Son Lam Co., the organizer of the upcoming Da Nang International Fireworks Festival, said famed pop singer My Tam’s manager had requested nearly US$ 6,000 for a single song she would perform during the show opening.

Van Huu Chien, chairman of Da Nang city People’s Committee, during the Apr 9 meeting, decided not to invite My Tam, and two other emerging pop singers Kasim Hoang Vu and Bui Anh Tuan for the event, which is set for Apr 29 and 30, as they requested exorbitant fees compared to the limited funding allowed for the festival.

Earlier, Son Lam Co., which has organized the event for six consecutive years, reported to the city officials that according to Tam’ s manager, Tam demanded nearly US$ 6,000 for singing a song, while Vu and Tuan each had asked for around VND 40 mil (US$ 1,933).

Nguyen Thi Thanh Hai, vice director of Son Lam Co., confirmed that Tam’s manager, named Linh, had told her staff that Tam and other local singers of her caliber usually charge that much for such big events.

However, Hai stressed this was only the asking price, which is subject to change through negotiation, particularly as Tam is a Da Nang native.

Hai said her staff had negotiated with Tam’s representative to bring the fee down to US$ 5,500.

She also denied the allegation that her company had inflated Tam’s pay request to benefit from the difference.

“The high amount is currently the norm for singers of Tam’s rank for such momentous national events. We have worked with several singers who charged similarly high prices,” Hai elaborated.