VietNamNet Bridge – Pop and soul sensation My Tam is among five female singers battling it out to win Best Music Album.

My way: HCM City-based pop star My Tam has been nominated for the Cong Hien (Devotion) Prize for Best Album presented annually by The Thao & Van Hoa newspaper. (Photo courtesy of the producer)

Her collaboration Tam 9 has been nominated for the Cong Hien (Devotion) Award for Best Music Album by Vietnam News Agency’s The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports & Culture) newspaper. 

The album, which includes 13 songs in pop soul, was released late last year and sold more than 5,000 copies after just one day of its release. It has sold more than 20,000 copies.

Featured songs, Dau Chi Rieng Em (Not Only Me), Dung Hoi Em (Don’t Ask Me) and Nguoi Hay Quen Em Đi (Forget Me), have became top hits on local music forums and websites. 

The songs were produced as Music Videos (MVs) by MT Entertainment, owned by Tam, before release on the album Tam 9. 

The MV Dau Chi Rieng Em, composed by Khac Hung, attracted 50 million viewers on YouTube six months after its release.

Tam 9 was ranked 10th on Billboard’s World Albums chart in the third week of January based on sales data compiled by Nielsen Music, according to Billboard.com.

“My dream of introducing Vietnamese music to the world has come true,” said Tam, known as the Queen of Pop, on her fan page, after being the first Vietnamese singer listed on Billboard. 

Songwriter and singer Le Cat Trong Ly’s Khong Sao Ve Bat Dau (Let Begin Again) was nominated for Best MV and Best Composer.

The album includes 10 songs of classical folk music, composed by Ly, a graduate of HCM City Music Conservatory.

The songs were mixed by music producer and cellist Nguyen Thanh Tu who worked three years on the recording.  

Ly performed with the support of the orchestra of 12 string and wind musicians.

The album was produced and distributed by Ly and her staff through the artist’s fanpage. 

“The album Khong Sao Ve Bat Dau can be seen as a breakthrough in the songwriting process for Ly, who started composing songs in 2006,” said Hoang Thuan, a music critic for Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper.

“My favourite songs on Ly’s album are Em (You) and Ho Nuoc (Lake), both played with a string quintet and wind quartet. These songs used strong traditional and classical elements,” he added.  

Ly began her career 12 yeas ago when she was at university.

In 2008, she won several prizes at the Bai Hat Viet (Vietnamese Songs) programme organised by Viet Nam Television, including Song of the Month, Song of the Year and the Promising Young Singer for her song Chenh Venh (Unstable).

Tam and Ly will compete with Hanoi-based colleagues, Hong Nhung and Khanh Linh, for the prize.

Diva Nhung worked with music producer Hoai Sa on the album, Pho A Pho Oi (Streets), a production of 11 songs featuring Hanoi and its culture.  

Her album combines Vietnamese folk and western music, accompanied by several instruments and electronic music.     

Linh’s album, Ngai (Mister), includes five songs of semi-classic, classic crossover and symphony rock. 

The album’s featured songs, such as Ve Voi Dong (Back to the Winter) and Gio Bay Ngang Troi (Wind Blows on the Sky), shot Linh to new career heights.   

The last nominee for Best MV of the Year is Portrait by Uyen Linh, winner of the Vietnam Idol 2010, a Vietnamese version of the TV reality show American Idol. 

Portrait features songs by young composers Pham Hai Au, Tran Nhat Ha and Linh Lan.

It tells the stories of young women who discover themselves through love. 

Nearly 100 music critics and reporters from prestigious newspapers and magazines submit votes for Cong Hien Awards 2017.

The Cong Hien Awards are presented annually to the best show, album and artist in nine categories.

The traditional categories include Best Music Video, Best Musician, Best Producer, New Talent, Best Singer, Best Show and Song of the Year.

There will also be an award for the Best Series of Music Performances. The awards ceremony will take place at the Cultural Friendship Palace in Hanoi, with a live broadcast scheduled on Viet Nam Television on Thursday.

Source: VNS