The Truth Behind Sabaidee Fest (Uncut)

[@colorwithmommy8489]

It was obvious there was preferential treatment for a select few artist and not others. People can give them grace as large event it extremely difficult to produce but that negates the fact it is their duty to take care of all artist at the basic level. As an organization, they should compensate and appreciate the talent that lend to tickets sales. Some overseas artists were not provided adequate accommodations, safe shelter, food, water and toiletries as the tour continues (documented and voiced in vlogs). Appreciate you sharing your experience - we truly have to support and promote each other without taking advantage of amazing talent like yourself! Thank you.

[@pbc-i6w]

SBF started as a Lao & Thai Music festival in 2021 by Laos Supply. Go search their 2021 posts and they couldn’t generate any interests for 2022 so they started adding Hmong artists in 2023. That’s when it boomed and became popular. Then added Khmer artist this year to attract a new crowd. It was never about unity. They ARE in business for profit so no shade on that but i don’t understand the “Unity” part. What are the hosts doing to make it unified? Just having different ethnicities at one place? Never was a fan when it started and never will be.

[@maryoath]

Yep. Sales went through the roof when they added Win and Huab. The sales from the Hmong community carried them through the first sabaidee fest.

[@az00001]

I agree! And with all those profits, those that came from overseas got all the credit and huge amount from the pie.

[@shaireh429]

Omg I swear I thought I was the only person who noticed this too. No one remembered but I did!!! I tried going back to the very old/first flyer and Hmong people wasn’t even part of it. But I can’t find it bc they deleted. I remember they label it as Lao, Thai, and Cambodia. The event was originally on August 2022, but when march roll around and 5month away they knew they weren’t going to be selling out so they through Hmong artist in there. And then they shift the event to march 2023 so they have more time to sell tickets!!

[@YourUserNameSucksx10]

It was something overrated for me. Was NEVER a fan of it. Wasn't till they added the hmong artist that attracted the hmong community THAT CARRIED them in 2023. It also made me lost credibility with those who promote it, like silver young. Heavy pockets mean more than morales

[@meekou86]

@@maryoathyes!! And Chenning and the other hmong artist from the US. The guy who runs LaoSupply cnt even run his online shop properly. What makes people think he can run Sabaidee Fest?! I was soo frustrated with LaoSupply. Poor customer service. But anyways, there was another video on youtube talking about how Saloan or whatever his name is (Sabaidee Fest Founder) had to use money out of his own pocket and sold his car blah blah to pay for other things. Ok, if u dnt have the funds. Dnt run it, dnt get such a big ass venue and cnt afford it, dnt complain about having to house n feed n drive the overseas artist. Im sure they made a lot for selling all those tickets. They just being greedy and not wanting to pay people.

[@nancysaeteurn7197]

As a mother of a performer that traveled for her performance, i definitely agree and have decided with my husband that this is a one and done. First experience was not the greatest.

[@9wild209]

Then you need to stay far away from the event.

[@hmgxiong652]

They better pay that hmong artist pap beat band , laos artist youd salavan and that cambodian artist vannda they are the only 3 who bring out crowds for their asian group. The thais didnt come support their artist at all only hmong laos cambo..

[@syg7671]

Can't agree more!!!

[@khmer5591]

100%

[@LIGHTOFDAYS]

Bro you don't need to worry about Vannda, due get all the pay and highlights already alone with the Thailand headliners. The only biggest jokes this damn Sabaidee Fest will be if they didn't pay Pap Beat Band and Youd Salavan! Pap Beat Band got pimp from the Hmong influencer and that Salonga, same as the Laos artists.

[@gaohuynhanderson]

FACTS!!! Hmong came for Pap and Thai artist. And the Cambodian came for Vanda.

[@Soratui]

Hey! I’m the one who fill all international artists Visa applications including Vanda team which we have a lawyer who filed P3 visa before providing me approval notice to process the visa applications then schedule the interview for all artists and the result will be after the interview. I think you misunderstand about the visa deny. What you talked about is a support letters for USCIS RFE. But yes person who helped to get the reference letter for RFE also consider one of the important part for the process. I was at SBDF too. I flew from Laos with Laos artists. I understand what you talked about at the festival. I’m sorry for what you have faced. SBDF is not perfect and I think there are room to improve and I hope for you and everyone else who involve the festival including myself and my Lao artists crews get to experience the better SBDF in the future 🙌🏻

[@Themanekelly]

I hope I get to meet you one day! You are the best, I love following your travels! Khob Chai lai lai for helping the artists come here❤

[@NikkiSackaly]

You’re the best. Thank you for your hard work. Sbdf is not perfect, there room for improvement. But there no need for him to bash saibaideefest. You just can’t satisfy everyone. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[@9wild209]

The hater will hate , just do what you do and keep the hate aside .

[@mamav.11]

👏👏👏 Kop jai for working hard for the artists and keep doing great things nong Tui . Nothings perfect, we all have to help improve instead of bashing eachother.

[@JiZzKizZ_]

He’s trying to take all credit for Vannda visa getting approve. Hahaha at this point he just mad he didn’t get paid even tho he agree not to.

[@AerialVisions86]

I saw random videos of backstages, I didn't see a lot of happy faces. I appreciate you doing this video.

[@kennyomega6795]

send me video cuh

[@laekmoonz]

a girl brought a poster for vannda to sign during meet & greet and wasn't allowed to, vannda even begged them to let him sign the poster and the organizers said no. yeah i agree they weren't alot of happy people there.

[@AerialVisions86]

@@laekmoonz It’s sad. And I’ve seen other things too but better not to speak about it. K9P broke some rules just to make it right for his fans too.

[@koolpebble]

​@@laekmoonz It was a short clip that didn't quite give the whole context. It's my understanding that the line was long and the meet and greet was only an hour. To make it fair for everyone to get a chance to meet and take photos with Vannda, they put some rules in place-- one of which is no autographs. Rules are there for a reason. And if you break the rule for one person, you have to break the rule for everyone. Then that would mean some fans wouldn't get to meet him in the allotted time. Would that be fair to them?

[@nightowl7261]

Looks like Sabaidee Fest has divided the community more than unity. This isn't the first time SBDF has come out being controversial.

[@emsimmaly]

Hi, Miyagi, First off, this is a great video. I think you’re incredibly well articulated and well versed. This is the right thing to do and expressing your opinions and experience are entirely valid. I was a performing artist last year and it was a huge thing for me because I’m a beginner. Being part of their first production was an honor on my end and I got some exposure which was great. I had the same experience with the meet and greet portion of my time there, and it was so awkward for me because they put me next to an artist that was a bit more known so I was just standing there and I just eventually walked off with no stage manager to tell me anything. So I think that was difficult for me. My stage time was a bit more rough because the day before, they offered no rehearsals for artists. I was singing and could not hear anything on my end, and I had no opportunity to do sound check at all. That was also tough. I did get paid and I did get an AirBnb, but the downside was 1) I had to share it with about 3 other artists and their guests. 2) it came out of my check from them and was reflected on my earnings statement they provided me. The second day I was supposed to perform, it was storming so the stage was closed. I got no formal alternative or anything, so that was disappointing too. I say this all because from the artist perspective, I understand some of what you feel! This year I didn’t go due to work on the outside. But I did get offered free tickets for myself and a guest to go. On the plus side through it all, I was extremely thankful for the opportunity to be able to be part of their first year and gain exposure and experience that way. I think Salong and his team did the best they could do for their first year, as I can completely understand that logistics for an event this huge can be super hard to manage. Especially this year, growing as vast as it did to this caliber, I imagine this year was probably 10x more difficult than last between the venue change, taking into account all that happened the year prior, and trying to gain bigger artists onto the lineup this year. I think everyone had their hands in so many different places and some spots were probably overlooked and neglected. I know from the consumer side, my guests that came to watch me had a blast and I was able to get them in for free (my step mom and my dad). And I was extremely thankful for that because they’re obviously some of my main supporters when it comes to my music. But backstage was hectic and it was a bit rougher on the side of accommodations for the artists. It’s exhausting for everyone involved and I know putting on a festival for 3 days straight has to be tougher than anything, especially this only being the second year they’ve thrown it. I give a lot of grace to them and kudos for making history in our culture, I hope next year they do involve more folks from the Vietnamese community out because we all one giant southeast family. I hope you get the opportunity to work with them again on a better note. I hope I get to perform again too one year. But I think and I hope that your message is accounted for because it may have affected many others as well! I had a blast. I’m also pretty easy going but I noticed some things out of place on the artist side. I have hope that they only continue to get better in the oncoming years and polish these huge and small hiccups consumers and artists are experiencing. This was a great video and I love your music! Sabaidee Fest, y’all will always have my heart. Take this into consideration and pick back up. I’ve met a lot of amazing people on your team and I’m glad to have been part of it at one point.

[@LA109plda]

Wow thank you for this thoughtful perspective. It really painted great insight to the back end of the festival. As a consumer, I had a blast last year and this year. However, I’ve been so disheartened, and frankly, disturbed at the experiences influencers and artists have had. I, as a consumer did have some major disappointments this year - in regards to presale and a few other things - but that isn’t the purpose of my reply. I just wanted to pause for a moment and say thank you for your perspective.

[@DJsaintpaulstudios]

You got some dope music can we collab

[@Midwest..]

You make some good point 👉 pro & con hope to see you perform at next Sabaidee Fest 2025 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊

[@love.always_lisa]

This was extremely insightful and respectful. Thank you for sharing your experience and your perspective as an attendee and as well as a performing artist. I find it super helpful for those of us who are looking to experience this festival. ♥️

[@fjidfdfjd2459]

his own Viet community wont support him because he's obviously mixed and looks predominately black.

[@narykith32]

These are legitimate concerns and I’m sorry that you and your collective experienced this. I hope you and Sabaideefest can have a conversation about this. I think a cultural festival can make money AND unite the Southeast Asian communities. Speaking only as a Khmer American attendee, it gave me goosebumps to see so many Khmer folx in attendance and it was such an overwhelming moment of pride for my culture.

[@savannchum7541]

Thank you on the behalf of the Cambodians, this the first year that they have Cambodian Artists, hopefully they incorporate Vietnam artists next year , I’m sorry you have to experience this

[@kaleenagreen2245]

Personally, I have the experience from the performer and consumer stand point, and we made things very clear with management about compensation, what our terms were, and we had no problems. We had a great time and people see who they wanna see, that's out of anyone's control. We do agree changes need to be made but even though this was a big event, it's still new. The security working the event also had nothing to really do with SBDF itself, seeing as they were hired just simply do their jobs. In my opinion a lot of these issues you're mentioning could've been handled upfront. Seems there was a lot of misunderstanding from both ends but especially when it comes to, what it seems like, your main focus, compensation and recognition.

[@Chanthaouk]

Thank you for sharing your experience, I’m sorry you had to go through this. I gave them grace since it’s their 2nd year hosting and my 1st time attending, but there were many things that should have been done differently and put in place. I completely missed the culture stage and all the performances. They need to station all that within the vicinity of the unity stage. How is it a unity cultural event when clearly groups/artists/leaders etc. were segregated from the rest?! All the artists and influencers are what draws the crowd and attendees. I know there was a lot of work put into this and behind the scenes, but they need to do better, for the artists, influencers, attendees that made the effort and put in time, efforts, money to be there and to make it happen. The planning committee needs to digest and take constructive criticisms and people’s feedbacks so they can make the necessary changes, and make improvements for future events.

[@ChiDN77]

The hate here is unreal. I work in Field operations and logistics .. from an outside perspective SABAIDEEFEST exceeded beyond expectations for their 2nd festival. The negative feedback from this artist, influencers and comments here is disappointing. Obviously he knew what he signed up for but was still unhappy. The festival itself is ran by volunteers who devoted their blood, sweat and tears to make this event happen. People like this doesn’t comprehend the mission behind the event nor can grasp what has been achieved by the SABAIDEEFEST TEAM ..bringing forth UNITY among SE Asians.

[@beepboop7563]

I’m glad that you brought the topic of kazumi because I thought I was the only one when I saw her on the poster as well I too was confused as to why they would bring someone who does that not judging but in the aspects of that there were kids around as consumers and as performers. It had nothing to do with culture and more so to get more publicity. But honestly just disappointed they went down that path to promote their event

[@Randomstuff-up1eq]

We have 100% right to judge. Her career choice is talentless.

[@kouleeofficial]

She wasn’t the only adult content creator/influencer who was there. I don’t think she should be put out like that. Yes she does adult content, but she was not there to make adult content. I do find it confusing that it’s a southeast Asian festival but she is a Japanese person. Was there any East Asian artists performing at all?

[@LA109plda]

This was one of my major disappointments as well.

[@smlbcity23]

Tat was a fck up weird move for a suppose family event...sbf gonna take that L for that!!!

[@jamesher7835]

Don't you get it will get her fans to buy tickets to come see her. If you talking fame only she's moat popular out of all of them

[@Randomstuff-up1eq]

Hey boss the fact that this program is bringing in SE Asian artists and influencers and not upholding promises and providing coverage is a terrible thing to do, no they are not doing it for the culture and yes it is all for the money is what they are doing boss, i really hope this video gains lots more traction, and you and the other influencers get compensated for all the things you paid, and so do all the artists do, best wishes man 🙏🙏

[@twoahhthoj4446]

You make some excellent points. From the videos I've seen, the crowds have been noticeably small. If we're truly doing this for the culture, then we need to step up our game. It's crucial that the organizers secure sponsorships to ensure proper payouts for the artists. Even better, bringing in seasoned professionals to manage the festival could make all the difference. It's time to hit the reset button because the concept is fantastic, but the execution needs significant improvement.

[@saosy2315]

I had a great experience with daughter as an attendee. Hearing the way he treated artists,local artists and volunteers I will have to think if I want to support this. Bigyai on his live today says he has about 2k and if he paid luggage 750 and 1k for transportation for his wife to come greet him back home he will go home with 250!!! That’s when I had 2nd thoughts and that the festival owner using them. I was expecting the singers to be paid much more. I went because I wanted to support the young singers back home. This doesn’t sit right with me and I wholeheartedly supported the cultural movement as my 12 year loved it.

[@joim808]

First of all Sabaidee to everyone!Shout to Laos supply and to each and every one of yall to who made Sabaidee Fest happen. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was to organize such an amazing event which only started about 2-3 yrs ago to celebrate Lao and Thai New Year, now an event celebrating every ethnicity from SE Asia. I would have never known these talented artists if this never happened, keep this shit cracking! Lao Love!

[@deonkhamvongsa946]

Sorry to hear about your experiences, whether if this accurate or not or whatever the reason is, this is a valuable feedback. I hope for future events things will be adjusted for the better. I truly believe in unity, but to get there is never easy. Look at our country for example, one party always shitting on the other. But there is a beauty to it as well. Also due your diligence before accepting your assignment, check your contract and be sure those are fulfilled because chaos can be had when you're dealing with any event of that magnitude. One of their biggest issue is ppl did not show up to help out after receiving tickets. Might be good idea for them to have ppl make a small deposit. They get back their deposit after the event.

[@chailo8865]

I appreciate your view & your experience. Your initiation on this discussion is very respectful and transparent to your own experience. I’m sorry that you & your team went through this. I have went to SBF both years & noticed what you pointed out - the lack of Vietnamese artists compared to last year, an adult content creator, and big Lao artists not returning… I don’t think I’ll go again.

[@Midwest..]

Vietnamese people will not attend those kind of festival they like indoor concert they can't bring all the same artist every year would be boring 😊

[@LerikT78]

I'm with you bro and I'm Laotian. Yeah Kazumi shouldn't have been included because her work is not a good representation of a Sabaidee venue. She is for the Adult X industry

[@SYZ]

😂 hella

[@jsmoov2156]

Sabaidee welcomes anybody we don't discriminate. Kazumi's is a millionaire you can't knock her hustle that's just another for of hate. She's not out there at Sabaidee Fest promoting XXX. She is well dressed. I've seen ladies there that are half dress which there is nothing wrong with that. There are strippers and drug dealers that became rappers. Do you think they're going to tell kids to go do what they do to be successful? Look at Kim Kardashian with her sex tape. If Sabaidee Fest invites her would that look bad on Sabaidee Fest?

[@LerikT78]

@@jsmoov2156 appreciate your input and perspective but you're missing the point. You must be young and not understand our culture and the importance of paying respect to our ancestors whom began our beautiful culture. Nobody is degrading the profession of another. But to put money ahead of preserving our culture is not cool. We're in America and there are plenty ways to promote your movement of "CULTURE " and if you're familiar with our Lao culture at all, you'll know that adult industry does not align or represent our Sabaidee family heritage. The fact that Sabaidee Fest was supposed to be a "movement" for South East Asians to unite was more like a money grab tactic and adopting the Coachella vibe. It's okay that we're all Americanized but we must not lose our culture and practices for the sake of fame and fortune.

[@jsmoov2156]

@@LerikT78 I appreciate that you assume I'm young my brotha! Sabaidee welcomes everyone; you can't satisfy everybody. If we exclude a certain group/person people would feel left out, but when we invite everybody they say we are desperate. So, which one is it? As a father we can educate our kids and condemn/steer them around Kuzumi. Kasumi has the right to attend the event. We can't be at the entrance and say, "Hey, your in an adult industry, you can't come in". Laotian people are hospitable people.We are Teravada buddhist and killing living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication is forbidden. Intoxication is just a perception not a commandment. So why do some Laotian's still drink? Because it's a part of the culture. We do not judge people because of their profession. As far a SBDFST, it takes money to pull off a big event. Profit money is being replenished for the next event. We can't discredit SBDFST for a money grab organization. If it's a non-profit organization, then we have the right to be concern. They are giving hope for southeast asian artists. People in southeast asia will have a platform to showcase and have a voice. It's like a dream to them to perform at SBDFT, so we can't distroy their dreams. It's not within our blood to judge. I feel like I'm repeating myself. So spread the love.

[@LerikT78]

@@jsmoov2156Kazumi is not South East Asian and have never spoken highly of South East Asians. They wanted to reach her followers to sell more tickets. She did not attend to promote Unity, she was there for the $$ and she got paid more than the actual South East Asian influencers whom were more in line with UNITY and expanding our culture to others. These good folks had a good message in their work with good intentions. And they were treated and paid at a lower rate. Most weren't even paid at all. If Kazumi was really all about Unity then don't pay her more than other influencers that are there for UNITY. She charged them to use her pix on flyers. She didn't take the time to learn or converse with others about the South East Asian culture of Unity. She did her gig, got paid and left. You're repeating yourself because you're missing the point. You must not have read my original comment and understood the context. You're reading it just to respond to give YOUR input and perspective for your own agenda and personal feelings. Never did I trash her or anyone's profession or assume kids are jeopardized. Kazumi showed up in a respectful outfit and did not promote her profession, that's great. We Lao people welcome EVERYONE. If Unity is the message then that was a fail because this venue was more of a "profit at all cost". Ask all the fans and attendees how they feel about the venue. Ask the artists. It's not only about how YOU feel or your experience and perspective. Listen and understand others too. My comments and experiences are based on facts and feedback of the Attendees, Artists and Influencers - combined with my own experience. We live in a country with 100s of ways to earn and profit but not at the expense of your own culture and traditions. I respect the ability to Agree to Disagree. You have valid points and I understand it AND respect it. You're just missing the point because maybe we're so Americanized and have the Capitalism mentality to profit but we must not lose our culture for the sake of $$$.

[@WorldClassThief]

Thanks for speaking up, I hope this puts pressure on Sabaidee Fest to do better, and definitely give other artists a warning about their practices.

[@baochulee1124]

Okay but did you guys specify from the beginning that you want to get compensated?? Or was the agreement that you get to perform, you get a table, and your group gets exposure in exchange for you guys promoting and doing other work for the festival? You can’t “volunteer” your time and services and just expect to get paid. You need to get that in WRITTEN AND SIGNED agreement. Even if they verbally told you they’ll pay you, where’s your proof? Have it in writing. Sounds like a bunch of performers and influencers agreed to doing free labor and then now complaining, just like last year. If you expect to get paid then state that from the beginning. Of course the organizers are gonna screw yalls over and not pay when they can get y’all’s to work for free! Know your worth and state your price. And if they don’t agree to pay you, then you can choose to volunteer or not participate. Don’t agree to free labor then complain later. Yes, people need to get paid for their services!!! But people also need to know what they’re getting themselves into. Be clear from the beginning that this is my service and this is my fee, if I don’t get paid, you don’t get my service. Don’t agree to do service and just assume you’ll get paid when you never had the conversation about getting paid

[@pchan1728]

I found that it was a little off putting to me how “being compensated” was mentioned from the very start and talked about it again when it came to the influencers. If you’re ok with that and agreed to it, then cool. Same goes for influencers. They understood that with their presence, they are given 2 passes. Everything should be in writing for future references. There shouldn’t be more of any expectation from it. Same goes for parking. Make sure that it is taken care of before the event. I can empathize with everything else that was mentioned in the video though. There’s room for improvement everywhere. Is it necessary to stir the pot in regards to whether this was about unity or profit ? I feel like it brought both. When it comes to profit and artists not getting paid, that’s just a whole other can of worms waiting to be opened 😮‍💨

[@welcome2stp]

my thought exactly, “i did them a favor” then want compensation afterwards. i’ve heard good and bad about the event but not everyone can be satisfied. kinda like hmong freedom festival(soccer tournament). people will always find stuff to complain. plus some festival this big it’s hard to get stuff going smoothly.

[@shellyhan5386]

Did you even watch the whole video?? His point wasn't about not being paid/compensated and later “complaining” about doing free work. It’s about the mistreatment and misinformation he and his team experienced. 1) He and Mai knew they wouldn't be compensated but agreed to do the work for parking passes, a booth, and because they believed in SF's mission. 2) Only he received a parking pass, despite promises that his whole team would get them, and despite all the work Mai did for them. 3) SF wasted 20+ minutes of his time for an interview that they required him to do, then told him their media team was busy and he's no longer needed, making him miss a friend's performance. 4) The meet and greet for domestic artists was poorly organized and was NOT a priority. Nobody knew where it was located, including workers, causing him to miss 40+ minutes of it. 5) His booth was in a poor location (Cultural stage), with little foot traffic, max 50-100 people, and no main artists to attract people to that side of the area. Where's the benefit in this if his booth is in a poor location? Also, why is the CULTURAL aspect of the event not featured on the main stage where most people will be at? At least feature a small bit of traditional arts there??? 6) He was told he couldn't have professional videographers with professional equipments, but others were allowed to and nobody said anything when it came to them. 7) Mai helped with Vannda's visa paperwork. Because of her, Vannda was approved to come to the US. She asked only for a short meet and greet in return. SF agreed but didn't uphold the promise, having security kick everyone out, including Mai. She never got her quick meet and greet or photo with him. You can finish the video if you want to understand the rest. Their experiences made them question SF's mission and whether the event truly promotes culture and unity or is just for profit. Also, just because you volunteer to participate in an event, it does not mean the coordinators and worker have the right to disrespect you or your team.

[@Akanin1]

I agree. He brought to light valid points. Learning experience for everyone for sure. Fair treatment and respect applies all across the board whether you’re a local artist or international superstar. Live the mission statement of “unity” & SEA Culture”and follow through. Be inclusive. It is a Big festival and difficult to manage smoothly. Lots of opportunities for growth on both sides of the spectrum. I hope they take this feedback and come back more organized & prepared for the next festival.

[@baochulee1124]

@@shellyhan5386 did you even comprehend what I wrote??? I never said volunteers deserve to be mistreated. I said get every thing written and signed in contract. Doesn’t matter if you’re volunteering or getting paid money or compensated with exposure/table/etc, get all the details ahead of time so you don’t assume you’re gonna get a good table but and up somewhere without foot good traffic.

[@Yo-vs4se]

I had a lot of fun, I plan to go again next year.

[@Midwest..]

I'm ready for Sabaidee Fest 2025, then drive to Las Vegas and stay there for a couple of days 😊 🥳 🎉

[@marychan7894]

I’m sure if Vannda knew all she wanted was a picture, he would make it happened. He is very grateful. But I’m also sure that the team didn’t even inform him about her wanting a picture. Getting someone a Visa to come into the US is a big deal he is very thankful. But than again he has a whole team surrounding him and he doesn’t speak or understand too well of English.

[@stacymoch]

He’s truly a humble and grateful individual! Completely agree, had he known he definitely would make sure she was acknowledged. Very sad, feel bad for your friend.

[@pheak21us]

I agree. If VannDa and his team knew about this, they would be happy to fulling her request. Him and his team are very cool people. The problem would be Sabaidee Fest team may not allow VannDa to do anything. My daughters and I went to meet and greet with VannDa and Vanthan. We happened to meet them exactly 1 years ago in Cambodia. We made a poster with the picture of them and us to show him, hoping he sign it. He was so excited to see the poster. Sabaidee Fest crew did not allow him to sign our poster even VannDa himself asked the crew member to sign it for just this one.😢😢😢

[@stacymoch]

@@pheak21us that’s horrible. Can’t believe that happened

[@maryn.4667]

​@@pheak21usomg... That's so sad.

[@RockyZajThoj]

I saw your clips on Hmong Tea and commented there but looks like they been deleted so I add my two cent so people will see how Sabidee event holder are. My Lao friend who does not wish to be name as this something he doesn't to bring up again, was a small performer for 2023 MN fest was contacted for a paid gig, I guess they didn't have much people so they start offer a little here and there. When the date got closer, no one would get back to him on payment so he decided to perform anyways since his name was on the lineup and would talk logistic later. Well after the event, no one would give him a straight answer and using the excuse "we will learn this event and do better next time". In the end, he decided to take it as a lost cost as he didn't want to disappoint his fans and also he performed assuming he would get paid later which he found out they were snakes. Last year when a few Hmong people spoke out, they were met on negative response, not from the Hmong community but Laos, Khmers and Thais saying that we were small fish in the pond, or like Hmong who? Sabidee did not even support the Hmong community and NO PR statement to stop community basing or even resolve any of the issues. To me, I still support all the Asian music artist/ dancer performer and influencer, just not the event organizer. If I see flyers that are "sabidee" involvement for sure would not attend or even promote it.

[@phajej1993]

In all fairness, you approached them.

[@jsonth]

They mad cause they didn’t get paid. Plain and simple. They are the ones who offered. Can’t start charging if you offering for free.

[@Orionchrist23]

I had a great time at Sabaidee Fest. Overall, I think the event was a success for its second year. The food and drinks were decent, although the bathroom situation could have been better. Managing logistics for a music festival is more challenging than most people realize. Even major festivals like Coachella and Burning Man have faced criticism recently. It’s normal. At least it was better than the Fyre Festival. Our group went specifically to see Vannda. He sold out the show, and I don't regret going at all. I don't think people really care about the numerous influencers. They probably received more attention from the event than they gave back. They knew they weren’t being paid and chose to attend anyway. I'm sure they were happy to see friendly faces and shake a few hands. Of course, there’s a business aspect behind a cultural event. This is not a non-profit. Even non-profits or NGOs often take more than they give. Everything in this world is business. To think otherwise is rather naive. However, I am thankful for the cultural stage. I wouldn’t have experienced urban ballet if it wasn’t for Sabaidee Fest giving them some exposure. Not everyone is interested in watching cultural performances, but Sabaidee Fest provided options for everyone. It’s easy to criticize a for-profit event and accuse organizers of taking the cash. Personally, I’d rather see a fellow Southeast Asian minority profit from their work and reinvest in next year’s event than some corporation taking advantage of minorities. True support means being happy when your people succeed. I'd rather see my community benefit than some outsider. Keeping it in-house is important to me. I'd rather see my people succeed and learn from their mistakes than criticize them for achieving what no one else has. Overall, the majority of people had a great time. Props to Sabaidee Fest for having the vision and foresight to bring in Vannda. Many Khmer people spent money to support our own, and that's how it should be. It was unfortunate that your friend Mai didn’t get a chance to meet him, but I'm sure Vannda wasn’t aware. Regarding the lack of Vietnamese artists, I don't see a problem. Khmer, Lao, Thai, Hmong, Mien, Karen, Khmu, and others are truly underrepresented. Their histories and identities are not as well-known as those of Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, or Japanese people. I urge Sabaidee Fest to include people from Myanmar next year. This event is about exposure, and it's only fair that the truly underrepresented get the attention they deserve. It's a starting point, and I'm sure there were mistakes, but the end goal is good, and the vision is there. I hope for the future success of Sabaidee Fest. We need to learn how to forgive and encourage our own community before we praise others who do not have our best interests at heart.

[@LisaLisa-vh7ht]

❤

[@ashalonzo]

Saying it’s better for Asian people to be exploited by other Asian people rather than corporations is not the strong argument you think it is

[@narykith32]

This was my first time attending too and that’s because we wanted to see VannDa. From the Khmer perspective, I thought it was a great event to highlight Khmer artists and culture and bring us together (because often we’ve been ignored). It’s unfortunate that this happened to this performer and I hope his concerns are addressed.

[@beaac6367]

Great viewpoints and open minded.

[@Orionchrist23]

@@ashalonzo I'm a realist. I don't think playing the victim advances growth, which comes with growing pains. You deem it exploitation; I call it capitalism. There is nothing wrong with supporting your own people's success.

[@SofiaG-pp9mh]

Doesn’t surprised me about them! They dropped off their Lao International artist in an Airbnb in Fresno at night. Somewhere in downtown right across from a train track. Mind you they are performing the next day. The worst side of town possible. In a house that was robbed & had bars on widows, shattered window from bullet holes. The dude that dropped them off didn’t even want to stayed with them. Left them there & called them later that night not to leave bc it’s not safe. WTF!!! This is all documented on one of the Lao artist KZbin page. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3PXZGqqbNdka6csi=ZBA1OZTDypU0E8fK Saibaidee needs to do better!!! Guess they didn’t learn their lessen from last year.

[@Midwest..]

Only 1 night it was a good experience for them, American Hood and gangtaz life 😊

[@nguyenthichdichoi]

Why is the video privated

[@nightowl7261]

@nguyenthichdichoi Oh wow. I just finish watching that video an hour ago. He spoked in Lao so you can't understand unless you're Lao. But I guess somebody probably pressed him to privatize it....(probably the Sabaideefest organizers).

[@SofiaG-pp9mh]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2KrY5WhnNmYoassi=9ZsYwNlgpRPvXj2-

[@SofiaG-pp9mh]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2KrY5WhnNmYoassi=9ZsYwNlgpRPvXj2-

[@user-lp7zj4kb8c]

There is nowhere in the world. An event like that is not to make money so it can continue. Sounds like someone wants a piece of the pie. Thanks to Sabaidee Fest, they introduced an artist that I had never heard of. Hopefully, next year, they will have a Vietnamese artist with a Vietnamese fan base who purchased the tickets. I'm pretty sure of every ticket that was purchased tell them the type of crowd and what artist to bring.

[@kimiskat7990]

Vietnamese people don't want nothing with other asian

[@sambosun2637]

I’m sorry that you had to go through that. But I do feel isolated because I’m one of the instructor for the culture dance. You had made a lot of great comments. Thank you for bringing that up. Hopefully next year it could be better for all of us. Thank you for all teams that made it happen. But overall, it was a great experience.

[@sinister7707]

Holy fuck you took all the words out of many of us. Totally agreed with you on everything you've said brother. We got sell outs from different groups & culture trying to profit from their own people.

[@exploreoutlao]

Thanks for being the voice for many people out there 🙏🏻

[@somebodycomegether770]

Your collective + friend “Mai” should have asked for compensation in writing saving thise VISAS. Don’t expect to get compensation based off of words. This game is dirty!!! They will use the little guys to prop up the bigger guys

[@x5avage]

I really hope the international artist speak up about the negligence that they encountered while being here under sabaidee fest. But also at the same time I don’t think that they will because I feel like it will mess up their “opportunity” coming to the US to perform. Which is understandable. Don’t wanna mess up your money. But man… what done in the dark will always come to light.

[@saychowb]

Hey, I watched the whole video and here’s my perspective. For the festival to be a “Southeast” Festival, I see your complaint about being the only Vietnamese artist. But how I see it, I believe Hmong, Khmer/Cambodian, Laos and Mien people need more recognition. If you ask a random person on the street if they have heard of Hmong, Cambodian, Lao, Hmong, Mien or Lahu people I bet they only heard of Cambodian and Lao only. I’m a Mien person and I’d like to have other unknown Southeast ethnicities be the main focus so we can gain more recognition. Not to be selfish but highlighting these other ethnicities goes a long way, not saying that Vietnamese aren’t important. This is my perspective to it. Shoutout to all my Southeast people.🙏🏼

[@hnuyaj1230]

Some of the Hmong artists, well known in the Hmong community, were invited but not compensated for their performances. They were left to find their own transportation and place to stay. While others were compensated and provided transportation and a place to share. It's bad on their part to pick and choose who to compensate. All artists should be compensated for their art. It is also very sad that all the cultural performances were isolated. I know they're probably doing the best they can, but it was surely segregated by the level of popularity.

[@WingChunBoyz]

My Cambodian looking brotha man, I hope this doesn’t bite you back in the ass. To be honest, I don’t think the Vietnamese need Sabaidee as much as the Khmers, Laos, Hmongs and Thais. You guys can do without it, but maybe perhaps next year, Sabaidee fest can include the Vietnamese. It’s only on year 3. Give it some time.

[@chouaher1566]

Hmongs don't need Sabidee. Trust and believe. Who do you think most of their consumers were. Lol hmong people were most of their consumers. They need hmong people not the other way around. 😂😂

[@sombatkhnor5720]

Khmer people don't need Sabaidee Fest, Vannda is a global star, he was basically the whole festival himself there.🇰🇭💯

[@epictcg4424]

But the festival was supposed to built unity? So yes, all should be included regardless of what ethnicity you are.

[@WingChunBoyz]

@@epictcg4424 Per Sabaidee Fest, “At Sabaidee Fest our primary goal is to champion diversity among underrepresented Asian communities through vibrant displays of traditional music, fashion, and cuisine.” I don’t think Vietnamese are underrepresented. Their ship has sailed and they’re on their own. They already have Paris by Night. They are culturally more East Asian. You want a Paris by Night at Sabaidee Fest hah? But we can look to the Vietnamese community, they’re catching up with their East Asian counterparts.

[@smlbcity23]

@@chouaher1566 Totally agree!!! Saibaidee fest sees how much success Hmong concert are and wanted a little of that pie and they did got it. Hmong has the biggest supporters out of southeast asian group when it comes to concerts and supporting their own in America.

[@aleekaddie]

Reflecting on my experience as a returning guest from Lafayette, Louisiana-a small town with a big heart❤ -I have some thoughts to share. This is my second year attending the festival. Last year, the dates and lineup changed multiple times, but I held on to the hope of seeing it all come together. I bought a ticket and volunteered part-time (though I might not have been the best volunteer, to be honest 😂). Despite the rain and a little scolding for drinking while volunteering, I had a blast. I made friends, splurged on $15 shots, and soaked in the experience. I’m glad they took our suggestion to include food vendors in the VIP area this year. Thanks to the fun and excitement of the first year, I knew I had to bring my family this time around. We bought three Adult VIP tickets and one child ticket for $2,100-an early bird special. But I noticed that later deals were even better than what we paid early. We also got parking passes, rented cars, and booked a hotel. Even my usually frugal husband agreed, saying, “Unless we’re flying to Laos or Thailand anytime soon, when else would we get to see this?” I appreciate the immense effort it takes to organize a festival. In Lafayette, we have Festival International-a non-profit, free event run by volunteers. While I agree that people should be compensated and clear contracts should be in place. It is crucial for volunteers and staff to know the frequently asked questions and for the layout to be user-friendly. The cultural stage was hard to access, and having vendors face outward in the heat was challenging. We spent most of our time under the VIP tent for shade. My daughter wanted to see the dancers, but we also wanted to catch the performers on the Unity Stage. Last year, we could see all the stages from wherever we stood. This year, that visibility was lost. 🎉 All in all, while there were some hiccups, the festival still brought memorable moments. With a few tweaks, it can be an even better experience for everyone. I would recommend only 2 days! Three days was too much and everyone was exhausted from the sun. It felt like a disservice to the performers. Last call at 8pm also sucked but the sun was just going down. 😂

[@LeiLei2090]

This is year 2 for them!! And just like any business everything is a learning curve and it will get better and better throughout the years as they continue to learn and grow! With any other festival we don’t get to see nor hear the ins and outs, the good and bad. We’re thankful that we’re able to see the overseas artist perform here In the states as most of us don’t have the means to travel to the homeland. To give them this opportunity to come to the states and to see how loved they are!! We will continue to support SBDF and as they continue to grow we will stand by them. Don’t let others cloud your judgement. Experience for yourself and if it didn’t go as planned then you don’t return like any other establishment! Before this I’m pretty sure most Cali people didn’t even know who you were. You got the exposure you wanted and now move on. This could have been discussed with them in a private matter once everything is settled and artist all returned home. Overall we had a effin blast and will continue to support SBDF! See you SBDF 2025!! 🫶

[@NikkiSackaly]

Well said👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@Midwest..]

We had a great time at Sabaidee Fest and would go again 2025 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊

[@tonkeo9005]

If it’s part of the contract then there is nothing we can do beside talking bad about each others back. We re just an outsider We know nothing and let’s just be nice to each other.

[@protox1528]

The person who created this event is just a money grabber. How they treated the Hmong artists last year was enough proof of unprofessional they are. This event is dead after this year. Two years in a row with unprofessional staffing. Thank goodness I didn’t waste my hard earned money on this disrespectful event.

[@tonyh.9957]

Apparently it wasn't bad enough cause some of those same performers came back LoL

[@KinFlick]

I wanted to share some advice with fellow artists. It’s crucial to be transparent and upfront when discussing rates, needs, and expectations with clients. Before, during, and after your performance, make sure to communicate clearly. Additionally, consider getting a signed agreement to protect both parties.

[@LaoLishLife]

Awe. Sorry you had a bad experience. I would’ve had a fun time. The first year was a blast. Florida people showed up. And it was great to see friends from Wisconsin. We’re dispersed everywhere. Just like after the war. The southeast community has been through a lot. We’re different in so many ways, but yet we share commonalities that distinguishes us from the rest of Asia. I appreciate you expressing your perspective, but I hope it helps you to resolve issues and bring us together. Because being apart when your heart feel like it should belong is sad. We can’t be sad at Sabaidee Fest. Virtually or in person.

[@wongfei2877]

If you are a Hmong artist or of other nationality other than Thai and Laos, and yet you tried to get into this event, you are not as smart as you thought you are. And, I am not saying that in a bad way. It is more that I felt sorry for you. The name "Sabaidee" says it all. If you don't understand "why" the name Sabaidee, then you don't know what the culture is. This is not a South East Asian Festival. It is a "Sabaidee" Festival. I heard that originally the festival were excluding Hmong artists (and maybe others as well), but they were sort of pressure into allowing the Hmong artists to be part of the line up. Whether from monetary pressure or from complaints, I don't know. Regardless, whether it was originally an exclusive festival or the mistreatment of certain artists by the Sabaidee staffs, as artists, you should regard yourself with more respect, in that way you wouldn't be mistreated. My biggest surprise is how much the ticket costs and how many Hmong people were there to support a festival that is not even meant for them. I mean, if you want to throw away your hard earn money, so be it, but I bet you most of those attendees who spent so much money out at Sabaidee fest, are people who barely making ends meet or already in debt with credit cards, etc.. My word of advice is, if you want to support an artist, support them directly; not through a third party like Sabaidee Fest.

[@syg7671]

As much as I wanted to go see Pap Beat Band, I would rather fly all the way to Thailand to attend his concert instead. I feel like it's not even worth his time traveling here to the States with a treatment that doesn't really even highlight him when he generates most of Sabaidee Fest tickets sales.

[@wongfei2877]

@@syg7671 I agree. If you spent what some people said they spent, up to $3000/$4000 already, might as well fly to Thailand. At least you got a vacation out of it.

[@naisaephan5044]

Sheesh! Well said!

[@codyinsyarath2261]

You heard? So are you saying it’s hearsay? Because that’s another way of saying “I heard a rumor” meaning that there’s a 50% or more chance that’s it’s false on what you said

[@codyinsyarath2261]

Another thing…you’re also insinuating that is Lao/Thai people are divisive…which that’s false

[@9wild209]

Homie Mad Bc he wants to perform and get paid like big time artist and to have all his friends to get in for free . Dudes a hater and wants to shut down SDF .

[@gfunkera8871]

Boy think he famous but nobody knows him DO MAI!

[@meexiong5045]

Agree with everything you said. The kazumi part, the profit over culture part. The majority of the hmong artists from last year had a bad experience.

[@kevtlee08]

Foreal, when they announced that kazumi will the face or promotional piece for the festival, I did not understand what she had to do with music or culture. Just straight up marketing for profit and I’m pretty sure they had to pay her well for her to agree too. Pretty sure not as well as they paid the artist.

[@9InchHandle]

Always.. always.. have it in writing.. never do things for free or favor.

[@ChaoAnnouvong]

This is basic business 101. This is why even people in love sign a prenuptial agreement. But unless we have the receipts, we cannot base our feelings on anecdotal evidence. This seems more like incompetence by the promotion.

[@9InchHandle]

@@ChaoAnnouvong Yeah.. it sucks.. we hope people don't take advantage but still do. At least it wasn't anything worse.. although $3,500 on overall trip/event is spendy.

[@MichaelFerrariLe]

100% exploiting the talent for profit. They’re making money off of Y’ALL. How does that make sense? What charitable cause is this going to? How is this for the culture?

[@tonyyang2084]

💯

[@kouleeofficial]

In this case he and his team agreed to help them in return for him to perform and have a booth there. That’s not really exploiting when you are aware of it and agreed to it. If artists just stood their ground and said no, then the organizers would feel more pressure to compensate the artists.

[@daslotdaddy3075]

Diffinitly NOT for the culture

[@CamberRockerCamber]

Does it need to go to a charitable cause? Do you go to EDC and wonder charitable cause is behind it. This is only the second or third year of the festival. A lot of mistakes will be made. You have to give them time to correct those mistakes.

[@SlLy73281]

Agree

[@lisakhamphoune]

I was part of it last year as one of the local singers to open on Sunday. I had a bad experience as well.

[@Californiababy-sl4tw]

This is just their second year, everyone is still new and amateur at running such a huge event and I think that they will hopefully learned their lessons and mistakes and eventually get better. You’re not the only one that feels this way. So many artists and influencers and performers all have the same feelings and experiences that you have. But a lot of the customers and attendees actually had a great time. A lot of attendees expressed that they never been to a festival that showcasing southeast Asian before and to be apart of it hopefully what’s to be history in the making as the next southeast Asian Coachella. So that alone is very uplifting for our community. I personally will be optimistic and give them a second chance and want them to do better and get better because our people and culture need something like this for our community. It takes times to and practice to run something so big like this! And yes their a little in over their head, but just for the culture and future generations let this be a a learning lesson for them and their team and as a community let’s forgive and give them a second chance. Not all festivals get it right for the first couple of years but for longevity, sabaideefest, I personally think it should be here to stay, for the culture. Don’t give up on them and continue uplifting our culture!!!

[@pchan1728]

I agree wholeheartedly ❤ the org is only 2 years old. There will be hiccups along the way. Hoping that they can take the feedbacks and put it into consideration to make it even better next year.

[@nightowl7261]

It's good to start off good so you can build that reputation. But they started off bad. Goodluck

[@BlessieP-n9o]

with a large entrance fee and with VIP ticket costing an arm and a leg, NO EXCUSE to not get it together. No excuse to make sure all is in line and have enough manpower. This is NOT a free event. No excuse! do not make one up for them.

[@svnoy]

Second chance?!! Well this is the second chance and second festivals like hello duh?!!! Get it together already!

[@yeahman1756]

If it's a free event or low ticket fee event. it's understandable because they are trying to grow and expose the SEA talent as a whole, but This is not. Those tickets ain't cheap. It's expected to be Organized almost perfectly to the T and dot the I's. smh EDC las vegas is $500+ just for the 3 day ticket entry with a fawk ton of line up and a whole Nascar race track course. they was able to run it close to perfect.

[@SouliantDivilat]

I don’t care what anyone else has to say… this video was well spoken. Understood your opinion. Explanation was on point. I did not attend this festival but the details was understood.

[@sleepylao2429]

I spent about $3500 also for 6 3 day vip pass and rv camp site never again worst experience for a festival for my family im glad i was able to watch you perform they put you on way to early

[@Dcdc956]

$3500 at a weak azz fest is crazy.

[@OfficialEvelin]

Did come from your TikTok video? Yes. Did I attend the festival? Yes. Did I buy a VIP ticket? No. 😂 I posted a "Day 3" photo with my opinion/take on the festival and granted, I only have families on my social media, but it's for my own reflection. But here was my take on the festival and what I wrote about my take... "Finally the festival is oveeerrr! 😪 and here's my take on it.. (I can finally conclude my thoughts on it.) Was it worth going? Yes and no? Yes, because you get to experience the festival and SAY you were there and see the international artists LIVE! But no, it was not worth the money, at least not for me. It's only worth it if you listen and care for everyone on the line up, which I didn't. For every day of the festival, my boyfriend and I didn't even show up until 3 or after because that's when the artists that we wanted to see comes on. If we could, we would've went to Disneyland every morning of the festival and then head to Sabaidee Fest after, buuuuuttt, our enchanted key is blocked out in June & July so we couldn't 😞 so with that being said, just go to your local Sabaidee Fest tour, you'll get to see these international artists without going to the multiple days one and for a cheaper price. The only downfall is that you won't get to see everyone (i.e. Big Yai, T'Jame Uno, etc.) that's if you care for them, but you still get to see most of them. Would I go again? Probably not, unless I get sponsored to go or get free entry or if I'm PAYING and get backstage access, then totally. Because even with VIP, them meet and greet line was long and AGAIN, NOT WORTH IT! You either line up to meet the artists and miss some artists on stage or vice versa. First and probably last time of Sabaidee Fest in LA/Chino ✌️" And mind you, I spent over a grand for the trip alone. I bought two GA tickets for me and my bf, car rental, hotel accommodation, and made the long ass 6+ hours drive (not a big deal because I do it for Disneyland all the time, but not worth it for the festival). With that amount, I would rather meet up with the artists outside the event and take them out for a fest or buy them personally gifts/souvenirs. I've seen someone's video actually meeting up with the Lao and Thai artist the day after and just spending the day with them.

[@OlivierSriprasert]

I love how money can sow such discontent and discord. It really is the root of all evil. At the end of the day, if you’re performing or doing any sort of work and expect compensation, get it in writing/contract. Then you have the other folks who don’t feel connected to the event, if it’s not for you, then don’t attend. You don’t need to pit one person or ethnicity against each other.

[@lisachea6711]

Speaking facts 🗣️. My First Sabaidee fest wasn’t so great too! Had complications getting the parking pass and VIP ITEMS that come with the vip ticket, shirts were given to only locals who were able to pick up tickets early, it’s not fair for people who traveling out of state! They pick and choose! everything was just unorganized. Plus the bathrooms were horrible, unsanitary for VIP ACCESS. VIP ticket prices wasn’t worth it. At least I got to see some of the influencers I wanted to see and Van Da and other artists that performed. I’m so sorry they treated you unfairly along with the rest of the artists and influencers! SABAIDEE FEST do better! In fact they just needed change there Fest name, if it’s really a SOUTHEAST ASIAN FESTIVAL!!!😤

[@Zatisfy49]

It’s a money grab business my friend. Dont ever do favors or perform for free because that shows your values of yourself towards businesses. Lesson learned 📝

[@liindawgg]

I’m sorry this happened but why were you guys doing work without proper contracts to avoid situations like these?

[@HellaThe]

I have an uncle that was very close with the people who started Sabaidee fest, but he never supported it because he didn’t like that they were exploiting our culture and using religious symbolism in an incorrect way just to make profit.

[@yeahman1756]

because they realize how dumb the new generations are. lol they won't notice it. It's a great opportunity to make some money. Like Wise men always say "They farm on the back of their own people"

[@atemegabites2251]

22:00 minute video , I’ll make it quick for y’all , sabaideefest told him from the getgo they can’t pay him; but would let him be on the lineup. You guys gotta come up with contracts if you want compensation or anything. If Mai was the main person communicating to get Vannda over here wouldn’t she be in direct contact with his management to setup time to meet Vannda ? You can’t just blame SBDF for not organizing Mai to meet him.Parking situation was a shet show I agree , and so was people getting Uber or Lyft.

[@khmer5591]

I was there at SBDF. First and foremost nothing is perfect. Last year a majority was Hmong attendees. This year majority was Cambodian attendees. Personally I thought it was a great turnout and event. Artist/influencers need to blame themselves and their management. Not the promoter giving them the opportunity to get exposure. You do know artists that perform at the Super Bowl do it for free right ? Beyoncé, the weekend , Dre, etc. all free.

[@itsatrap4986]

Artists perform at the SB do it for free???😂😂😂

[@LisaLisa-vh7ht]

@@itsatrap4986yes they do. You can research. Apple sponsors the production of the show and accommodation. The artist doesn’t get paid for performing.

[@khmer5591]

@@itsatrap4986yes 100% go do your research. No one gets paid to perform at the SB.

[@anon2095]

The difference is artists like Beyonce and Dr.Dre are already megarich and famous. In other words, they don't need the money. Whereas, some of the southeast asian artists from overseas are not well off. The exposure will help them but it would be disappointing to hear that they only made a few grand. Granted, that's a lot of money in their country and will go a long way but if SBDF made a great profit, the artists who brought in a lot of $ deserve better.

[@LisaLisa-vh7ht]

@@anon2095 I believe the oversees artists from Laos got paid more than a few thousand last year. However I can’t confirm since I’m not involved with the organization. I’m going off of what Bigyai said in one of his vlogs that he made last year somewhere in the $30k mark from the concerts, tips, livestreams, etc.

[@killaforniak621]

This is a very new thing for everyone…. It’s just there’s no real experience ppl setting all this up…. It’s not Coachella!! And it’s NOT a South East Asian festival it was a Lao and Thai thing at first…. I wish somebody would do a S.E.A Festival!!!! That would be Awesome

[@yeahman1756]

pay me handsomely, I pull some investors in we can make it happen on that S.E.A fest. .. It ain't going to be cheap tho. All attendees must 100% percent co-operate and support the Event movement too with no Homie Discounts. Takes money to make money with legit contract documents stated, stamped and signed from all parties with real lawyers present. there won't be No" he said she said bs because We all the same people, so homie discount bs."

[@vangyao123]

There’s a lesson to be learn. Get an aggressive manager that can negotiate your terms and conditions. Don’t be expecting anything extra if it’s not in your contract/agreement. It sounds like you and Mai got what you asked for. Need to be more specific with your level of involvement and compensation. If you had ask for monetary compensation, they probably would’ve declined your involvement so there ya go. Double edge sword.

[@slotbae777]

Thank you for sharing your experience, you have the right to feel your feels, however, part of your statement seemed a little divisive and misguiding. I know sometimes we say things to get people to side with us and may not understand the lasting impact and that is what I feel is happening here and since you invited feedback, here it is. You can take it and use it if you find it helpful or leave it for someone else if you don't. You may be too young to have experienced the bloody history of Southeast Asians in America in the 90s and early 2000s, I'm sure there is still some residue of that still going on now but we have made a lot of progress in terms of unifying. An event like Sabaidee Fest would not have been possible back then without bleedshed. You say you are part of a collective of what seems to be comprised of individuals with different creeds and cultures. That is a major achievement. It's about progress over perfection. Southeast Asians in America have come a long way. As for the business aspect of things, whoever or whomever that had the vision to start Sabaidee Fest probably has a love for the culture, the music and has an entrepreneurial mindset. If they didn't have an entrepreneurial mindset, they would have been fine dancing in their backyard without all the risk of putting on such a huge event of this scale. We are Southeast Asians, there's a party going on every weekend. Regarding you getting accommodations or getting paid- bartering is a form of payment and you accepted the terms. You made your own decision to come out of pocket for the things that you wanted outside the contract. As for the vendors that paid for their space/booth probably had to pay for their parking and if it was included in their contracts it was probably only one pass. This is not exclusive to this event. As for the disorganization, big events never ever go 100% as planned. Look at commercially massive shows and concerts, with all the money and planning, people are still getting trampled on and dying. As for getting kicked out of backstage, was it in your contract that you can have free rein? I know some artists are introverted or want to take it easy when they are not on stage and don't want to be around so many people or strangers all the time. As for your friend, that is immensely unfortunate and hurtful and you as her friend can be hurt for her to a certain extent but that seems like a problem she should address with whomever made her those promises. She seems very caring and giving and has proven to be an asset. She should give whomever the chance to try to rectifying the situation or take it as a lesson and if they choose not to rectify it, it becomes a learning opportunity on all sides. What I'm saying is, you had a bad experience, I understand that but don't try to pit the different ethnicities against each other. Hopefully, you can recoup some of your money with these KZbin views.

[@vincenttrichanh6495]

This festival is more of a show than it is a cultural event. They just happen to make it a cultural event because so many of the artists are from SE Asia so why not try to lure out the best marketing scheme possible. From what I've heard the management team has to many involved and not enough people to hold accountable if something goes wrong but all of them have the wheels turning. I think this video is mainly just trying to find justice for the friend that helped Vaanda. Personally as a performer of music there are times I have to take all those stupid "L's" involving festivals because so much is involved and you just might get the shit end. Like sometimes my band will get the same treatment you got as a performer. But these people too focused on the money they spent on the big performers and the shitty mess of a festival they got going around. Moral tho is if your not officially get paid on contract just make sure your cool with going on your own and figuring out with out help. Basically for the experience. Hope your friend gets justice tho.

[@AhnayDiary]

If your friend brought Vannda here, should she be able to contsct him and talk to him. Why she wait to be back stage to meet and greet him? Weird.

[@ceetshaushaam4647]

When ZPX spoke up about it, i knew they were shady that's why i can't and will not support them. They don't care about others.

[@teamboozt]

What's worst is his friends are channing and David yang yet his friends didn't even stand with him. Fake friends right there.

[@kennyomega6795]

where’s the video

[@freddiey2kgsr]

​@teamboozt real talk! They're not his friends, because they would of refuse the invitation. At the end of the day, it's all about the money!

[@LuckyScratch7]

No disrespect to you bro, but nobody knows you. You asked to be onto the line up. You bring no money to them. ( not sure about your collective) Your friend “mai” should be getting some type of revenue. Maybe she did it outta love off GP. But then again she is not SBF. And you cannot expect to be paid if you’re offering your service. It just showed SBF character. 2. SBF barely started, mostly catered to the Laos / Thai people. If you understand the dynamic and politics within south East Asian culture. Then you should know how racist it is within each other. 3. Look at it in this perspective if you was Vannada in his shoe you prolly would’ve had a blast. But you’re not and hopefully you get to that one day

[@kraygelist]

There isn't any unity. The Lao community is so divided with hate and jealousy that they don't even want to support their own. The Hmong carried 2023 Sabaidee Fest. The Cambodians carried 2024 Sabaidee Fest.

[@yeahman1756]

this was a FACT! Hamung folks made it happened.

[@untouchablelah]

I'm Lao and I totally agree. I been telling folks that all the time. Lao folks are divided and don't usually support each other. Only when they need something.

[@Midwest..]

We had great time at Sabaidee Fest I think it was an amazing show and performances 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊

[@yaaj99]

right ! hmoob eh Hmoob

[@beevang4503]

I agree Lao people are communist

[@cheelee]

I refuse to support this festival. Sabaidee Fest was originally put in place just for the Lao artist. Ticket sales was low so they brought in Hmong artist. Ticket sales & merchandise sales went up but behind the sense I can see how little coverage the Hmong artist was getting compared to the Lao artist. After the festival. Some influencer & artist came out. Sabaidee Fest is in it for the money. Plain & simple.

[@GnoixGenp]

Firstly, I won't be going anymore to Sabaidee because i think it did lose its original "vibe" to it but I do think your claims are a bit ridiculous and not based off on the full information available. Just like one of the Hmong artist from last year (even though I support them too), I think you're just feeling some type of way. Sometimes there's no bad intention, sometimes things just doesn't work out exactly how you want it to go. It's a huge logistical undertaking with hundreds of people (a good majority are probably volunteers) and they actually pulled it off Cmon, you're not that big, you can't expect that much preferential treatment. Those parking passes are only $50 for 3 days lol...they did give you one because you're an artist. Your friend might not have gotten that meet and greet because of some other conflicts, not because they simply refused to honor the promise. Labels, music industry, and international visa contracts are all very complicated. No vietnamese artists? Vietnamese culture is already overrepresented in the US + its only the 2nd year...let other SE asians have their moment instead of crying about it... I agree about the layout though, it was wack. I thought the EDM DJs were wack too, there was nothing "cultural" about that and should never have been approved In the end, you reached out to them to get put on and they did their best for an up and coming artist. Feels kind of slimy to be revealing this opinion about them claiming its the "truth"

[@alexzongman4346]

Sorry to hear that brotha. As a consumer/attendee, I had a good time. We only went sunday. We came in a big group and also had an RV. There definitely could be improvements and the way the whole place was set up. Everything is pretty pricey too. Shot? $20, Beer? $12, Papaya Salad? $15. Portion of food? Around $20. I do agree with adding more cultural things for the main stage and bring everyone together. Also have the stages maybe closer or more visible for everybody to see. And the Artist booths should be in a better area. I do hope they improve and learn to make Sabaidee Fest better. I had a good time and it was fun but I wouldn't say it's worth $169 for one day. Maybe $100 or less.

[@kouleeofficial]

I’m sorry you had that experience. I would say however, that since you guys agreed to do the work in exchange for benefits that is not money, you can’t really complain about not being compensated. I’m sure you as an artist know that without a signed contract, nothing is ever really confirmed. Also, the event is a business. They may promote it as a festival to celebrate southeast Asians, however they also need to profit from the event. Your team agreed to help them with the event in return for your team to have a booth and for you to perform. I’m always for artists, videographers, photographers, dancers to get paid, but this agreement your team made with them, I would say was not the best agreement to make.

[@Midwest..]

There's pro & con every festival and can't please everybody 😮

[@IndyPiasaka-eb4li]

Hes not bashing Sabaidee Fest in the same breathe bashing Sabaidee Fest

[@Midwest..]

Every big festival there's pro & con and miscommunication and cannot please everybody 😊

[@practicaldriver]

This is how things will improve over time, thanks for sharing.

[@jsmoov2156]

I see a lot of hate in this comment section. Plus, this dude is getting a lot views over his experience at SDFT. If it's drama people want to tune in on it. Tammy Moua came out with her perspective on Sabaidee Fest. So why is their less views? In order stop Asian hate we need to start from our own first. And someone commented on the name too. Why did they call it Sabaidee Fest when it should be Southeast Asian Fest? Will "Sabaidee is just a greeting to everybody". Try putting every greeting in every southeast Asian country on a shirt. GOOD LUCK! Why did they call it Aloha Fest instead of pacific islander fest, because it's just a greeting.

[@SouliantDivilat]

I don’t care what anyone else has to say… but this video was well spoken. Understood your opinion. Explanation was on point. I did not attend this festival but the details was understood.

[@pchan1728]

I watched the KZbin video last night and wanted to thank you for shedding some light on what you experienced as someone from behind the scenes. You didn’t bash the organization at all. I do feel like there was some valid constructive criticism like in regards to where the Culture stage was set up. Even though I was given a map, I honestly stopped going any further as I reached the main stage. I flew in that morning and was only there from about 3-10. I was bummed about missing out on viewing some of the cultural dances. That was my bad on my part cause once again, I stopped at the main stage. It was a lot to take in being it was my first experience. For next year, I would like the see the cultural stage more in the middle grounds than tucked away. Or that the dances are shared with the main stage as well. Not only that, I missed the booths in that area and also the mural artists too 😢. This is not directed towards @mixedmiyagi but mostly for those upset about the fact that some artists were not compensated. Artists can come to an agreement prior to committing. They CAN refuse to be part of the lineup if being paid is important to them and that’s ok too. Some artist is ok with just being a part of the experience and for exposure. It doesn’t necessarily mean that their talent is not being valued . The contracts needs to be more clear in the future too. Sabaidee fest is only 2 years old. We also have to be fair and think about the cost of setting up, equipments, security , using that space alone, etc. The profit may go back into making it better the following year. I’m sure it was a lot of work just putting the event together , especially at this magnitude. There’s a lot of things that goes on BTS. Hopefully the crew can use these feedbacks and make next years event even better . Also for them to make sure to shout out the people that really made this happen with the artists and their Visa. It could’ve turned out really really bad if those visas were not approved . (copy and pasted my comment from IG for those not on there)

[@KathyLee1745]

I agree with this. I felt so bad for the performers on the cultural stage. Hardly any audience. We didn't even know it was located way at the end. We just happened to pass by it when we went to use the restroom. Is was a really bad area because all those white tents were blocking it. So I'm pretty sure a lot of people knew where it was located.

[@LA109plda]

You know, in reading this- I am realizing I didn’t catch any cultural dances at all because I was watching the concerts and eating food. This is great feedback, I completely agree with you.

[@NikkiSackaly]

@@KathyLee1745 they had everything map out for you. You also go the itineraries for which performance was going go on which stage. The time and dates was there for you. That’s your fault for not knowing. Did you want them to hold your hand and direct you? 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ people just love complaints. Can’t satisfy everyone.

[@KathyLee1745]

@saoluvlygurl143 How is this complaining lmao. I'm giving constructive criticism and my own opinion. Literally, the area was really blocked off from the rest of the venue. That's why there was hardly any audience. What I'm saying is I feel bad for the performers who performed with no audience or hardly any. Even the edm tents had more audience because it was easy to spot.

[@NikkiSackaly]

@@KathyLee1745 sure sound like complaining to me 😏

[@pricetagisle1860]

Thank you for sharing your experiences at Sabaidee Fest. I was looking forward to go to 2025 Sabaidee Fest, but I am reconsidering now. Thank you for the message.

[@kevinmoua3792]

Did Kazumi sing the remix of 'Hawk Tuah" spit on that thang

[@chengyman]

LOL

[@10tanium]

I appreciate your honesty bro. Respect

[@undftdtay]

As a content creator representing the southeast asian culture (lao), this festival was a blow to us. I arrived at the festival with high hopes. I thought to myself that there was finally a representation for us to expand and acknowledge our culture altogether. But i was proven very wrong. Sabaidee Fest is a cash grab to exploit our southeast asian heritage.

[@springburrito]

Glad I didn’t waste my money for that event. Miyagi you right in every way sir!

[@Kouangs_Productions]

Thanks for this video man!

[@lesley96]

Sabaidee Fest did not need THAAAAAT HUGE of a venue. Got us tripping in potholes and walking a mile for no reason. The Culture stage was SO HIDDEN and FAR. A venue like Los Angeles State Historic park is more than enough for the small amount of people that attended. They wasted too much money on that Prado park. Sorry that you didn’t have a good experience but you definitely aren’t the only artist feeling this way. I’ve heard other stories who are unhappy too.

[@illestnwk]

I agree with you they did not need that huge of a venue. There’s other venues through out the LA area that could’ve easily fit everything & everyone without having to miss out. I missed out on some cool performances at the culture stage since it was far & hidden. Another location they could’ve done is Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.

[@Midwest..]

Sabaidee Fest amazing show and performances love to see different ethnics community coming together 🥳 🎉 🪅 🎊

[@idliketosay]

Bruh…all I heard was “we” approached them, we “offered” to help them with funding etc etc etc. And there were only two conditions y’all asked for…and you clearly GOT IT…plus more it sounds like. Just be thankful you even got a chance to perform and got FREE exposure. They didn’t come asking/needing your help. You went asking for clout and they gave it to you all for fee. Peeps these days want to be treated like royalty when they haven’t even earnt it. Beggers can’t be choosers y’all. My goodness.

[@SunnyLee-l4z]

It looks like it was a good experience for fan goers and a bad experience for Artist. It also looks like the business model is to find cheap or free labor to collect as much profits as possible. Lets hope the organizers hears these complaints and tries better next year.

[@michaelkek12]

I attended Saturday and we had a Great time. No, I didn’t want to see cultural performances on the main stage it honestly would have ruined the vibe. Ya’ll acting like the organizers got resources like Coachella is laughable. I wouldn’t be surprised if this festival isn’t around in a couple of years. The event was in Chino, Chino! Once I saw that, I reset my expectations for the event.

[@hangsanity]

Sabaidee fest has the right “concept” of gathering and attracting southeast artist. Definitely helps promote everyone’s musical talents and bringing in the culture. But sad that it’s been 2x in a row that their direction does not lead to unity, support, professionalism, and promoting culture. Just from outside looking in, I’m js, seems like a specific few got compensated in all this matter. Thank you for your honest opinion. You and ZPX didn’t have to be the voice and you guys stepped up for 23-24 in bringing the dark side of sabaidee fest.

[@YMalisa]

Thank you for making this video ❤❤❤

[@pa7509]

Sabaidee fest is sketchy, when asked for a contract to make clothes for specific artists they ghost you.

[@x5avage]

On Big Yai live the other day he said he only has 2,000 to come back home with this year. And he has to use some of the at to pay for extra luggage to bring back home so he’ll probably end up with less than that. He also has to pay a way to get his family to pick him up. That’s crazy af

[@svnoy]

Trust me it will get worst if this keeps going and will get to the point where someone will get hurt! The way they treated the Laos artists is so damn ignorant and heartless! I for one will not contribute to this sabaidee fest at all! Something fishy about that Salong guy I don’t know I’m just saying!

[@MSYOUNG00]

My heart 💔 thank you for sharing your ❤️ and your truth!

[@SarahVee-ml5qd]

Breaks mines too and i get this ugly stomach feeling when Sabaidee comes up. Worst team I’ve encountered.

[@SpeedGasmEvo9]

In here for the comments. Thanks for making this video

[@paovaj6576]

Went the first year not impressed for what the tickets cost. So unorganized and if you're not close friends with the promoter they don't give a shit about you. They treated the staff like shit and no parking pass for us as staff. Never going again

[@BookJay35]

My uncle was upset as well at Sabaidee Fest he came only for Kazumi and didn't even know where the meet and greet was and at what time he said he's never going back he didn't even get to see her.

[@Midwest..]

Lol who spends all that money just to see a porn star should just youtube or Xx website to find her 😅😅

[@BookJay35]

@@Midwest..his ticket was free 😂

[@CamRanhKid2]

Really man? Not for the culture? 😂😅 cheers to your uncle

[@BookJay35]

@@CamRanhKid2 it was for the culture she was there she’s a part of the culture

[@mryang3644]

Kazumi? Porn lady?

[@yongkunkuoch7710]

I was there but could not find the meet and greet boot or culture stages 😢 Most people came late because most of us could not even find general parking. In my opinion the festival was all over the places.

[@tynation9103]

I didn’t even know SBDF was a thing. A friend had mentioned if I wanted to go see a concert where Vannda was performing. I agreed because I thought it would be a good time to catch up with my friends and see Vannda at the same time. I just thought it was disorganized. The sound system wasn't the best. Some artists, I can barely hear. But overall, I had a decent time. But it will be my first and last time going.