The singings are slow and the beats are mellow. Da Khuc Nguyen Dinh Phung is quiet, calm, and relax, but not boring. Thanks to producer Duy Cuong for his magical fingers. The musical arrangements along with the ambient vocals of Tuan Ngoc and Thai Hien set Nguyen Dinh Phung’s compositions in a nocturnal atmosphere.

Nguyen Dinh Phung is a relaxed songwriter; therefore, who can perform his music better than the easygoing Tuan Ngoc? On “Dem Hoai Vong,” Tuan Ngoc sounds as laid-back as he could be, and the saxophone added the fragrance of jazz to the work. His pleasurable and tangible deliveries on “Toc May” and “Em Co Nho” make me want to reach for more, as if they were a glass of French Martini.

Thai Hien performances are no less addictive. Her serenading vocals on “Dem Sau” take listeners deep into the night while her aspirate flows fly the audiences freely with “Hoang Hac (Yellow Flamigo).” Of course, none of these aesthetic experiences are possible without the amazing sounds of Duy Cuong.

Da Khuc Nguyen Dinh Phung is a rare and timeless work. It’s a contemporary nocturne album that takes more then one listen to appreciate its exquisite contents. Once the images are accessible, the compositions speak loud and clear even though the lyrics and melodies are restful.

With the slushy weather outside, the best way to kill my misery is to watch Vietnamese music DVDs. When the video is boring, it would not help, but -thankfully- Kim Loi’s 12th Anniversary is a great time killer. The goal for the DVD is simply music. Thanh Tung may not be the best host, but he does a good job of keeping the introductions to the minimal. It’s amazing that someone actually learned from other MCs’ mistakes.

The performances are consistently good; therefore, I won’t go into every detail, but only highlight the ones that stand out for me. The young new face, Anh Tuan, has great potentials. His voice is along the line of Nguyen Khang’s, but not as smoky. His style is definitely influenced by Tuan Ngoc. Similar to Anh Tuan, Quang Tuan is also inspired by Tuan Ngoc. His singing on “Gui Nguoi Em Gai” is beautiful.

Khanh Ha gives a fantastic performance on Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” in both French and English. Her splendid voice pushes the band and she does it her way. While Khanh Ha is sizzling hot, Thu Phuong is on fire with her own interpretation of “Bang Bang.” What an attidude she brings to the work. Her powerful vocals give “Bang Bang” a fresh vibe.

Kim Loi has brought something new to the table by inviting both singers from the States and Vietnam. The combination is nicely integrated. The only mistake Kim Loi made was inviting a white dude to host a Vietnamese show. His accents are horrible and he just memorizes the notes. Tuan Anh would be a great MC. His freaky look and his dirty mind will bring something new to the show. He cracks me up.

Out of all Hong Nhung’s albums, Ngay Khong Mua is her weakest work. The problem is that – most of the time – she does not drive the beats. On Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh, she flows inside the arrangements, but on this album, she only rides beside the chords. As a result, her vocals sound bland. Once her voice is not fluctuating, it causes the music to be unexciting.

Even Duong Thu’s compositions could not save her this time. His “Pho Mua Dong” and “Bai Hat Ru Mua Dong” are the only two tracks that she could deliver reasonable performances. One of the luminous pieces is Quoc Trung’s “Tinh Yeu o Lai.” Though her timbres are not changing drastically, they fit flawlessly with Quoc Trung’s simple writing. The music is like a modern version of Trinh Hung’s classic folk “Loi Ve Xom Nho.” The lyrics in “Tinh Yeu o Lai” escape me from the cold winter while Hong Nhung walks me to the blossomed rice fields as her warm and sweet voice enters, “Da het buon va het van vuong / lua da vang toa ngat huong dong.” Yes, I can smell the fresh scent of the new crops.

Ngay Khong Mua may be the weakest album among her classics, but it is no way an unpleasant work. If she could embrace the dynamic persistently on every song, similar to the way she does on La Van Cuong’s “Roi Co Luc,” this would have been another eminent record. The song gives listeners a more delicate style of Hong Nhung and she is right inside the piano. The album proves that she is not afraid to experiment with new materials. Speaking of her new works, I cannot wait to collect both Mot Ngay Moi and Khu Vuon Yen Tinh.

For overseas Vietnamese entertainers, Khanh Ha is one of the most successful singers with the most albums ever recorded. Her latest solo Tinh Khuc Ngo Thuy Mien is the sixty-fifth album produced by her very own Khanh Ha Productions. Despite bootlegs and low prices of CDs coming in from Vietnam, any record with Khanh Ha’s hologram stamped on the cover remains the most expensive of all in the Vietnamese music stores. Even big productions like Asia and Thuy Nga wouldn’t dare raise their prices as high as Khanh Ha’s production. How does she have so much confidence in her own products while other singers are struggling to get a record deal?

Khanh Ha has established herself in the business and her confidence comes from her voice. Her elegant style has captured Vietnamese listeners for more than twenty-five years and will continue to do so in the next twenty-five years. She knows that if she puts out an expensive product, the product has to live up to the price. From the production to the vocalization, Tinh Khuc Ngo Thuy Mien is well crafted. She has successfully articulated Ngo Thuy Mien’s music to its full potential. The most outstanding track has to be “Mot Coi Tinh Phai,” in which she has truly captured his essence. When I close my eyes, the images of the song are visible as she describes a picturesque scene of a lonely fall in Paris, “Chieu qua song Sein / co con chim bay cuoi troi / cat len tieng ca ra roi / cuoc tinh sau khon nguoi.”

Fall must be an inspiring season for Ngo Thuy Mien. Both “Noi Dau Muon Mang” and “Trong Noi Nho Muon Mang” demonstrate his passion for the fall season in his descriptive lyrics. Khanh Ha, once again, expresses his words gorgeously as she sways the listeners with her vocals’ manipulation. While she pours her heart on “Noi Dau Muon Mang” to convey the painful soul, her singing is calm on “Trong Noi Nho Muon Mang” to mashup with the tranquil beats. “Mot Doi Lang Quen” is another quiet song, and she flows soothingly to the romantic arrangements.

On the more experimental tracks, Khanh Ha teams up with Thuy Anh for a feel of the blues on “Tinh Khuc Mua Xuan.” With Ngo Thuy Mien’s classic, “Dau Tinh Sau,” her musical producer gives it a makeover up-tempo beat while she makes it sound fresh with her signature style. Speaking of her signature delivery, “Mien Khuc” fits that category completely. It’s the right vocals for the right melodies.

Tinh Khuc Ngo Thuy Mien marks a successful collaboration among writer (Ngo Thuy Mien), singer (Khanh Ha), and musical producers (Duy Cuong, Nguyen Quang, Duy Hanh, and Peter Siebert). Break out the wine glasses, uncork a bottle of Merlot, pop in Tinh Khuc Ngo Thuy Mien, sit back, and enjoy the intimate atmosphere of an evening right at home.

It’s been a while for Thuy Nga to produce a decent video. Paris By Night 75 (Journey to the Far East) is much more enjoyable than the last several DVDs. Thuy Nga’s cast and crew have done their homework and their hard work is paid off as they lead viewers on the journey to the far east. Each performance is carefully studied and researched to bring out the aesthetic qualities of the various cultures.

The best performance on the video goes to Bao Han’s “Theo Em Xuong Pho.” The Taiko drummers add tremendous energy to the cut while Bao Han and the two hot dancers rock their slim bodies to the beat. The Japanese inspired customs are elegant and the colors match the dazzling motion effects in the background. Because I was deeply drawn into the over all performance, the translated lyrics did not bothered me. Even though I have no idea what he raps about, the “Vietnamese Eminem” flows nicely to the beat. Bao Han is a creative performer and she deserves the praise for her quality work.

While Bao Han gives the most energetic performance, Nhu Quynh delivers the most emotional presentation on the video. Her “Chi Di Tim Em” is convincing and her tears are believable as she searches for her little brother in the flood. The visual effects in the background increase the dramatic experience greatly.

Beside the great choreography scenes (thanks to the innovation Shanda Sawyer), Paris By Night 75 features some outstanding solo performances including: Y Lan’s “Khoc Cho Roi Le Nhoa,” Luu Bich’s “Dang Cay,” and Bang Kieu’s “Mua Tren Ngay Thang Do.” I actually enjoy Bang Kieu’s singing for the first time. His voice does not sound too feminine and he has the strength to carry on the high notes skillfully.

Whether the viewers like it or not, sexiness quality is part of Thuy Nga entertainment. Hey! I don’t mind. Nhu Loan is so damn hot. Her great body definitely boosts up her confidence; therefore, she moves naturally and shakes what she paid for on “Yeu Nhau Duoi Nang Mai.” As for Ho Le Thu, her “whoreliness” is not shocking me anymore. She is also very comfortable with her body and she has a great figure so why not rock it? As for Luong Tung Quang, he must be obsessed with the leather-skirt pants. He looks ridiculously gay to me but who am I to judge when it comes to the guy?

Beside the usual performers, Thuy Nga present the viewers some great surprises. The special appearance of Adam Ho, a fifteen years old rocker, shocks the stage. His ability to write, sing, and play guitar at such an early age is motivating and he has great potential to become a rock star. With the exceptional presence of Hoai Linh, the Thuy Nga’s sit-com has been bought to life. Hoai Linh is hilarious and his chemistry with Chi Tai is just perfect. Speaking of chemistry, the duo between Khanh Ha and Lam Nhat Tien on Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word” is a striking collaboration. Khanh Ha starts off with a slow verse than Lam Nhat Tien kicks in with a more upbeat verse to show a transition between old and modern style. Even though Lam Nhat Tien could not match up with Khanh Ha’s skillful technique, he is the closest and the only male singer in Thuy Nga who could sing English flawlessly.

From my previous reviews on Thuy Nga products, I was accused of being biased toward Thuy Nga production because of my negative point of view. I have nothing against Thuy Nga or any other productions. From a viewer standpoint, I just jot down whatever worthy or trashy. As you can see from this written up, I give Thuy Nga prop when they deserve it. My hope is for Thuy Nga to continue setting the trend and move forward to bring oversea Vietnamese entertaining DVDs; however, I doubt that they can match this video in the next three or four releases.

Only two months after Mua Re Ruc Ro 2004 released, Asia followed up with their latest effort My Nhan Ngu video just in time for the holidays. I am thrilled that they could pull it off but I am not so surprised at all by the poor quality. Obviously, Asia throw something together quickly to make a few extra bucks for the holidays.

Stealing off My Le’s vol.3 album title, My Nhan Ngu is the lamest theme Asia have ever come up with. Even the MCs don’t have anything to tell so they make a few corny jokes and introduce the video quickly (sometimes it works but not in this case). That’s why Asia hired Trinh Hoi, lawyer turns MC, for some silly interactions with the female singers. Asia also featured Do Thanh Xuan, model turns MC, offers nothing but a new face on screen.

The performances are horrible and Asia recycle the same old songs over again. They need to retired those translated songs including “Tuyet Roi,” “Vien Du Mua Xuan,” and the Boney M’s. On the “Lien Khuc Boney M” I didn’t even hear Cardin’s voice. He was there for the Puriti’s choreography. Even Nguyen Khang’s “Loi Thu Toi” performance puts me to sleep. He needs to take that “bling bling” off his ear. He looks ridiculous with an earing on. Shayla needs to put on some clothes until she looses that gut.

On the bright side, I a glad to see Don Ho joins Asia and teaming up with Lam Thuy Van once again. He has been on the down low for a while. Hope to see him make a come back on Asia’s stage.

Beside Thanh Truc’s cleavage (did she get a boob job?), nothing is exciting in Asia 45. I can’t see any other reasons to put out such a trivial work beside cashing in some quick dollars for the holidays. Come on Asia! Stop wasting folks’ money.

To appreciate Cam’Ron’s Purple Haze, one must look pass the lyrical contents. As much as I detest his “we don’t love them hoes” attitude toward women, I must give him props for crafting a luminous album. His flow is simple but pushes the beats, and the beats are blazing. He is a minimalist and his rhyme schemes are minimal, yet playful. He uses the artfully constructed style throughout the album. Beside his distinctive charisma, Killa Cam’s delivery stands out as well. He spits each word clearly and naturally. Even while he switches his flow on “Adrenaline” with Twista and Psycho Drama, his verse is still as clear as crystal when he speeds up or slows down.

When rocking Purple Haze, I tune in for the aesthetic experience. I enjoy the beautiful production, the rhyming skills, and the artistic vision, but leave the artist’s intention behind. Despite his disgusting lyrics, “Get ‘Em Girl,” “Shake,” “Hey Lady,” and “Girls” (sampling Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Fun”) are straight banging. I am sure the ladies wouldn’t care what he says when they back their “thangs” up in the club. When I talk about the aesthetic experience, I mean to separate the work of art from my personal interpretation. It’s hard to do with rap, especially with an album like Purple Haze, because of its aggressive sexual lyrics; however, it could be done. “Leave Me Alone Pt.2,” for instance, Cam’s flow chops through the melody forcefully while the violin saws away the beats.

With more highlights including “Get Down,” “Killa Cam,” “Down And Out,” Purple Haze is an even album that could be play from start to finish without interruption. Not only the skits do not distracted the flow but also help to give the album a few pauses between 20 tracks. Big up to Killa Cam!

True to her name, Hong Nhung is the “Velvet Rose” of the Vietnamese entertainment garden. Her natural singing seduces me. The more I listen, the more hooked I get. From Thuo Bong La Nguoi, to Doan Khuc Thu Ha Noi, and now Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh, she lends new vibes to the works with her gifted talent.

Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh marks an astonishing chemistry between the skillful performer, Hong Nhung, and the expansive writer, Duong Thu. While Duong Thu’s distinctive style find its way into the listener’s heart, Hong Nhung helps breathe fresh air into his compositions. The sensational flute on the title track “Bai Hat Ru Cho Anh” provides a silky-smooth tempo as Hong Nhung cascades her emotional vocals into the lullaby. “Bay Vao Ngay Xanh” is a rare groove with mellow vibes. The best part is near the end of the song where the jazz tune kicks in as she hums to the melody. Together they produce an exotic new sound.

Hong Nhung’s elegant style is both successful when she reaches the high notes effortlessly on “Danh Thuc Tam Xuan” or embraces the low keys perfectly on “Van Hat Loi Tinh Yeu.” Her handling of the words (crescendo and decrescendo) is both skillful and striking. Furthermore, she shows tremendous variations in her style as she proves her ability to perform modern folk on “Thang Tu Ve” as well as up-tempos on “Mat Troi Diu Em” and “Nghe Mua.”

While many singers advance their vocals by learning and practicing, a few are blessed with natural ability. Hong Nhung is among those few who can just pick up a note and flow naturally. The opening track “Cua So Mua Dong” demonstrates distinctive talent of her as she weaves her soul into the track.

I usually don’t feel Bang Kieu’s singing, but he gives a great duet performance with Hong Nhung on “Lang Nghe Mua Xuan Ve.” However, I would prefer Hong Nhung’s solo performance on “Tieng Song” over the collaboration with Bang Kieu. I am glad that she performs English versions of Vietnamese songs instead the other way around, which many new Vietnamese singers do, even though her English has flaws. If she was trained to pronounce the words correctly, she would have done a fantastic job in English just like what she has done in Vietnamese.

Hong Nhung has once again delivered a solid album. Duong Thu compositions match her styles marvelously and the musical arrangements are beautifully structured. Her expertise is the vision to craft an album that leaves little or no room for wasted space. It’s an element that separates great singers from popular singers since not too many performers can construct a solid album, yet Hong Nhung does it with almost every release.

Why a double album loads with boring fillers instead of one solid LP? Street’s Disciple contains enough songs for one disk but not two. Nas needs to drop half dozens of the boring tracks that serve nothing but interrupt the experience. In contrast, why didn’t “Serious” featuring AZ make it to the album? It’s a beautiful teamwork joint.

Nas is undoubtedly a talented lyricist. His rhymes are as sharp as always. On “A Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We the People,” the beat hits hard, Nas spits harder, especially when he switches up his flow on the second verse. “Nazareth” and “American Way” continue to bring the noise with his lyrical skills. On “These Are Our Heroes” and “Disciple,” he flow fearlessly on the beats. “Sekou Story” has a cool funk vibe that blends in with Nas’s smooth delivery; however, I would prefer AZ instead of Scarlett on Nas’s collaboration. Speaking of joint effort, Nas and his pop (Olu Dara) surely are “Bridging the Gap” between blue and hip-hop. “Street’s Disciple” is another beautiful work between father and son. Nas has done a clever job of telling Rakim’s life/rap story on “U.R.B.” Can’t wait to hear the unauthorized biography of KRS-1. “War” is another fine flow and literal lyrics from Nas. The descriptive lyrical content on “Thief’s Theme” establishes his incisive mind.

With a handful of hot tracks, Nas proves to have something that everyone still wants to hear even he has been in the game for more than 10 years. Street’s Disciple, once again, demonstrates his highly literate street aesthetics. Although the double album wastes some spaces, it is still worth purchasing.

Tinh Music are having a tough time moving forward with their 12th video even though they had spent a year in production. The success of their previous video (Tinh 11) has raised the bar in creating Vietnamese MTV. They have move beyond pasting performers on the scenes, which no one cares to watch. I have seen many of these boring karaoke-like videos in the past and recently from Blue Ocean Music.

Tinh Production have improved their cinematography with beautiful settings and computer generated effects. With the opening “Lien Khuc Cha Cha Cha,” the beats are fresh; the chics are hot (especially Minh Tuyet and Ha Vy); and the special effects are edgy. Minh Tuyet did it again with an emotional performance on “Dau Co Muon Mang.” Phi Nhung’s “Ao Xanh” is the best video on the entire DVD. Her singing is good but the little girl’s performance is exceptional. The story behind “Ao Xanh” based on Phi Nhung’s childhood drama when a car accident killed her mother. The little girl is so convincing and she has some characteristics that resembling Phi Nhung. Props to the director for casting a perfect character. Truong Vu’s “Lien Khuc Con Nho Nguoi Yeu” is another well-crafted video with a plot. We all know about the trend of marrying the girls in Vietnam and the divorcing 3 years later after she gets her Green card. It’s the kind of story that we can relate to. Beside the performances mentioned, the rest are from average to straight boring.

Even though the cinematography has improved tremendously (the gorgeous filming on Diem Lien’s “Vang Toc Roi”), the lacking of storyline behind the video is a major drawback on Tinh 12. The filming is beautiful but viewers will get tired of it if there is nothing to draw them in. The music arrangements are fresh but Tinh productions are still recycling too many old songs. The comedy skits are tedious and the hosts (Minh Nhi and Phi Nhung) are hideous. What were they thinking? Putting Phi Nhung on the hosting spot? She is cute and all but doesn’t have the talking skill. Que Huong Tinh Yeu va Tuoi Tre 12 is a huge disappointment.