Tran Huong Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Performing Arts, recently addressed the widespread practice of lip-syncing. Speaking at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Q1 press conference on 15/4 in Hanoi, Mr. Duong announced the department issued Official Letter 745 to the Chairmen of People's Committees across provinces and cities. This dispatch aims to rectify dishonest performance practices and organizational misconduct.

The official letter highlights "the use of recorded sound instead of live performance on stage (what the public calls lip-syncing)" as a deceptive act. Authorities state this infringes upon the public's right to cultural enjoyment and negatively impacts community ethics and social psychology concerning performing arts. Lip-syncing involves artists miming words to a pre-recorded track. A related technique, "hat de" (vocal layering), occurs when a singer performs approximately 70% live over a subtly reduced pre-recorded track, or uses pre-recorded segments for challenging parts like high notes or ad-libs to create vocal richness. With advancing technology, both lip-syncing and vocal layering have become common in the Vietnamese and international music scenes. When artists and organizers opt for these techniques, the focus shifts from vocal ability to performance skill.

Mr. Tran Huong Duong at the meeting. Photo: Ha Phuong

A recent incident on 30/1 saw singer Duyen Quynh observed dropping her microphone, yet her vocals continued during her performance of "Viet tiep cau chuyen hoa binh" at the opening of the Lan Song Xanh awards ceremony. She later apologized to the audience for failing to provide a "professional experience."

To address this, Mr. Duong stated the Central Propaganda and Training Commission will collaborate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations. They plan to organize a specialized workshop aimed at enhancing the professional capacity of artists within both public sector institutions and professional associations. In late March, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports also issued a document emphasizing "strengthening discipline and ensuring honesty" in performing arts. This document urged individuals and organizations in TP HCM to be mindful of misusing technical equipment, specifically recorded audio instead of live stage performances. The regulatory body also called upon artists to hone their professional skills and ethical conduct to elevate the quality of artistic activities and cultural behavior.

Ha Thu - Mai Nhat