Artist and stage name

Watching a recent domestic music awards ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City, many viewers felt as if they were watching an international or foreign music awards ceremony. The list of artists named at the awards ceremony, including Masew, Double2T, 2Pillz, TLinh, GreyD, Karik, GDucky, Chillies, Amee, Touliver, BinZ, Wren Evans, Jason..., left many bewildered, unsure whether they were Vietnamese or foreigners.

Stage names, or names used on stage, are nicknames commonly used by artists and entertainers. Around the world , and in Vietnam in particular, many artists do not use their birth names but instead use stage names. This phenomenon has existed for a long time and is becoming increasingly common.

However, the use of stage names that are foreign or "half-Western, half-Vietnamese" names has only recently become popular, especially among a segment of young artists working in the music industry. This has been causing conflicting opinions regarding the artists' awareness and the responsibility of state management agencies concerning the use of stage names.

The use of stage names that are foreign or "half-Western, half-Vietnamese" names has become increasingly popular recently. (Illustration: thanhnien.vn)

According to some young artists and audiences, using a foreign name as a stage name reflects individuality and musical personality, making the artist's name more memorable to the public. Keeping their birth name or using a purely Vietnamese stage name might seem "outdated" to many listeners and could easily lead to confusion with other artists. Vietnamese music and art are reaching out to the world, and using a foreign stage name is also a way to "integrate," helping artists' careers flourish...

However, many argue that the use of foreign stage names by some young artists today is merely a temporary trend, reflecting a preference for foreign things and a pessimistic, insecure mindset, a need to borrow from the outside to compensate for internal shortcomings. They believe that an artist's talent and personality are demonstrated in their creative thinking, the quality and quantity of their work, and the recognition of experts, colleagues, and the public, not in their name.

Many international artists use stage names, but they only use their native language, the language of their country, not other languages. In Vietnam, many young artists have beautiful and impressive purely Vietnamese stage names, becoming big names with brilliant careers and widely admired by the public. Even some artists, such as pianist Dang Thai Son, director Tran Anh Hung, actress Tran Nu Yen Khe, and jazz musician Nguyen Le, despite their long careers and success abroad, only use their birth names or stage names in Vietnamese.

Choosing a stage name is a personal freedom for each artist. While there are currently no regulations prohibiting artists from using foreign stage names, the misuse of such names is clearly offensive and even harmful. Therefore, before choosing a stage name, each artist needs to carefully consider the balance between personal preferences and aspirations and the traditional customs and values of the nation. Cultural management agencies and mass media need to find solutions to curb the trend of some artists and audiences favoring foreign names. The important thing is that "the clothes don't make the man." An artist's success comes from their creative efforts, national pride, and long-standing contributions, not from their stage name.

( According to www.qdnd.vn )

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