Hong Kong star Raymond Lam

Hong Kong pop Raymond Lam’s “Shake the Wind” show did anything but shake the audience at Ho Chi Minh City’s Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center last Thursday.

Beginning his Asian tour in the southern commercial capital, Lam’s monotonous blend of moderate pop ballads and repetitive dance gestures satisfied few fans.

A list of about ten of Lam’s more famous songs from the TV shows he starred in reminded the audience why they had first been attracted to him, but the tunes’ drab presentation did not hold the crowd’s attention.

Lam was friendly and gentle as always, but he did little to start the tour with a bang.

His duet with a local pop star Ho Ngoc Ha was canceled and his wardrobe did not include clothes by local designers as promised. Many fans were a bit offended and many more were simply disappointed at a luke-warm performance by an Asian icon.

“The show was not too bad but it’s worse than I expected,” said audience-member Mai Anh, a fan of Lam’s TV shows.

The only thing that saved the night were enthusiastic performances by several local guests – Bao Thy, Ho Ngoc Ha and Luong Bich Huu – who livened up the arena with creative dances and contagious energy.

Thirty-year-old Raymond Lam is well-known in Vietnam for his roles in Hong Kong TV series including “A Step into the Past” (2001), “Eternal Happiness” (2002), “Moonlight Resonance” and “The Four” (2008).

He arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on July 20 and received a tremendous welcome from over 200 Vietnamese fans as well as much attention from local media.

Raymond began his singing career in 2007 after he signed with Emperor Entertainment Group Record Company.

He has released three albums, “Searching or You in Loving Memories” in 2007, “Your Love” in 2008 and “Let’s Get Wet” last month.

Reported by Le Nguyen