Nguyen Cong Khe, chairman of Thanh Nien Media Corporation and head organizer of 21st Duyen dang Viet Nam gala

Thanh Nien’s signature gala will usher in the New Year with a rich mixture of nostalgia and excitement, organizers said at a press briefing Thursday.

A premier cultural and entertainment event on the national calendar, the festival also marks its return after last year’s absence, Khe said.

Director Dinh Anh Dung, meanwhile, said Tro ve would also pay homage to the late Huynh Phuc Dien, a nationally renowned show and stage director who significantly contributed to the huge popularity and prestige the event enjoys today.

Following up the heart-warming opening segment featuring evergreen melodies of yesteryear, Chao Viet Nam (Bonjour Vietnam) will take the audience firmly to the present with a feast of various kinds of music performed by famous singers and divas on a modern stage, Dung said.

The second part will start with Vietnamese Belgian singer Pham Quynh Anh, who will perform her hit song Bonjour Vietnam, the director said. In 2006 the song caused quite a stir in chat rooms and forums in the Vietnamese community around the world because of the nostalgic feelings for the homeland it evoked.

Kicking off on December 31, the four-day music and variety entertainment extravaganza will be held at HCMC’s Hoa Binh Theater with the participation of 40 local and overseas singers, more than 30 models and hundreds of dancers.

The gala, which is held to raise money for the Thanh Nien newspaper-initiated Vietnam Talent Fund and Nguyen Thai Binh Scholarship Fund, has also been held in Canberra, Sydney, Singapore and London. Proceeds from the event will fund the education of poor and outstanding students nationwide.

Reported by Thanh Nguyen