{"id":8844,"date":"2021-08-20T15:26:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T07:26:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=8844"},"modified":"2021-09-21T14:17:29","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T06:17:29","slug":"to-van-lai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/to-van-lai\/","title":{"rendered":"T\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai Of Paris by Night: From A Penniless Immigrant To World-Class Producer"},"content":{"rendered":"

T\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai, the brain behind Paris by Night<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n

If you ask me which decade was the best to live in as a Vietnamese music lover, my answer is, hands down, <\/span>the 90s<\/b>. That\u2019s when I was first introduced to <\/span>Paris by Night<\/b>, a global Vietnamese-language musical show, through some smuggled analog videos that my aunt brought home. From fashion to music, the show captivated me, and it still does.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I was in kindergarten, no Christmas party was complete without my family watching Don H\u1ed3 singing Mary\u2019s Boy Child in Vietnamese. Entering primary one, I used hairspray daily hoping to look as chic as Nguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3 Duy\u00ean in her bouffant and beehive. Growing up, I grew my hair long to look as graceful as Nh\u01b0 Qu\u1ef3nh and took dance lessons so I could move like Minh Tuy\u1ebft. As I\u2019m nearing 30, I wish I could be as witty and knowledgeable as show host Nguy\u1ec5n Ng\u1ecdc Ng\u1ea1n.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout my childhood, I memorized the names of all the artists who\u2019d appeared on the shows. However, it was not until I grew up and read extensively about the Vietnamese arts scene did I learn the name of the man who created my Vietnamese \u201cDisney Channel\u201d –<\/span> T\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The birth of Th\u00fay Nga Productions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c V\u00e0ng Bolero<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In 1972, Mr T\u00f4, a secondary school teacher with a passion for music, bought a record store in the Crystal Palace Complex, also known as Th\u01b0\u01a1ng X\u00e1 Tam \u0110a.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He named the boutique<\/span> Th\u00fay Nga<\/b><\/a>, after his wife, and brought forth the idea of producing music.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nMdm Th\u00fay Nga at her record store<\/em>
\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c V\u00e0ng Bolero<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Mr T\u00f4 recorded singing tapes of Saigon\u2019s most renowned singers at the time, such as Thanh Tuy\u1ec1n and Th\u00e1i Thanh, and sold their records at his boutique. Without a strong grounding in music, Mr T\u00f4 had to learn the basics of production while consulting the artists he worked with for advice on songs and recording.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c V\u00e0ng Bolero<\/a><\/em><\/i>
\n
\nAfter the country\u2019s reunification in 1975, Mr T\u00f4 and his family fled Saigon and emigrated to France in late 1976.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Like many other families, Mr T\u00f4 started his new life with shattered dreams, which he managed to mend and realize when the time was right.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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He produced the first Paris by Night episode in Paris<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c V\u00e0ng Bolero<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the initial years of his settlement in Paris, Mr T\u00f4 made a living by pumping gas at a petrol station.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite his hardships in a foreign land, Mr T\u00f4\u2019s passion for music remained strong.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His wife, Mdm Th\u00fay Nga, opened a record store in a small lane in Paris where she continued selling movie and music records like she used to.<\/span><\/p>\n

After his first 5 years working at a petrol station, Mr T\u00f4 saved enough money to realize his production dream.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: Thuy Nga Paris By Night Fandom Wiki<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1981, he brought his hard-earned savings to <\/span>Euro Media Production<\/b>, a French cable network company, to request a collaboration. He asked <\/span>Jean Pierre Barry<\/b>, a producer, to help with producing a music record in VHS form.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the record was produced in Paris, he called it <\/span>Paris by Night. <\/b>\u00a0It consisted of 11 songs that were performed by other Vietnamese immigrants who happened to be singers, such as Julie and H\u01b0\u01a1ng Lan.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThe first episode of Paris by Night<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/span>Wikipedia\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

After half a decade in exile, Mr T\u00f4\u2019s love for music was again brought to life through his re-establishment of record label <\/span>Th\u00fay Nga <\/b>and production of Paris by Night.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was a high-stakes decision to betting his savings on his passion. Nobody has talked about how well the first Paris by Night was received or whether Mr T\u00f4\u2019s decision yielded returns. However, it was not until <\/span>3 years later<\/b> that he collected enough money to produce the second Paris By Night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of the content featured in the first episodes of Paris by Night were traditional Vietnamese folk songs. After several more years of adapting to their new life and new waves of immigration that introduced more talented artists, the directors of Paris by Night had new ideas to develop the show and reach out to a larger Vietnamese audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nMr T\u00f4 and his children<\/span><\/em>
\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c V\u00e0ng Bolero<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the late 1980s, Th\u00fay Nga Production moved to Orange County, California, home to the largest community of Vietnamese immigrants in the US.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Resounding success in the early 1990s<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n

\"\"
\nT\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai (left) at Paris by Night\u2019s 10th anniversary<\/em>
\nImage credit: <\/span>Thuy Nga Paris By Night Fandom Wiki<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Show hosts, modern songs, sketch comedies, and dazzling fashion were heavily featured in the consequent episodes. The theme of each episode varied, yet geared towards the one and only goal – to promote and preserve Vietnamese culture, history, and arts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Paris
\nT\u00f3c Ti\u00ean<\/em>
\nImage adapted from: <\/span>Thuy Nga<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

To connect the Vietnamese communities in the US and Europe, Th\u00fay Nga Production, spearheaded by Mr T\u00f4, started filming direct-to-video shows selling tickets. Those who couldn\u2019t make it to the shows could buy tapes from local record stores.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAudience at a Paris by Night Show<\/em>
\nImage adapted from: <\/span>Thuy Nga<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

By the early 1990s, Paris by Night had become indispensable soul food for nostalgic Vietnamese immigrants around the world. Traditional songs, one-act plays, and features of success stories of fellow immigrants supply rare moments of delight for the first and second wave of the Vietnamese communities in foreign lands. Everything produced by Th\u00fay Nga Production became a hit, from songs to documentaries to stories authored by Nguy\u1ec5n Ng\u1ecdc Ng\u1ea1n.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Paris
\nShow hosts Nguy\u1ec5n Ng\u1ecdc Ng\u1ea1n and Nguy\u1ec5n Cao K\u1ef3 Duy\u00ean<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/em>Image adapted from: Thuy Nga<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Through Paris by Night, immigrant artists could find their way back to the stage and continue their disrupted music dreams. In return, nostalgic audiences could find an emotional buoy to hold on to the moment Th\u00e1i Thanh, Kh\u00e1nh Ly, and Tu\u1ea5n Ng\u1ecdc lifted their voices, singing good old Vietnamese songs.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Before the post-war Vietnam reopened doors and the Internet was available, Paris by Night was like a lighthouse that brought Vietnam to Vietnamese who had neither the courage nor hope of returning to their homeland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nImage credit: CD Nh\u1ea1c Vi\u1ec7t<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the mid-90s, the first Paris by Night tapes were smuggled into Vietnam by overseas returnees and caused a sensation inside the country. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Paris by Night discs that my aunts brought from Canada became highly prized items that we hid carefully. No local discotheque could keep guests coming back unless they could blast the latest disco songs from Paris by Night. I owe my first English words, initial impression of Western lifestyles, and tidbits of old Vietnamese anecdotes to Paris by Night. Everything originated from Paris by Night, from music production to performing style, and became the standard for many local artists and music makers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nMinh Tuy\u1ebft<\/em>
\nImage adapted from: Thuy Nga<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Because of its widespread popularity, Paris by Night has become a gold rush for aspiring singers and comedy artists even until today. From this show emerged the young artists that later became household names such as Minh Tuy\u1ebft, B\u1eb1ng Ki\u1ec1u, Ho\u00e0i Linh, Ch\u00ed T\u00e0i, and H\u1ed3ng \u0110\u00e0o.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It has become common knowledge that if you can put your foot on the stage of Paris by Night, your face and name will be known by millions of Vietnamese all over the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Nh\u01b0
\nNh\u01b0 Qu\u1ef3nh<\/em>
\nImage adapted from: <\/span>Thuy Nga<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Obviously, the late 90s and early 2000s were the heyday for Th\u00fay Nga Productions. More money was poured into making each show, which could go up to one or two million dollars. Most of the expenses went towards the rental and creation of the stages, the making of costumes, and payment for hundreds of artists.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nonetheless, times changed, and content creation formats were altered.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Piracy, crisis, and resorting to YouTube<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\"T\u00f4
\nMarie T\u00f4 (center)\u00a0<\/em>
\nImage credit: Nh\u1ea1c V\u00e0ng Bolero<\/a><\/em>
\n<\/i><\/p>\n

In the mid-2000s, Th\u00fay Nga Production became a victim of piracy. Digital contents were illegally duplicated and edited from legitimate discs, causing enormous loss of revenues for the producers. Duplicated Paris by Night discs were sold everywhere in Vietnam at the price of <\/span>VND10,000 (~USD0.44) each<\/b>, which was at a fraction of the usual price of ~<\/span>USD29.95<\/b> per original disc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, none of the revenues coming from the sales of duplicated discs reached the content creators of Th\u00fay Nga Production.\u00a0 When YouTube and TikTok made their arrival in Vietnam, a majority of record stores around the country were closed. Seriously, who would go to a brick-and-mortar store to buy DVDs, VCDs, or Blu-rays, when everything\u2019s available on YouTube?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Internet has become the greatest challenge for the producers of Th\u00fay Nga Productions, now spearheaded by Mr T\u00f4\u2019s daughter, <\/span>Mdm Marie T\u00f4 Ng\u1ecdc Th\u1ee7y, <\/b>and her husband.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"T\u00f4
\nImage adapted from: Thuy Nga<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

To preserve the 3-decads-old production, Mdm Marie T\u00f4<\/b> made monumental changes by releasing all Paris by Night contents onto YouTube and earning revenue from video ads.<\/p>\n

The producers of Th\u00fay Nga Production still express their desire to continue with producing Paris by Night, in spite of enormous financial and physical challenges. The main reason and motivation, according to them, is to preserve and pass on the precious characteristics of Vietnamese culture to the next generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Paris by Night is T\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai\u2019s larger-than-life legacy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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On the first day that Mr T\u00f4 opened his record store at Crystal Palace, he must have harbored big dreams for it. When he was en route to France as an immigrant, he certainly mustn\u2019t have thought that his Vietnamese music dreams would still live on, for the next 38 years at least.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an audience, I have no idea how much longer Paris by Night will last. However, I think that the family of Mr T\u00f4 should be extremely proud that their creative contents have enriched at least 2 generations of the Vietnamese population all over the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only is Mr T\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai\u2019s story a great example of a dreamer\u2019s tenacity, but it also tells us how a man\u2019s pride in his heritage can make him achieve phenomenal things and inspire other people.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We wish Mr T\u00f4 V\u0103n Lai good health and hope to see Th\u00fay Nga Production prosper in many years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can watch Paris by Night and overseas Vietnamese-language shows <\/span>by subscribing to Th\u00fay Nga Production\u2019s YouTube channel<\/span> here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also check out:<\/span><\/p>\n