Vietnam is getting ready to rock as Italian musician Piero Pelu prepares to perform in the capital this Saturday.

The Italian will join Vietnamese rock singer Tran Lap on stage as part of the Italian Rainbow festival, currently taking place in Vietnam (from April to October). Lap is former singer-songwriter of the band The Wall.

"I'm very happy to be here to perform with the Vietnamese rockers. We are going to try to sing a duet at the concert," Pelu said at a press conference on May 9. He has just arrived in Vietnam after touring France and Switzerland to promote his latest album, In Faccia.

Throughout his life, Pelu has been fuelled by his passion for rock. It began in his native Florence when he fronted the schoolboy band Wave Scholastic.

Driven by a need to explore the rock scene abroad, the Italian travelled to London, home of punk. Inspired, the musician returned to Florence but by now he was interested in a new avenue of the rock genre: Med-rock. With this style in mind, he founded his current band Lifiba and in 2000 they released their debut album Ne buoni ne cattivi.

Med-Rock is a mixture of rock and blues blended with traditional music from South America and the Mediterranean.

"I want to make rock music more popular through Med-Rock. But most important is that the singer can express how he feels about life through his music," the musician said at the press conference.

The singer also revealed that he and his five member band will perform six songs from In Faccia at Saturday's concert.

Faccia is about communication, Pelu said: "Communication means sharing, talking, looking, taking action or staying silent."

And what better way to show it than a duet between two friends from different countries and cultures, united by rock.

Other Vietnamese rock bands at the concert include Hanoi-based Red Tide, Microwave and HCM City's Unlimited. The performance will take place at the Giang Vo Exhibition Centre at 8pm. (VNA)