Global Hit – Nguyet Anh

Though the numbers are hard to come by, Ha Long bay may be the most popular tourist spot in Vietnam. That’s for foreigners and natives alike. Another popular draw is a Nguyet Anh concert. Though you’re not likely to find many foreigners THERE. At least not yet. Nguyet Anh’s a big pop star in Vietnam. As The World’s Marco Werman tells us, if she wants to broaden her audience, Nguyet Anh has started down the right path.

For a woman who has had a rocky relationship with the Vietnamese press, she sure knows how to charm the public.

This is Nguyet Anh singing recently on a television variety program in Vietnam. Nguyet Anh’s sultry smooth delivery has won her many fans. And we’re talking about a drop-dead beauty who has alienated a lot of men.

Saigon LoungeSaigon Lounge

Not long ago, Nguyet Anh said she was disappointed that her boyfriend had cheated on her. The Vietnamese media interpreted that to mean that she was disappointed with ALL men in Vietnam.

Vietnamese men were reportedly miffed. Nguyet Anh simply moved on with her professional ambitions. Nguyet Anh fans are now listening to the results of that focused energy.

This is Nguyet Anh, remixed. It’s her take on lounge music, complete with Miles Davis-style trumpet adornments. To be accurate, it’s Nguyet Anh in the able hands of Vietnamese composer and producer Quoc Bao. He’s producing a series of CDs called “Saigon Lounge.”
Remember Saigon?

That was the pre-communist name for Ho Chi Minh City. These days the city has lots of lounges, and now, apparently, locally-made music to be played in them. It’s Nguyet Anh singing on the first volume of the Saigon Lounge series.

But remixer Quoc Bao sampled her voice judiciously on the recording. On this vaguely latin remix of a Quoc Bao composition, Nguyet Anh shows up for not more than 40 seconds. Here she comes with the first appearance…

The on-line English language Thanhnien News said that Nguyet Anh’s chillout album is not your grandfather’s elevator music. As for Nguyet Anh, she seems smitten by the chillout genre. “All singers have their own road to success,” she told Thanhnien News.

“I’ve chosen lounge music and I want to be remembered for being the first singer to perform it in Vietnam.”

For The World, I’m Marco Werman.