Y Nhi

Ý Nhi (1966-    ) is an overseas Vietnamese singer and businesswoman.

She was born as Lưu Huỳnh Châu on June 23, 1967 in Saigon, South Vietnam into a family of performers.  Her father was acclaimed dance choreographer Lưu Hồng and her mother is singer Mỹ Phương.  At the age of 5, Ý Nhi made her stage debut performing alongside her mother at the legendary Maxim's in Saigon.  During the Fall of Saigon in 1975, Ý Nhi was traveling abroad on tour in Japan with her parents and musician Hoàng Thi Thơ.  Unable to return to their native homeland, her father successfully applied for political asylum in Japan.  Ý Nhi would remain in Japan until after her graduation from high school.    

Shortly after embarking on her music career in Japan, Ý Nhi resettled in the United States during the late 1980s.  She first came onto the scene in the overseas Vietnamese music industry performing in revue concerts organized by Hoàng Thi Thơ.  Ý Nhi amazed audiences with her multi-talented abilities as a singer and dancer.  From one of her earliest appearances in the music video for the song, Ô Kìa written by Hoàng Thi Thơ, which aired on Vietnam Performing Arts Television, viewer audiences were mesmerized with her charming and energetic style of performance.  Ý Nhi would be invited back as a frequent performer on Vietnam Performing Arts Television in various comedy sketches, music videos and interviews.  She also collaborated with Mây Productions and the most prolific overseas Vietnamese video production label, Thuy Nga Paris, becoming one of the brightest overseas Vietnamese music video stars of the 1990s.  In 1991, Ý Nhi made her first appearance on the Paris By Night stage performing in a medley of songs in Vietnamese and English alongside Vân Thu, Duy Hạnh, Huỳnh Thi, Ngọc Anh, Thuy Vi and Don Hồ.  Other following appearances on Paris By Night would include solo performances of songs such as Cánh Hồng Trung Quốc and Anh Là Tất Cả (You Mean Everything to Me) and as part of ensembles in medleys alongside other artists such as Phương Khanh, Ngọc Huệ, Dalena, Kenny Thái, Lilian and Lynda Trang Ðài.  In the mid 1990s, Ý Nhi formed her own production company, Ý Entertainment, which produced audio recordings, music videos and her own weekly television show serving as a starting ground for various other performers including Johnny Dũng, Vân Sơn and Bảo Liêm.  She has performed at live shows for overseas Vietnamese audiences all over the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. 


At the height of her popularity during the late 1990s, Ý Nhi decided to put her music career behind her and concentrate on being a businesswoman.  She currently heads two very successful businesses:  a retail store, Save Lots, located in Garden Grove, California and Saddeback Beauty Academy.  Married to singer Kenny Thai since 1990, together the couple reside in Irvine, California with their two children.  Ý Nhi speaks 4 languages fluently:  Vietnamese, Cantonese, Japanese and English.  

Link(s):

Saddleback Beauty Academy Facebook Page
Save Lots Facebook Page