My Linh, a very famous Vietnamese singer, has been strongly criticised by some for her interpretation of the Vietnamese national anthem before a speech by US President Barack Obama in Hanoi on May 23.

My Linh sang the national anthem before a speech by US President Barack Obama (Photo by Quy Doan)

My Linh sang the national anthem without background music in an operatic style. Many people, including some musicians, criticised her for interpreting the song in a new way.

Music researcher Nguyen Luu claimed a national anthem is each country's soul, but not just an artistic work. He said national anthems varied, but Vietnam, France and Russia have strong tones because these originated from their revolutionary liberation struggles.

"I’ve never seen anyone change the tone of their country's national anthem. I myself can't support My Linh's performance because I think it seems to be an offense to the national soul," Luu added.

Sharing the same opinion with Luu, Musician Cat Van said that My Linh shocked him with her creation.

Many Facebookers also strongly opposed My Linh's performance and some even said that they will never listen to her songs again.

Meanwhile, Musician Thanh Phuong said that the way My Linh changed the national anthem was to suit a stage without background and chorus. "It is normal as a song can be performed in different ways as long as the words are maintained".

Speaking to reporters following the public controversy over her performance, My Linh dismissed the criticism, and said she just wanted to sing it in a different way which she thought to be more suitable to peacetime.

"The war is over, so I myself think the national anthem can be sung in a soft tone. I didn’t want to focus too much on the mournful images of the war past in the song," Linh said.

Following the aggressive reaction from some people, the singer posted a status on her Facebook that merely read "Think before speaking".