VietCeleb.BlogSpot.com: Ngoc Lan: Featured Viet Celeb of the Day

Here it is, friends.  Check out Ngoc Lan's biography and tribute on VietCeleb.BlogSpot.com!  Ngoc Lan's story is so worthy of telling over and over again.  We'd like to share her inspiration and our love of Ngoc Lan to the world.  I hope you enjoy reading her biography on VietCeleb.  If you have any stories you'd like to share about our beloved Ngoc Lan, please either drop me an email or post it here on NgocLanRemembered.BlogSpot.com.  Thanks to all for your continued readership.

VietCeleb.BlogSpot.com: Ngoc Lan: Featured Viet Celeb of the Day

Hat Cho Tinh Yeu (To Sing With Love) - Khanh Ha and Ngoc Lan

Released in the year of 1990 by Khanh Ha Productions, this album combining two of the most celebrated female vocalists in Vietnamese popular music, Khanh Ha and Ngoc Lan, was a tremendous success and became one of the bestselling albums of the year.  With both of these Vietnamese pop music divas at the very top of their game during the time of its release, the album's tremendous level of success and massive sales really came about of no big surprise to anyone.  Ngoc Lan was riding high from the enormous successes with her pair of bestseller albums produced and released by the Giang Ngoc label during the late 1980s, Nguoi Yeu Dau (1987) and L'amour Tinh Ta (1988), topped with her stellar solo videotape that had been produced and released by May Productions, Nhu Em Da Yeu Anh (1990).  Khanh Ha was also enjoying the success of her recently formed production label, Khanh Ha Productions.  Since its inception in 1988, Khanh Ha Productions had released a series of top selling albums including her smash hit self-produced solo studio album, Mot Thuo Yeu Anh (1988), followed by another top selling solo studio album, Em Van Yeu Anh (1989).  

The quality in production of this album had, however, plenty of room for improvement.  Khanh Ha's performance on each track was nothing short of stellar.  However, Ngoc Lan's delivery of some of the tracks were somewhat lackluster.  This can be said especially with her performance on Trinh Cong Son's Tuong Rang Da Quen.  Of Ngoc Lan's performances on this album, I must say I prefer her deliveries of  Suoi Toc and Toi Dua Em Sang Song, written by Van Phung and Tran Thien Thanh (Nhat Truong).  

Khanh Ha, on the other hand, was spectacular on each performance.  I especially liked Trinh Cong Son's Ru Em Tung Ngon Xuan Nong and Marguarite Pham's Sao Danh Xa Em.  (Marguarite Pham is the same person as singer/political activist/columnist Nguyet Anh who used to perform at political rallies alongside the late Viet Dzung.)

I didn't care much for the photo album cover.  Khanh Ha's hairdo seemed so outdated.  And Ngoc Lan could have looked much better.  

Cho Nhau Kiep Nao (Forever Waiting) - Trinh Nam Son and Ngoc Lan Duet Album

This was a rather pleasant album combining these two great voices.  Other than Duy Quang, I'd have to say Trinh Nam Son is one very compatible male voice to duet with Ngoc Lan.  To start out the album, Ngoc Lan gives a very nice delivery of a Pham Duy classic, Mua Thu Chet.  Although I must admit, I'm a die hard fan of Julie Quang whose interpretation of this song is incomparable, in my opinion.  However, Ngoc Lan's delivery shows more than mere competence.  Ngoc Lan has a lovely way of phrasing that no other Vietnamese singer has been able to come even close to.  Trinh Nam Son gives an exceptional rendition of Lobo's How Can I Tell Her in translated Vietnamese lyrics written by Vu Xuan Hung and Ky Phat.  In the one song these two artists decided to duet together on this album, Gia Tu Tinh Yeu, their voices blended beautifully together.  I wish they had recorded many more duets on this album and throughout their careers.

The arrangements on this album were very well done.  Song by song, each arrangement was carefully crafted and very pleasing to the ear.  One of my favorites has long been Niem Dau Chon Dau.  Before hearing Ngoc Lan's version, I thought no other singer could top Khanh Ha's amazing rendition that had been featured on Khanh Ha Productions' Volume 2 of the Uptight.   I especially enjoyed Trinh Nam Son's harmonizing vocals in the background of this track.  This album is still available at Vietnamese music stores on compact disc.  If you haven't already checked out this album, pick one up soon.  It is highly worthy of listening to.