Logo of the SGO48 - the seventh overseas sister group of the AKB48. (Photo: kenh14.vn)
HCM City (VNA) - Vietnam will get itsown mega girl group of 48 members in the J-pop style of the popular AKB48 inJapan.
The group is expected to debut before the end ofthe year in Ho Chi Minh City with the name SGO48. A casting programme willbegin at the end of this month, according to the organiser’s Facebook page.
SGO48 will be the seventh overseas version ofAKB48 to be formed, after Jakarta-based JKT48, Bangkok’s BNK48, Taipei’s TPE48,Manila’s MNL48 and Mumbai-based MUM48.
The project was established after Vietnam’sentertainment network Yeah1 Group and SGO48’s representative company signed ajoint venture agreement with two Japanese companies in June, in a quest toreplicate the business model behind Japan’s mega popular AKB48 girl group,according to asia.nikkei.com.
In partnership with AKS Co. and Geo Brain, Yeah1will develop groups as well as businesses to promote sales of albums, tickets,images and accessories, Nikkei reported.
"This is a new model for Vietnam’sentertainment industry," said Yeah1 Group Chairman Nguyen Anh Nhuong Tong.
"With the support and experience of [our]Japanese partners, we will bring more Vietnamese entertainers onto theinternational stage."
The venture’s first girl band is expected todebut before the end of the year, Tong told Nikkei.
Yeah1 said it planned to expand to otherSoutheast Asian countries. It will target Thailand, the Philippines andIndonesia via a mergers and acquisitions strategy.
The company said its girl band joint venturewould cooperate with Universal Music Group in commercialising content. Plansare to distribute songs and videos on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music,YouTube and Vevo.
Also in the works for Yeah1 is UM ChannelVietnam, which will showcase Vietnamese artists to a global audience.
AKB48 was founded in 2005 by Yasushi Akimoto, arenowned producer of top Japanese idol groups. He searched Akihabara to findmembers who are innovative, because the area was famous for being energetic.The "AKB" name comes from Akihabara, which is their home ground.
The group debuted in January 2009 and has becomepopular for its concept of ‘Idols you can meet every day.’
They hold "handshake events" wherefans who buy a CD single of the group can get a ticket and get the chance tomeet a member and shake her hand for ten seconds.-VNA
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Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
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For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
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Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
Logo of the SGO48 - the seventh overseas sister group of the AKB48. (Photo: kenh14.vn) 
