who attend the show. But then, they sit so far back that it doesnt matter anyway.

I used to think that they sang live on stage during taping, but dubbed better quality during DVD production, but such was not the case.

Anyway, most VN singers came out of schools, won talent shows and such.. so they are real singer. US singer doesnt have such training, need computer modifications.

Hmm, trish sings ok live, she doesnt have range anyway so it;'s not hard to pull it off
Anonymous said…
mathematically, they sing better in Vn "live" because they sing everynight. While in the US it's only weekends and they're toward recording artists. It's different type of art form i think. As for me, i prefer an audio that is as perfect as possible, same goes with the videos. If i want to hear raw and live singing, i go to a live show. A mediocre vocals to go with the images on Thuy Nga or Asia, would just ruined the whole mystical espect of it.
reetajenet said…
The U.S. singers on production shows often rely on a good studio recording, special effects,voice enhancement, as well as make up and a good stage to keep the attraction. But in Vietnam when there are no special treatments, no glamorous stage, you have to depend mostly on your voice and stage presentation to carry on a crowd. And in that case U.S. Singers cannot compete. I guess U.S. singers are spoiled to all advantages they receive when they signed with a production.
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Anonymous said…
Ummmmm

i think viet music is good

when the singers don't try

the r&b stuff when they are really bad at it. NO offense
Its kool that they do new genre but they should learn to make it sound good