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conmeo · #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2008, 01:43 AM

Little Saigon is known worldwide for producing music videos, but it's losing ground to piracy.

Long before "American Idol," Vietnamese singers with songs in their heart and fame on their minds had been coming to Little Saigon in search of stardom.

From Australia to Alabama, they converged on Westminster, where the popularity of music videos such as the "Paris by Night" series have created international stars throughout the Vietnamese community abroad.

"You must appear in a music video if you want to become a famous singer," said Nam Loc, a well-known celebrity host on music videos and a social activist in the Vietnamese community.

"This is how people know who you are and buy your CDs. For Vietnamese singers abroad, this is the only way to gain recognition."

Nothing is Hollywood about Westminster's Little Saigon, where noodle restaurants and Asian supermarkets line Bolsa Avenue. But hidden among the Chinese herb shops are unassuming music stores that double as production companies, the largest concentration of Vietnamese music companies in the world.

Little Saigon has become the epicenter of Vietnamese culture, where film and music are created and exported worldwide. The industry is estimated at 10 times larger than that in Vietnam, where recording technologies lag.

An estimated 250,000 of the 1.4 million Vietnamese in the United States live in Little Saigon, the largest community outside Vietnam and the center of Vietnamese-American film and music.

Lai Van To, creator of the "Paris by Night" videos, said he recognized that once Vietnamese immigrants were dispersed around the world, they would miss their culture and music.

Thus was born Thuy Nga Productions' video series in 1989. Since the series' debut, the video market has become a powerful promotional medium for singers. Once singers appear in videos, their recognition grows, and concert promoters around the world invite them on tours.

It can be a rewarding business for those at the top, who are booked months in advance and command $3,000 for a concert and up to $1,500 for a studio recording. The studios also profit, with a well-known singer who can sell CDs. Singers are paid a one-time fee for recording, but sometimes remixes or even albums are made from the original master tapes.
Thuy Nga Productions, known as TNP, is arguably at the pinnacle of this business.

TNP was nominated alongside Celine Dion and Cher by the American Music Choreography Awards for best choreography in a music video in 2003. "Paris by Night" is a variety show featuring about 20 songs that include musical skits, traditional music and pop performances with dancers on an extravagant stage. The program is interspersed with interviews led by
Nguyen Ngoc Ngan, in a role similar to the host of the Academy Awards.

Hung Nguyen, a wholesale music distributor who sells to local music and bookstores such as Tu Quynh, similar to Barnes & Noble, said "Paris by Night" videos have consistently outsold all other Vietnamese videos over the past decade. Demand for "Paris by Night" videos quickly spawned similar videos and created a booming music industry a decade ago, with a dozen studios that produce CDs and music videos for distribution to Vietnamese
communities worldwide, including Vietnam.

Today however, TNP, Asia Entertainment and Van Son Productions are among the few companies left, due to high production costs and piracy. Ten years ago, a top CD could sell more than 40,000 copies worldwide. That number is now about half that because of bootleg copies.

TNP's owner, To, said he has spent more than $100,000 in attorney fees over the past six months to sue those who illegally reproduced his products throughout the United States and other countries such as France, Germany and Australia. In Little Saigon, To said, his lawsuits have stopped video stores from copying his music videos and renting them out.

MUSIC AND ACHIEVEMENT

Even as record sales have declined, a more sophisticated audience now demands more elaborate sets and state-of-the-art sound. Production costs for a full video can easily exceed $1 million, said Van Son, president of an entertainment production company that bears his name.

Son's company keeps costs low, usually about $500,000 and specializes in videos with comedy skits and a mix of musicals. Without the deep pockets and recognizable name of companies like TNP, Son's 6-year-old company can compete because it has a distinctive niche.

"Our specialty is making videos that bring lots of laughter," said Son,a stand-up comedian.

TNP is known for featuring top names, while its main rival, Asia Entertainment, has a reputation for showcasing emerging young talent.

"We also focus more on politics and community spirit," said Nam Loc, Asia's popular host.

Some Asia videos include music on war themes or about refugee camps and former political prisoners. Asia's most recent show was filmed at the Kodak Theatre on July 31.

A best-selling video for Asia is "Glorious Summer 2003," featuring Vietnamese around the world who have made contributions to society as writers, scientists and athletes such as Cung Le, a kick-boxing champion.

"It's a way for Vietnamese people around the world to be proud of our achievements and enjoy music performances, too," Loc said. Its success has prompted future "Glorious Summer" videos, he said.

The two dominant Vietnamese musical genres are country-folk and modern pop. The country sound generally has a distinctive slower beat and is sometimes accompanied by the dan tranh, a 16-string instrument similar to the Japanese koto. Modern Vietnamese music carries the familiar pop beat of an upbeat Celine Dion song.

ROAD TO FAME

Two years ago, Quang Le's dream brought him to the heart of the music industry. The first company he called was TNP, he said. TNP receives thousands of cassettes every few months but rarely responds due to the high volume.

"I just hoped and prayed and kept calling back" said Le, who sings Vietnamese country music. TNP did not need a country singer, and his name was not yet established, Le said. So he went to work for a smaller studio for a year until he got a call for an audition.

"It was my dream come true," said Le, who currently has the top-selling CD, "Suong Trang Mien Que Ngoai" (roughly translated: "The Distant Fog of the Mother Land").

A set of two "Paris by Night" videos featuring artists such as Le costs $27 and is packaged in a colorful box decorated with photos of performers.

About every two weeks, the company releases a new cassette and CD. The tapes sell for $5, CDs for $10, and a karaoke DVD is $30. A new video is released every three months and is snapped up by Vietnamese ex-patriates around the world, with pirated copies quick to follow.

Such worldwide recognition prompted singers like Ninh Cat Loan Chau of Coto de Caza to switch in 2000 from her former music label, Asia, for a spot on the "Paris by Night" videos. Today, she is arguably the "it" girl of the Vietnamese pop scene, known for her sultry love ballads.

"I am now booked every weekend for concerts," said Chau, who used to travel about twice a month. She left her $60,000-a-year job as a computer consultant in the aerospace industry before becoming a full-time singer, she said.

In the most recent "Paris by Night" video, Chau serenades with a love ballad titled "Vai Phu" ("Supporting Role"), where she appears as a 1930s screen siren with arched eyebrows and red lipstick on a porcelain face.

"It's a love song but it's also reflective of life," she says. "One day you could be the star, and the next you're in a supporting role. You cannot know what will happen tomorrow."

Many observers also wonder what will happen to a Vietnamese music industry with declining sales, yet high demands for extravagant productions. When sales of 10,000 are considered very good and 30,000 the mark of a superstar, little economic incentive exists for studios to produce multimillion-dollar videos.

They say that more studios will close if sales continue this downward spiral. Said To, of the "Paris by Night" videos: "We do this out of passion for the music we produce. It's a sad state with rampant piracy. We cannot fight this war alone. "But I'm very hopeful that the next generation will want to respect and preserve their music culture."

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