Vietnam will get its own mega girl group of 48 members in the J-pop style of the popular AKB48 in Japan. Part of the AKB48 girl group of Japan. – Photo Japan.net.vn The group is expected to debut before the end of the year in HCM City with the name SGO48. A casting programme will begin at the end of this month, according to the organiser’s Facebook page. SGO48 will be the seventh overseas version of AKB48 to be formed, after Jakarta-based JKT48, Bangkok’s BNK48, Taipei’s TPE48, Manila’s MNL48 and Mumbai-based MUM48. SGO48 will be the seventh overseas version of AKB48 The project was established after Vietnam’s entertainment network Yeah1 Group and SGO48’s representative company signed a joint venture agreement with two Japanese companies in June, in a quest to replicate the business model behind Japan’s mega popular AKB48 girl group, according to asia.nikkei.com. In partnership with AKS Co. and Geo Brain, Yeah1 will develop groups as well as businesses to promote sales of albums, tickets, images and accessories, Nikkei reported. “This is a new model for Vietnam’s entertainment 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 the international stage.” The venture’s first girl band is expected to debut before the end of the year, Tong told Nikkei. Yeah1 said it planned to expand to other Southeast Asian countries. It will target Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia via a mergers and acquisitions strategy…. [Read full story]
Leave a Reply