Phi Nhung: Our Other Amerasian Diva of Vietnamese Music

If Thanh Ha is considered the Amerasian diva of Vietnamese popular music, Phi Nhung would surely be the Amerasian diva of more traditional Vietnamese music.  From the early 1990s when Phi Nhung first entered onto the scene as an overseas Vietnamese singer of traditional Vietnamese music, audiences quickly embraced her genuine style of singing.  Starting with her earliest audio recordings for the music label, Thuy Anh, Phi Nhung had shown strong potential with her interpretations of traditional and folkloric music, especially being able to sing with an authentic Southern Vietnamese accent on folk songs originally from that particular region of Vietnam.  An Amerasian, of inter-ethnic mixed parentage, Phi Nhung's striking European features coupled with her dress attire of a traditional Vietnamese pheasant girl brought a pleasant contrast with audiences.


Born in Pleiku, Vietnam on October 4, 1972, Phi Nhung grew up without her father who was an American serviceman.  In a family of 5 other siblings and her mother, Phi Nhung's unfortunate circumstances only allowed her to attend school up until 6th grade.  At the age of 17 in 1989, Phi Nhung was able to come live in the United States under the Amerasian Homecoming Act.  She first resettled in Tampa, Florida where she began pursuing her childhood dreams of becoming a professional singer.  After a chance meeting with Vietnamese-American singer, Trizzie Phuong Trinh, Phi Nhung was given an invitation in 1993 to come to California where she would be introduced to Tien Bac, the owner of Thuy Anh Productions.

Phi Nhung's first recordings for Thuy Anh were not met with much reception from the overseas Vietnamese audiences.  But with the encouragement of overseas Vietnamese singing legend, Huong Lan, Phi Nhung continued relentlessly to pursue her dream.  After her video appearance on May Productions' Hollywood Night Volume 15 video series on a duet song, Song Que 1, with Thai Chau, Phi Nhung began to win the hearts of Vietnamese audiences.  Soon after, her other recordings of songs such as Bong Dien Dien, Co Le, Lam Dau Xu La, and Ngau Hung Ly Qua Cau would turn Phi Nhung into a superstar. 

Her numerous collaborations with Phuong Nga, K Productions, Thuy Nga Paris, and Tinh Productions have made her a bestseller among Vietnamese singers and led her to travelling around the world performing to Vietnamese audiences worldwide.  There was a time Phi Nhung and myself were label mates.  In 1998, she and I were both under contract with Bien Tinh Productions.  That was when we became friends.  One thing I really appreciate about Phi Nhung is the fact that she has never forgotten her roots.  Phi Nhung has been one of the few Amerasian artists that have taken part on shows promoted by Gia Dinh My Viet to raise awareness for Amerasian causes. 

Since 2005, Phi Nhung has been associated with Rang Dong Productions, based in Vietnam.  She continues to appear frequently on Van Son Productions and Thuy Nga Paris.  Phi Nhung's duet video appearances with Manh Quynh have been one of the biggest hits on the Paris By Night stage.  In addition to Phi Nhung's successful career as a singer of traditional Vietnamese music, she has also found success on the "cai luong" stage.  Her versatility has been one of the many reasons why she has become a legendary overseas Vietnamese artist, a status of Phi Nhung that remains to this day.

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