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Rapper Binz Da Poet was named ‘Best Asian Artist Vietnam’, while singer Amee was honoured as the ‘Best New Asian Artist Vietnam’ and Quang Dang won ‘Best Choreographer of the Year’ at the event, which was livestreamed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MAMA is a prestigious annual music award initiated and maintained by ROK’s Mnet Media since 1999. Starting in 2009, the award was extended to ten artists from Asian countries and territories who gained many achievements in the year. Vietnam was selected to hold the award ceremony together with three other countries in the region in 2017. Previously, Vietnamese singers, including My Tam, Thu Minh, Dong Nhi, Toc Tien, Noo Phuoc Thinh, and Huong Tram, have been awarded in the category of “Best Asian Artist Vietnam”.

Binz, real name Le Nguyen Trung Dan, 32, was born in Gia Lai Province before relocating to the US. He has been part of the Vietnamese underground music community since 2007 and started earning popularity in 2017 after returning to Vietnam.

Amee, real name Tran Huyen My, 20, is the youngest Vietnamese artist to be honored at MAMA. Starting her career in 2018 and releasing her debut album “DreAMEE” in June, Amee has received several domestic awards, including Best New Artist of the Year at “Cong Hien 2020” (Dedicated Music Award 2020).

Notably, the ‘Best Choreographer of the Year’ award, which was handed out for the first time in the 21 year history of the MAMA, was given to Quang Dang thanks to his dancing with the LifeDance group in the music video Love Note by Binz ft. Min.

Earlier, in February, the Handwashing song by songwriter Khac Hung and the accompanying dance choreographed by Dang went viral on social media after being featured on HBO’s comedic news show Last Week Tonight, during which host John Oliver called it a “genuine club-banger”.

UNICEF also shared Dang’s handwashing dance video in a post on March 3, stressing to people that washing their hands with soap and water is one of the first steps in protecting themselves from coronavirus.

Born in 1989, Dang was a member of the Buoc Nhay dance group. In 2012, the dancer was runner up of So You Think You Can Dance. He has worked with many popular singers in their acts and music videos. The LifeDance group that he founded competed in Asia’s Got Talent 2019.

He had a life-changing experience during that time, as he met and fell in love with a Vietnamese woman. It encouraged him to study the Vietnamese language and culture, and he also learned how to sing many Vietnamese songs. The novelty of hearing a foreign singer crooning local tunes has brought him fame. Though his love story ended, his love for the country and Vietnamese music will never die.

PERFORMER: Singer Kyo York is loved for his sweet voice and renditions of Vietnamese folk songs. Photo courtesy of the artist

How did COVID-19 affect your life?

Not just me but also many artists struggled during the pandemic. The entertainment industry was the first to close and the last to reopen. It was sad, but couldn’t be helped.

Beyond losing our earnings, we were also affected psychologically. We had to cancel plans and projects that had been carefully prepared.

I personally was fortunate to release two songs. The first is a cover of the Vietnamese folk song Trống Cơm (Cylindrical Drum), which I sing in both English and Vietnamese in an attempt to raise awareness about preventive measures to fight COVID-19.

I mixed the familiar tune with some humour and information on how the disease spreads through droplets in the air produced by coughs and sneezes, and called on people to maintain a high level of hygiene and follow social distancing measures.

It was a catchy song that included useful information and cheered people up, relieved stress, and helped people in quarantine cope with the boredom.

The other song was an English version of Ghen Covy, a viral song that appeared on HBO’s Last Week Tonight.

I am happy to have helped introduce Vietnamese music and culture to the world. Both these songs are topical and have a melody that everyone loves.

And what about during social distancing?

In the first period of social distancing I gained a lot of weight, but then in the second one I made an effort to stay in shape. Though I wasn’t able to perform, I still worked hard on my voice and recorded some songs.

I feel fortunate to be living in Vietnam, as the pandemic was controlled very well here. Of course, everyone has to remain vigilant and follow the guidance from the Ministry of Health.

Were you sad not being able to visit your family in America last Christmas?

I used to visit my family often whenever I had a chance to sing for the Vietnamese community in America. I had to cancel a lot of shows overseas last year. It’s now been a long time since I went home.

Sadly, my father caught COVID-19 last year. Though he has recovered, he is much weaker. He also suffers from dementia.

Meanwhile, my brother’s wife gave birth to a baby boy. I’ve still only met my new nephew on Facetime. I’m concerned about my loved ones and can’t wait to go home. I’ll be one of the first to buy a ticket to the US when international flights reopen.

You will perform at the international concert “The World Sings About Mother” on May 9. What does it mean to you?

It is a meaningful programme that connects artists from 14 countries. People often hear me sing in Vietnamese, but at this concert I will sing in English, my native language. My song is Mama Tried, which is already familiar to Vietnamese audiences.

Have you told your mother about this song?

Yes. Mum and I are very close. She is an artist, and perhaps I inherited her love of art. We agree on many things. I love my mother very much.

I call her every day, and we talk about everything. If either of us encounters a problem, we work together to find a solution.

When I’m sad, I always talk to my mum and she gives me advice and helps me be positive. She taught me to always look on the bright side of life. So, when I stand on stage, I convey a positive energy to the audience.

AT HOME: Kyo York fell in love with Vietnam the first time he ever came here. Photo courtesy of the artist

She must be nervous with you living so far away?

My mum is my biggest fan. When I have new work or a new project, she is always the first I sing to, even though she doesn’t understand Vietnamese. She has supported me a great deal mentally. She is proud that I created a career in another country and found a degree of success, becoming a bridge between American and Vietnamese culture.

When I came to Vietnam to work as a volunteer at the age of 24, I was young and didn’t know too much about the outside world. There are times when I’m lonely and homesick, and my mother encourages me by reminding me that “you’re doing meaningful work; try hard and the good times will return”.

Artists are often sensitive and introspective, sometimes sublimated, sometimes down. Between the ups and downs, I need someone to give me balance, and that person is my mother, the most important woman in my life.

What about your father? How does he influence your personality?

My parents broke up when I was 13 years old. I lived with my father, and only saw my mum on weekends. They are civilised to each other and love their kids. They still talk and do what’s best for us.

I’m fortunate to have such a family, where everyone loves and cares for each other so much.

Do you want to love someone with the same character as your mother?

My love now is this job, singing.

As an artist, you can’t live without love, and it’s true of me. I don’t want to let people know about my girlfriend. I like to separate my work from my life. I don’t normally bring my private affairs on to the stage.

I don’t seek any role models when it comes to love. I just need someone who loves me and understands me.

As someone who knows about both Asian and Western cultures, do you think there are any differences in motherhood?

I think mothers are wonderful everywhere, because they love their children and families and make a lot of sacrifices. The only difference is how it is expressed.

In America, parents allow their children to be independent early in their lives. They may not live with their children, but their affection never diminishes.

In Vietnam, I have seen many mothers love their children so much that the care and pampering makes the kids overly-reliant on them.

Have you ever brought your mother to Vietnam?

She wanted to come but is afraid of flying and her health is also not very good. We’ve planned it many times but it’s never happened. In the future, when flights reopen, I hope she can come and see how wonderful Vietnam is.

Can you tell us about your upcoming new project?

I am working on a project to honour and commemorate the death anniversary of composer Trinh Cong Son. I love his music and Vietnamese audiences love me as a foreign singer performing his love songs. So the project is quite important for my career.

VNS

By Filippo Giachi Vice president Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, DOCOMO Digital

Mortal Kombat is an American martial arts fantasy action film based on the video game franchise of the same name created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. It is a reboot of the Mortal Kombat film series. The film stars Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.

Following the 1995 and 1997 films Mortal Kombat, a third Mortal Kombat film languished in development for nearly two decades.

In late 2010, Warner Bros. Pictures, of parent company, Warner Bros. Entertainment, acquired the franchise from Midway Games in 2009. It began developing a new film, with Kevin Tancharoen serving as director from a script written by Uziel in the wake of their Mortal Kombat: Rebirth short film.

James Wan was announced as a producer in August 2015 and McQuoid was hired as a director in November 2016. Production took place at Adelaide Studios in Adelaide and at other locations in South Australia. Principal photography occurred from September to December 2019.

Mortal Kombat is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros Pictures in the US on April 23, 2021, simultaneously in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service. In Vietnam, the movie will be released on April 9.

Quynh An

A wide range of popular foreign channels such as HBO, Discovery, AXN and Disney have been removed from two Vietnamese cable providers, angering subscribers, particularly those who already paid for year-long subscription.

The change took effect on Sunday, when subscribers of both VTVCab and its partner NextTV, a cable TV service by military-run telecom giant Viettel, complained that they were unable to find their favorite channels.

“I was confused at first as to why HBO was replaced with Box Movie, Cinemax became Hollywood Classics, and AXN turned into Blue Ant Entertainment,” said Phuong, a NextTV subscriber from Hanoi.

Phuong said she had not been made aware of the change and had no need for the new choices of channels.

Among the list of foreign channels removed from VTVCab and NextTV services are Animal Planet, Discovery, National Geographic, BBC Earth, Disney Channel, Star Movie, HBO, Cartoon Network and other sports channels, according to customers.

Two engineers set up VTVCab for a home TV in Vietnam. Photo: VTV

“When I turned on my TV on Sunday, [these channels] were all gone with no prior announcement,” said Tuan, a VTVCab subscriber from Hanoi.

Some customers felt they had been ‘deceived’ by the cable TV providers, as they had paid for a whole year of subscription in advance and would not be able to immediately stop using the services.

VTVCab: Be patient!

VTVCab general director Bui Huy Nam told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper the change had been announced multiple times since March 20, through different means such as on social media, online portals and on its TV channels.

“We didn’t make the announcement through text messages and email because not many of our customers subscribe to our email newsletter and the number of messages allowed to be sent a day is also limited,” Nam explained.

“In addition, some customers tend to ignore our texts thinking they are spam,” he added.

Bui Huy Nam, general director of VTVCab. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The replacement of the foreign channels with new ones was to “offer subscribers new choices” in the context that all cable TV services in Vietnam were offering essentially the same variety of channels, a VTVCab representative told Tuoi Tre.

“Moreover, foreign cable TVs always make use of this fact to force local providers to obtain broadcasting rights at a high price, knowing we had no other options,” the representative explained.

Such popular channels do not allow the streaming of their programs on mobile devices and through over the top (OTT) distribution, which limits VTVCab’s expansion to streaming platforms.

The change would allow VTVCab and NextTV subscribers to watch their favorite channels on the go, an entirely free add-on service that will become available in May, the representative said.

The new movie channels are also promised to offer Vietnamese viewers a much wider choice of box office hits, with at least twice the number of new movies becoming available each year compared to HBO or Cinemax, according to VTVCab.

“Subscribers should understand that we are watching the content of a channel, not its logo,” the VTVCab representative said.

“I think our customers should be more patient with the change. If they experience the new channels long enough, I believe they will start to see their appeal over the old ones.”