At the Phuong Nam Book Shop in Da Nang’s Vincom Mall, renowned overseas Vietnamese singer Khanh Ly recently signed and presented copies of her autobiography ‘Behind Smiles’ and copies of 5 CDs to local fans.  This was the second time that the 70-year-old singer had visited the city.

The autobiography is the first book written by the singer to have been published in Viet Nam.  It highlights the vicissitudes of her 50-year musical career, her love affairs and her family.

Singer Khanh Ly and local fans

Meanwhile, the CDs feature timeless songs by the famous late musicians Pham Duy and Trinh Cong Son, including ‘Ben Don Hiu Quanh’ (The Lonely Life), ‘Bien Nho’ (Sea of Memory), and ‘Chu Nhat Buon’ (Gloomy Sunday).

The talented singer, whose real name is Nguyen Thi Le Mai, began her singing career in 1960 in Ho Chi Minh City.  She is known to Vietnamese music aficionados as the most successful performer of musician Trinh Cong Son’s ballads.  She left Viet Nam for the USA in 1975 when the country was reunified.  In 2012, she was permitted by the Department of Performing Arts under the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to perform in her homeland for the first time in nearly 4 decades.