Viet Nam News A lot goes into making a kite the traditional way. The right kind of light wood is needed and kite makers sometimes travel away from their homes to find such material. A special kind of kite that is flown in the northern province of Thái Bình during summer is one that makes music. People have been flying such kites for many, many years. Thúy Hằng Over decades, the image of kites flying over immense rice fields have provided inspiration for many Vietnamese artists and musicians. Visiting Song An Commune, Vũ Thư District in the rural northern province of Thái Bình in summer time, no one can resist the picturesque landscape of boundless green rice fields, scenic grass dykes alongside the flowing river, and flute kites - looking like giant rice seeds - flying above it all, sounding bass melodies. Although flute kites can be seen in some other regions in the North such as Hải Phòng and Nam Định, those of Thái Bình seem the most famous as they originate from the 15th … [Read more...] about Musical kites in the northern skies
Grown folks music
Listening to old music with young ears
Ca Hue, also known as "the Hue tune", took root in the region about 500 years, and experts say it has similarities to other Vietnamese traditional music forms like don ca tai tu (Southern folk music) and ca tru (ceremonial singing) found in the northern region. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao was enjoying a moment of epiphany, almost. She was a native of the former capital city of Hue, but she'd never really cared or taken the time to listen to ca Hue, a music form that her parents and grandparents were proud of. "Amazing! It was great to find out that the music has so many different melodies, both sorrowful and cheerful. I could feel the harmony between the music and the lyrics." Thao had left Hue for studies as an adolescent, and stayed on to work in HCM City. She would visit home very year, but still had paid no attention to what she considered an archaic form of music. This April, since a friend was visiting Hue with her, she attended a free ca Hue performance, and it was revelation. Her … [Read more...] about Listening to old music with young ears
Old music and art becomes popular again
Many people in Vietnam enjoy music and art from all over the world. But, what about Vietnamese art and music? There are plans to show people in the country more about their own art and music. Many people are interested and some are even learning the old songs and music that their grandparents once told them about. By Trung Hieu Art designer Tran Thanh Tung says that many young Vietnamese people have fallen in love with South Korean movies, European music and different global cultures. "But if you ask them what Vietnamese culture is, many of them are unsure. "My colleagues and I are also stumped by these questions, especially during conversations with foreign friends, which comes as a surprise to them." In modern society, sometimes traditional values can be forgotten, and many youngsters are turning their backs on their heritage. However, there is hope because some groups of young people have found creative ways to protect and promote the values of cultural heritage. Tung and his … [Read more...] about Old music and art becomes popular again
Elderly man preserves traditional music ca Hue for love
Historical materials show that characteristic Hue melodies originated from imperial songs. Its official name ca Hue first appeared in 1687. Music tastes have changed a lot since then but one man is determined the genre won't die out. Ngoc Duy reports.Every Saturday evening, the small house at No 9 Pham Ngu Lao Street in Hue resounds with the touching melodies of ca Hue (Hue tunes). The host, Buu Y, has hosted a music club at his home for 14 years as an expression of love for his wife and a means to preserve a genre of traditional music that has lost popularity with time. Historical materials show that ca Hue originated from a number of imperial songs. Its official name first appeared in 1687 when Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan chose the Thua Thien area as the location for the ancient capital city of Hue. Tran Van Khe, a researcher of traditional music, said ca Hue was only popular with the common people for a short period of time and that even now it maintained its original characteristics of … [Read more...] about Elderly man preserves traditional music ca Hue for love
Young performers take up the baton for traditional folk art
In the bustle of the night market on Hang Dao-Dong Xuan streets at the weekend, singer Le Xuan Quynh loses herself in a xam song (folk song for blind beggars) on a stage by the entrance. The audience forms a circle around the make-shift stage with attentive eyes towards her in the middle of an endless stream of passers-by. Quynh said performing on such a night gave her inspiration and encouragement to keep following the art. "I relish each show, especially on cold or rainy nights," she told Viet Nam News. "Since our first Saturday night show in 2005, audiences have flocked to this stage. "Once, it poured with rain as we were performing and the audience suddenly disappeared. We thought we might have to stop the show as there were no people watching us and it began to rain harder. But a few minutes later they flocked back again, wearing raincoats. "I couldn't hold back my tears, I was so moved. "They also sometimes give us money and food while bowing in respect." The stage, … [Read more...] about Young performers take up the baton for traditional folk art