Mai Khôi and the Dissidents

Ten years ago, pop singer Mai Khôi’s patriotic hit song “Vietnam” launched her quickly to fame and fortune, encouraged and supported by the Communist party and state-run media who saw her as a promising new role model. However, Khôi’s creeping unease with government censorship of her songs pushes her to release her controversial new album without their approval, resulting in a media and performance ban, constant surveillance, and threats of imprisonment. Compared to Russian musician-activists Pussy Riot and dubbed “Vietnam’s Lady Gaga,” Khôi must now go to great lengths to dis...