VietNamNet Bridge – Around 150 local singers have unanimously raised their voice against the lip-synching that plagues the country’s showbiz at a singer’s workshop in the central coastal city of Quy Nhon.

Singer Dam Vinh Hung.

Hung, who chaired the workshop on Monday, is known for his energy onstage. He takes pride in never lip-synching and never refusing to do an encore.

"Lip-synching can not convey feelings to the audience. Singers can only win over the crowd when they’re living in the songs," said Hoa Mi, who now lives and performs to the Vietnamese community in the US. Lip-synching is only allowed in video clips in the US, she said.

Bich Phuong, a rock singer of the same generation with Mi, said she and her old colleagues never lip-synched, even though they performed during very hard times three decades ago.

"We really loved our career," said Phuong, whose son Kasim Hoang Vu is a popular rock star.

"It’s shameful for a lazy lip-syncher to accept the same payment as singers who almost burst their chests onstage," she complained.

Some singers admitted at the workshop that they had lip-synched, but only as a last resort when the sound system went wrong or when they were so sick they couldn’t use their voices.

"However, none of us wanted to do that," said singer Thai Thuy Linh, "It’s unfair for singers to claim high pay for lip-synching, while the backing dancers can’t fake dancing but don’t earn as much."

"Is it paradoxical that singers have to sing to build up their reputation, yet lip-synch when they’re established," she questioned.

Linh recommended that singers should join together to demand proper sound systems or refuse to sing.

"We should be serious in our performances, or not perform at all," said My Tam, one of the most popular female singers.

Dr Huynh Van Son, a psychology expert who served as a consultant for singers in the workshop, noted that lip movements are often two seconds behind the lyrics that are piped in.

"Some singers think that microphones can cover up their lip-synching, but they are wrong," Son explained, "Big screens on both sides of the stage make it easy for the audience to know that a singer is lip-synching."

He said it didn’t make the job any easier for singers as the fear of being found out made singers feel even more nervous.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been tough on lip-synch, issuing regulations that impose fines up to millions of dong (hundreds of dollars).

The audience will have the final say and they won’t choose lip synchers, said chairman Hung.

"Please have some self-respect, for yourselves and your family," he added.

"There is no excuse" was the slogan Hung made up at the workshop to stop the practice.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News