Born as Nguyen Ngoc Hung Dung on September 8, 1958 in Saigon, South Vietnam, he was the third child in a family of four children. His father was a doctor. Prior to leaving Vietnam, Viet Dzung had attended the prestigious Lasan Taberd High School in Saigon. After the Fall of Saigon, Viet Dzung fled by boat to Singapore and then spent nearly a year at a refugee camp in Subic, Philippines before resettling to the United States in 1976.
A life-long staunch opponent of communism, Viet Dzung's political beliefs had played a major role in his music career. He became famous for having written and performed songs of protest to the social injustices with the communist regime that had taken over since the Fall of Saigon in his native Vietnam. Among the most acclaimed songs he had written and performed include Loi Kinh Dem (Night Prayer), Mot Chut Qua Cho Que Huong (A Gift for My Homeland) and Moi Em Ve (To Invite You There). His music had been recorded by many other famous Vietnamese singers such as Khanh Ly, Ngoc Lan, and Y Lan. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, Viet Dzung performed alongside singer/songwriter Nguyet Anh at numerous anti-communist political rallies and concert events for overseas Vietnamese communities throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe and Australia. In 1999, Viet Dzung headed the largest political rally ever to take place in the Little Saigon community of Orange County, Southern California. The gathering which had been sparked by the controversial actions of local businessman, Tran Truong, who had publicly displayed Vietnam's current communist flag at his shop located in Little Saigon drew a total of 15,000 people. Viet Dzung addressed the crowd with his fervent protest of human rights violations from the communist dictatorship and performed several of his songs to a thunderous applause.
Viet Dzung embarked on his career as a radio announcer becoming one of the earliest voices to be heard on Vietnamese-language radio broadcasting with the inception of Little Saigon Radio on July 1, 1993. He alongside Minh Phuong co-hosted a daily radio program that became wildly popular in the Vietnamese communities of Southern California, San Jose and Houston, particularly a segment called, Tam Tinh Voi Nghe Si, where he interviewed Vietnamese entertainers ranging from the legendary such as Thai Thanh, Bach Yen and Ha Thanh to the contemporary such as Don Ho and Lynda Trang Dai. In 1997, Viet Dzung left Little Saigon Radio to form his own station, Radio Bolsa.During the mid 1980s, Viet Dzung began his collaboration with Asia Entertainment as a recording artist where he recorded duets with artists such as Julie Quang and Kieu Nga released on audio cassettes. In 1996, he appeared on video for Asia Entertainment's Volume 9 Tinh Ca Chon Loc as a singer. From 1997 on Asia Entertainment's Volume 14 entitled Yeu until 2013 on Volume 73 entitled Mua He Ruc Ro 2013, Viet Dzung was the master of ceremonies in one of the longest tenures of any performer on the popular live show music video series. Among his co-hosts for Asia Entertainment's live show series have included Leyna Nguyen, Nam Loc, Trinh Hoi, Dang Tuyet Mai, Thuy Trinh and Thien Kim.
Most of his audio recordings were released on his own music production label, Viet Productions, formed during the early 1990s. Viet Dzung also produced for other artists such as Nguyet Anh and Duc Phuong under his own music production label.
Stricken with polio since early childhood, Viet Dzung relied on crutches throughout his entire life. He passed away on December 20, 2013 from heart disease leaving behind his wife, photographer Bebe Hoang Anh, and countless adoring fans from all over the world. For his humanitarian efforts, Viet Dzung was posthumously honored by state senator Lou Correa with the unveiling of the Viet Dzung Human Rights Memorial Highway located on Talbert Avenue and Beach Boulevard in Fountain Valley, California on August 8, 2014. 
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét