Sao Mai Rendezvous has 12 finalists

The 12 finalists were selected from 74 contestants nationwide. There were seven contestants from the north, including Nguyen Ngoc Anh and Tran Phuong Linh, selected for the final round for winning best pop singers in the Sao Mai 2005.

Contestants will gather in Hanoi June 17 to meet with Thai experts who trained contestants for the Morning Star - Rendezvous 2005. They will consult Vietnamese contestants o­n what to wear and how to dance.

The competition will begin o­n June 24 at the Hai Ba Trung Sports Centre in Hanoi. This year Morning Star – Rendezvous contest will not force contest winners to sign contracts with VTV for two years, but it will act as the place to foster ‘hidden’ talents.